Where does the word “chocolate” come from? Curious to learn which cultures were involved in the world’s evolution? Keep reading and discover the root of the word CHOCOLATE and how it has evolved over time.
Etymology of CHOCOLATE. Where does the word come from?
The etymology and meaning of the word “chocolate” is quite interesting and reveals some of the history of chocolate over the years.
You’ll probably be surprised to learn that some common words in the English language are derived from Nahuatl, the native language of the Aztecs in Mexico. For example, “tomato,” “chili,” and “avocado” all come from words in Nahuatl. The big one, CHOCOLATE, originated in Mexico and also derives its name from Nahuatl.
Nahuatl was the language spoken by the Aztecs or Mexica people. It is still spoken today in various parts of Mexico, such as in the states of Puebla, Hidalgo, and Mexico City. The Nahuatl language also adopted words from other peoples such as the Maya, Zapotec, and Totonaca. The etymology of “chocolate” comes from the Nahuatl word “chocolatl” which means “bitter water”.
At that time, chocolate was a drink (not a bar or tablet) that was mixed with water and spices. Thanks to the definition of the word, we can understand that for most of its history, chocolate was a drink and not eaten as a solid food. In fact, chocolate has been consumed as a drink for almost 4,000 years. The addition of sugar and milk used to sweeten this bitter chocolate beverage (and which popularized it in European circles) occurred over the last 400 years. And only in the last 150 years has chocolate been eaten in solid bar form.
The etymology of “chocolatl” is little known, although many people think that it came from the Mayan word “Chocol Haa” which means “bitter water”. It is assumed that the Aztecs adopted this term to also name their chocolate drink.
Cacao trees, the source of chocolate, have been given many names. In the 18th century, naturalist Carolus Linnaeus gave the chocolate tree its formal scientific name, Theobroma Cacao. Theobroma means “food of the gods.” For many cultures, this tree symbolizes abundance, governance, and ancestry and serves as a conduit through which souls travel to earth from heaven and hell. The name “cacao” derives from the Nahuatl word “cacahoatl” or “cacahuatl”, which means “bitter juice”.
The Aztecs learned how to cultivate and use cacao from the Mayans. At that time, chocolatl was appreciated as a restorative to give strength, awaken sexual appetite, treat fatigue, increase the weight of malnourished people, stimulate the nervous system of apathetic people, improve digestion and stimulate the kidneys.
Cocoa beans became so important in the culture that they were even used as currency, a custom that lasted for years even after the Spanish conquest. In fact, Hernán Cortés paid his soldiers with cocoa beans. During those years, chocolatl was appreciated not only for its flavor but also for its stimulating value.
Cortés wrote to Charles V that a cup of this indigenous drink was enough to sustain a soldier’s strength for a whole day’s march. The Aztec noblemen sweetened the cacao with wild honey or sweet maple juice, flavoring it with vanilla and adding corn gruel to make it nutritious.
The word “chocolate” comes from the same place
The word for our most delicious sweet, chocolate, was similar in many ancient languages, and that holds true even today. So it’s no wonder that after all these millennia and centuries, chocolate remains a favorite food of mankind across countries and continents.
The first chocolate bar – a short history lesson
In 1828, a Dutch chemist invented cocoa powder when he found a way to make powdered “chocolate” by eliminating most of the natural fat from the cocoa beans. The idea behind his discovery was to make an easy-to-mix chocolate drink. He crushed the cocoa beans and then pressed them as well as treating them with alkaline salts. His products soon led to solid chocolate creations made from this new cocoa powder. We owe much of our chocolaty goodness to Joseph Fry, a man who lived in England during the Industrial Revolution. He is credited with creating the first solid chocolate bar in 1847 which was manufactured and distributed by J. S. Fry & Sons.
The chocolate that we enjoy today has gone through many transformations as it spread around the world. And as you have learned, the same is true of the word “chocolate”. Regardless of who drank it or what was in it, chocolate has never stopped becoming more and more popular around the world. And hopefully, it never will.
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