In this article, I would like to discuss a topic that we have all been indirectly or directly involved with in our lives and that many of us, including myself, love: cacao. That bitter seed that gives us the gift of chocolate, or as the Nahuas called it, Xocoloatl, xoco (bitter) and atl (water). In Mexico, we have ancient records of the domestication of this plant. The Mocaya people, over 4,000 years ago, were already domesticating and using it, just like many other peoples, in rituals, as it has been done up to now by the Wixarika, who, although they do not cultivate it, do use it.
"Flower of Cacao, Cacao Pod, and Cacao Beans"
Part of the name "Xocoloatl" comes from the bitterness of the seed. While indigenous people consumed it without sweeteners, there were also times when it was sweetened with honey, for example. However, it was not until the arrival of the Spaniards and the introduction of the seed to Europe that the sweet consumption of this food became standardized. The introduction of sugar and other sweeteners in chocolate preparation radically transformed its taste and its perception in Western culture.
Additionally, this fruit in ancient times was not consumed as we do today. Before the arrival of the Spaniards in America, different peoples drank it in water, very frothy, believing that the spirit of the drink was in that foam. To this day, the saying goes "it is ground on your knees, beaten by joining hands, and drunk while looking at the sky".
"Foamy Chocolate"
And what does cocoa have to do with the Bay of Banderas? You might ask, since as I mentioned earlier, I was going to focus these articles on topics related to the Bay. Well, nothing more and nothing less than the bay has historical antecedents of the use of this plant. Recently, archaeologists Mauricio Garduño, a researcher at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) Nayarit, and Michael Mathiowetz from the University of Riverside, California, have found evidence that pottery found in El Cañón del Chaco, in New Mexico, came from Nayarit. So, we could understand that as early as 800 A.D., cacao was being cultivated in the area, since the climate is favorable and its pollinator, the mosquito, abounds in this region.
And what was cocoa used for? In Planeta Cacao, one of the tourism projects for dissemination found in the bay, they have a table where we can see how native peoples used the seeds as a standardized currency. A turkey cost 200 cocoa beans and a tomato only 1, for example. But it was not only used as currency, as I mentioned earlier, it had ritual uses as an offering and, for the Mayan people, it was related to the south, symbolically close to the underworld. With this, we return once again to our lands, because Punta Mita, that paradisiacal place, receives its second name "Mita" from a Nahuatl derivation of Mictlan, which for the Nahuas was the dwelling place of the dead. So now it does not seem strange to us that we find it here, that its relevance was important for our ancestors.
"Informative Murals about Cacao at Planeta Cacaco"
Additionally, cacao was valued for its medicinal and cosmetic properties. It was believed to have healing qualities and was used in various forms to treat ailments and maintain health. The presence of cacao in Nayarit not only reflects the importance of this plant in pre-Hispanic economy and culture, but also highlights the deep connection our communities had with the land and its natural resources. Cacao was more than just food or a drink; it was a symbol of identity, tradition, and spiritual connection with nature.
And although my purpose is educational, it is also an invitation for us to support those projects that work every day to revive cacao in Mexico. That those different beverages inherited from our ancestors, like chilate, pozol, tascalate, champurrado (my favorite), and many others, continue to remain part of our daily lives. This ancestral legacy of cacao in Nayarit reminds us of the richness and diversity of our indigenous roots, as well as the importance of preserving and valuing these traditions in the modern world. Through knowledge and respect for our history, we can honor the legacy of our ancestors and promote a future in which cacao continues to be an integral part of our cultural identity.
mjga
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