Researchers Find Sacred Cacao Groves Of The Maya

Researcher Chris Balzotti climbs stairs at a Yucatan sinkhole that once provided a microclimate for the ancient Maya to cultivate cacao trees in an otherwise hostile environment. (Richard Terry)

The next time you satisfy a craving by drinking hot cocoa or eating a chocolate bar, spare a thought for the ancient Maya who cultivated the cacao tree, believing it to be a gift from the gods.

Cacao, or cocoa beans, are the fruit of the Theobroma cacao, meaning “food of the gods.” The tree was first cultivated in the rainforests of Central America, especially in the Peten region of Guatemala and in central Yucatán, Mexico. The beans, which are actually seeds nestled inside large yellow pods, were even used as currency by the Maya.