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The bittersweet tale of cocoa

The history of cacao in Latin America, from the Maya to the Aztecs, with Bridget Kendall, Cameron McNeil, Maricel Presilla and Juan Carlos Motamayor.

Do you like cocoa? You are in good company: in South and Central America people have been enjoying the fruit of the cacao tree - the source of cocoa, chocolate and much else - for thousands of years. Ancient empires fought battles for the control of the best trees, cacao beans were used as currency, and being able to make a tasty cacao drink could even save your life. To trace the history of cacao in Latin America, Bridget Kendall is joined by archaeologist Cameron McNeil, chef and food historian Maricel Presilla and geneticist and cacao researcher Juan Carlos Motamayor. The reader is Joseph Balderama.

(Photo: A cropped cocoa pod lies over dried cacao beans. Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

39 minutes

Last on

Sun 2 Apr 2023 19:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 20 May 2017 19:06GMT
  • Mon 22 May 2017 03:06GMT
  • Tue 23 May 2017 23:06GMT
  • Thu 30 Mar 2023 09:06GMT
  • Thu 30 Mar 2023 23:06GMT
  • Sun 2 Apr 2023 00:06GMT
  • Sun 2 Apr 2023 19:06GMT

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