An ancient legend tells of how cacao first came to Earth
Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom and knowledge, brought cacao beans from heaven as a gift to humanity. Other gods were furious that he has shared the sacred fruit, and banished him.
The people were overjoyed!
They learned the complex process that involved fermentation, grinding, and mixing with various spices, all in order to make a drink that they called "Xocolatl". The drink was magical: it was said that it cured illnesses, enhanced performance, and brought wisdom and power.
But their bliss was cut short.
In search of riches the lands were conquered by people from across the ocean. The invaders did not appreciate the taste of Xocolatl - for them it was overly bitter. Instead, they cared only that cacao was used as money. Calling it black gold, the conquerors set up plantations to exploit worker's labour.
The low-quality mass-produced chocolate became the norm
Large producers buy cheap cacao beans made with poorly paid labour (at times even child labour!). Then, to compensate for the bitter flavour coming from low-quality beans, the producers add tons of sugar and other unnatural additives. At the end, instead of real chocolate, the end up with a cheap, unethical, overly sweet and addicting junk food.
