The Yummy History , of Hot Chocolate .<br />That cold winter night staple <br />has a long and intricate history.<br />The Mayans, in what is now Mexico, <br />were likely the first civilization to drink <br />chocolate cold way back in 500 BC.<br />Made from ground cocoa seeds, <br />the frothy Mayan chocolate drink also included <br />cornmeal and chili peppers mixed in water. .<br />The Spanish conquistador, Hérnan Cortés, brought cocoa beans and the recipe back to Europe. There, the Spanish removed 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 drink was a hit, inspiring chocolate houses — the precursor to today's <br />coffee house — to spring up all over the city.<br />Though Jamaicans had been mixing chocolate with milk for sometime, Hans Sloane introduced the practice to Londoners. 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 remains popular in <br />different forms all over the globe today
