研究所、轉學考(插大)、學士後-英文題庫下載題庫

        For the ancient people of Central America, money grew on trees—cacao trees, that is, the source of chocolate. Inside the football-shaped pods that sprout from cacao trunks and branches lie rows of seeds. Those seeds, often called beans, were among the most coveted products that the Central Americans traded in their own region and beyond. The seeds also served as currency throughout the realm. 

        Native to the tropics of the Americas, cacao trees thrive in rain forests beneath the shading canopy of taller plants. Nobody knows who first cultivated cacao. The word itself trances back to the ancient word kakaw. By about 1100 B.C. the early people there were making a cacao brew. In time, they produced the first chocolate: a thick, bitter beverage used especially for rites of passage—birth, marriage, induction into the priesthood, even entry into the afterlife. The traditional recipe began with drying, roasting, and grinding fermented cacao seeds. Then they mixed the resulting powder with water and flavorings that included cinnamon, chilies, and vanilla. They poured the concoction back and forth between pots, creating a cap of foam that was considered the most delicious part. 

        Many vessels created for storing and serving spiced chocolate show scenes of kings and nobles drinking it, as well as the gods. Commoners may also have imbibed during feast days. Some vessels were personalized with glyphs that read, “This is my chocolate pot.”