Table of Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Tables xiii
Foreword xv
1 Introduction: The Biology, Antiquity, and Modern Uses of the Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao L.) Cameron L. McNeil 1
Part I Evolution, Domestication, Chemistry, and Identification of Cacao and Its Close Relatives
2 Cacao and Its Relatives in South America: An Overview of Taxonomy, Ecology, Biogeography, Chemistry, and Ethnobotany Nathaniel Bletter Douglas C. Daly 31
3 The Domestication and Distribution of Theobroma cacao L. in the Neotropics Nisao Ogata Arturo Gómez-Pompa Karl A. Taube 69
4 The Jaguar Tree (Theobroma bicolor Bonpl.) Johanna Kufer Cameron L. McNeil 90
5 The Determination of Cacao in Samples of Archaeological Interest W. Jeffrey Hurst 105
Part II Cacao in Pre-Columbian Cultures
6 The History of the Word for 'Cacao' and Related Terms in Ancient Meso-America Terrence Kaufman John Justeson 117
7 Brewing Distinction: The Development of Cacao Beverages in Formative Mesoamerica John S. Henderson Rosemary A. Joyce 140
8 Cacao in Ancient Maya Religion: First Fruit from the Maize Tree and other Tales from the Underworld Simon Martin 154
9 The Language of Chocolate: References to Cacao on Classic Maya Drinking Vessels David Stuart 184
10 The Social Context of Kakaw Drinking among the Ancient Maya Dorie Reents-Budet 202
11 The Use and Representation of Cacao During the Classic Period at Copan, Honduras Cameron L. McNeil W. Jeffrey Hurst Robert J. Sharer 224
12 Cacao in Greater Nicoya: Ethnohistory and a Unique Tradition Larry Steinbrenner 253
Part III Cacao in the Colonial Period
13 The Good and Evil of Chocolate in Colonial Mexico Manuel Aguilar-Moreno 273
14 TheItza Maya Control over Cacao: Politics, Commerce, and War in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries Laura Caso Barrera Mario Aliphat F. 289
15 Cacao Production, Tribute, and Wealth in Sixteenth-Century Izalcos, El Salvador William R. Fowler 307
16 Soconusco Cacao Farmers Past and Present: Continuity and Change in an Ancient Way of Life Janine Gasco 322
Part IV Mesoamerican Cacao Use in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries
17 Traditional Cacao Use in Modern Mesoamerica Cameron L. McNeil 341
18 Cacao, Gender, and the Northern Lacandon God House Timothy W. Pugh 367
19 Food for the Rain Gods: Cacao in Ch'orti' Ritual Johanna Kufer Michael Heinrich 384
20 Cacao in the Yukatek Maya Healing Ceremonies of Don Pedro Ucán Itza Betty Bernice Faust Javier Hirose López 408
21 From Chocolate Pots to Maya Gold: Belizean Cacao Farmers Through the Ages Patricia A. McAnany Satoru Murata 429
Bibliography 451
List of Contributors 515
Index 519
