Cocoa had a double use.

Firstly, as an offer to their gods. Local Indians wanted to make offerings to their gods in the shape of two of their most precious belongings:

• cocoa, which was rare and expensive in Central America
• and their own blood.

They mixed blood with cocoa and offered them to their gods in gratitude for the water and food they found on earth.

The second way of using cocoa was as an energizing drink. Cocoa was mixed with sapote seeds, corn, vanilla, ear flowers, magnolia flowers and lots of Mexican peppers and chillies.

The resulting strong, spicy drink gave energy to kings, noble men, priests and warriors and it was reserved only for them.