The Yummy History <br />of Hot Chocolate .<br />That cold winter night staple <br />has a long and intricate history.<br />The Mayans, in what is now <br />Mexico, were likely the first <br />civilization to drink chocolate <br />cold way back in 500 BC.<br />Made from ground cocoa seeds, <br />the frothy Mayan chocolate <br />drink also included cornmeal <br />and chili peppers mixed in water. .<br />The Spanish conquistador Hérnan Cortés<br />brought cocoa beans and the recipe <br />back to Europe. There, the Spanish removed <br />the chili power and began to drink the chocolate warm.<br />Served to mostly the upper-class, <br />the drink remained in Spain for a century.<br />In 18th century London, the sweetened <br />drink was a hit, inspiring chocolate houses — <br />the precursor to today's coffee house — <br />to spring up all over the city.<br />Though Jamaicans had been mixing <br />chocolate with milk for sometime, <br />Hans Sloane introduced the practice to Londoners. <br />This beverage became a popular after-dinner drink.<br />From the American powder-based <br />drink to Spain's thick chocolate a la taza, <br />hot chocolate today remains popular <br />in different forms all over the globe
