Is it wrong to book an entire vacation around your passion for chocolate? Of course not. Even a small taste of this intoxicating treat provides a sensory and neurological experience, triggering the brain’s reward system, and releasing compounds like dopamine, endorphins, theobromine, tryptophan, and serotonin. Curious about how such a mundane product offers such an emotional boost? Perhaps it’s time you learned more about this tasty delight!
The true tale of chocolate and cacao
If you’ve done your homework, you likely read that Mayas were the folks who were responsible for discovering chocolate, but in fact, the Maya didn’t come up with the brilliant plan to turn cacao beans into the earliest forms of chocolate. The Mayas learned the craft from ancient Olmecs and earlier Amazonian cultures.
All these New World peoples contributed to the creation of the first recipes ancient chocoholics drank. But ordinary people weren’t the recipients of this magical elixir. Royalty proclaimed the very first cacao-based treats as “foods of the gods,” as cacao beans not only served as the basis for chocolate drinks, but were so valuable, the beans were also used to trade, pay taxes, and meet other financial obligations.
From spicy, bitter, frothy beverages to tasty confections
The first formulations of liquid chocolate produced by indigenous peoples were mixtures of ground, roasted cacao beans with water, chili peppers, cornmeal, and vanilla. Cooked over a fire, this mix was poured from one vessel to another to produce the frothy beverage that was anything but sweet.
Mayan mythology was deeply intermixed with rites of passage, so this bitter drink was served at weddings, at battle victory parties and it was associated with blood sacrifice rituals, which is why the aforementioned “sacrifice to the gods” was taken so seriously by society.
We’ve come a long way from those days, but given the appeal of chocolate, its origins have been a major driver of tourism to the Caribbean as fans seek to learn about the origins of their favorite treat. Many devote their vacation time to Belize, an epicenter of Mayan culture, and if you wish to follow in their footsteps, Belizean Dreams Resort is the ideal place to stay.
More than just chocolate
Select your favorite all inclusive package to cover your holiday, peruse resort tours that appeal to you for fun in the Belize sun, and investigate specials that save you enough money to afford an additional tour.
Which adventure is designed just for you? The Triple Delight Tour. This outing not only immerses you in the art and craft of chocolate making, but gives you opportunities to explore several of Belize's lush natural wonders. Here’s the best part of this delicious tour: You can eat as much chocolate as you like and the energy you burn when you hike to one of Belize’s most gorgeous waterfalls won’t add an ounce to your weight!
Book online or contact the Reservation Desk to book.