Chocolate has been around forever!

I love chocolate! With that being said, I decided to do some digging into the history books and research when the first recordings of chocolate being consumed were. If we pull ourselves through a fold in time we will be transported all the way back to the Aztecs. Did you know they made a chocolate drink that was called Xocoatll? I didn’t either! They used the beans from the cocoa tree, refined them, and made them into a drink. I guess you can say it was their version of hot chocolate, except it was served chilled. Here is what you need to make this delightfully spicy drink!

• 1.5 cups of water
• 1 green chile pepper sliced
• 4 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Ancient Directions:
Bring 1 1/2 cup water to a boil in a pot; add the chili pepper, seeds included, to the boiling water and cook at a boil for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain the chili pepper and seeds from the water; return the water to the pot. Add 4 cups water to the chili pepper-infused water, reduce heat to medium-low, and bring to a slow boil. Stir the cocoa powder and vanilla extract into the boiling water; cook and stir until the powder dissolves completely, 5 to 10 minutes. This recipe is compliments of allrecipes.com! I think it is important to have a little chocolate everyday. When I do, I really don’t crave it in huge amounts. I know that when I have my little chocolate fix, I feel satisfied. I look forward to it everyday!

I made this and I have to say it was an interesting combination of ingredients. The chile pepper made the cocoa flavor stand out. I really wasn’t sure if the chile pepper would be overpowering. It surprisingly wasn’t! I am going to continue to research and dig up more information on chocolate and it’s place in our diet! The picture is what my drink looked like. I added a red pepper in the picture because it gives it a pop of color! Make this and let me know your thoughts on the ancient recipe! Let’s experiment together!!!