Illustration for the question “Which Mesoamerican civilization prepared ritual drinks based on cocoa?”

History

Which Mesoamerican civilization prepared ritual drinks based on cocoa?

Correct answer The Mayas

Fact

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The Maya cultivated the cocoa tree and transformed its seeds into beverages used in social, political and ritual contexts. Cocoa also circulated as a valuable commodity in Mesoamerican trade, and the Aztecs later used it extensively. The Olmecs have long been touted as possible early Mesoamerican users. More recent archaeological analyzes have, however, identified residues linked to cocoa in Ecuador that are more than five millennia old, predating the Mayan civilizations. It is therefore correct to question the Mayan use of cocoa, but not to attribute to them without nuance its very first cultivation in the world.

Content last updated · August 14, 2026

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