18. The Aztecs believed that the cacao tree was the gift of the god, Quetzalcoatl
The Aztecs believed that Quetzalcoatl, god of air and learning, wanted to see the Toltecs well-fed and nourished in order to progress in art and learning. He knew of a marvelous tree growing in paradise, the home of the gods, and determined to steal it and give it to the people. He purloined a small bush without anyone noticing, and planted it in Tula, Mexico. Quetzalcoatl succeeded in convincing the god of water, Tlaloc, to make it rain. Still not satisfied, he persuaded Xochiquetzal, goddess of love and beauty, to give the bush flowers, and soon it sprouted cacao pods.
Quetzalcoatl then focused his attention on teaching humans to harvest the beans and make chocolate. The drink transformed them into a powerful people, but there was a great uproar in paradise about Quetzalcoatl’s generosity. They plotted to destroy Quetzalcoatl, and his sworn enemy, Tezcatlipoca, turned himself into a pulque (fermented cactus juice) seller, and gave the feathered-snake deity a drink that made him pass out. When Quetzalcoatl awoke, hungover, the cacao trees had all been dried up by his fellow gods, aside from a few seeds. These he planted in Tabasco, where the trees still grow plentifully to this day.