This study explores the deep history of kakaw (aka cacao) and the plant’s role in modern chocolate production. Long before the arrival of Europeans, the Maya drank bitter kakaw beverages daily and ritualistically, believing the plant to be a gift from the Gods. Along with their associated nutritional and spiritual value, Kakaw beans also served as currency among the Mayans. Since these days, the ongoing legacy of settler colonialism and global capitalism has robbed the Mayan people of this sacred plant and devastated the culture in which it played a part. Today, multi-national corporations enslave children to produce cacao to fuel the commercial chocolate industry. This project is meant to spread awareness of the atrocities committed by multi-national corporations and to educate those on chocolate’s not-so-sweet history.
