Did you know that Guatemala is the cradle of chocolate?

The birthplace for chocolate is Guatemala, which is the heartland of the Mayan world.
Chocolate means bitter drink in Nahualt, that’s the language of the Mexicas better known as Aztecs. The Maya paid the Mexicans with kawkaw [cacao] for goods and services.
It was the Spanish who added sugar to it, I guess after 800 years of Muslim occupation, sugar was a big influence.
It was either the Swiss or the French who added milk to chocolate, thus making it the addictive candy we are all familiar with.
It is quite easy to find 70% dark chocolate in La Antigua Guatemala, and even 100%. In the U.S. only 15% of chocolate liquor needs to be in the mix to call it chocolate. Europeans are more stringent, 35% is their requirement. The good stuff goes up to 70% plus.
Top right we can see the actual kawkaw fruit.
Top left, the dried seeds that produce cacao.
Middle row, ground cacao seeds or liquor produces cacao butter and cocoa powder when separated through a press.
Bottom row, ground cocao seeds and the cocao dried skins that can be used for infusion drinks, or cocao tea.

Enjoy!