The first plantation of Theobroma cacao, the 10-15 meter high cocoa tree with oblong, egg-shaped leaves, was probably started in the jungles of South and Central America between latitude 15o and 18o south, when the Aztec and Mayan civilisations thrived there. The cocoa bean is an oblong, 20-30 cm long wrinkled berry. It contains 30-40 reddish or brown seeds from which cocoa and cocoa butter are made. Cocoa beans were used by native inhabitants of the Amazonian jungle to produce an intoxicating potion called chocolatl. The Mayas and Aztecs used to drink cocoa elixir mainly during their religious ceremonies and holidays. According to some researchers, their potion also had aphrodisiac properties. Cocoa beans were so precious that they were used as currency. The first European who tasted the miraculous elixir of South and Central American Indians in 1498 was Christopher Columbus. However, the cocoa beans which he brought with him did not arouse interest in Europe. In 1519-1521 the Aztec territory was conquered by Spanish conquistadors. Hernan Cortes seized the country's capital, Tenochtitlan, and became the governor of the Aztec state. Imprisoned by Cortés, the last Aztec ruler offered the white chief from across the ocean his miraculous potion - hot chocolate. Cortés was delighted and he took the necessary ingredients and the recipe to Europe. The Spanish court was the first to appreciate the expensive drink. In other countries people tried to prepare a similar mixture from the more and more popular cocoa beans, but it was too bitter. The Spanish kept secret the method of improving the drink with vanilla and sugar for a hundred years. It was only in the 17th century that other courts learned about Montezuma's hot drink. Rich Europe more and more frequently savoured drinking chocolate. The original Montezuma's recipe, however, was forgotten with time. It was replaced by other products made from cocoa beans, above all hard chocolate. The only place in the world today where the Aztec drink can be tasted is the Cadbury Chocolate Museum in Birmingham in England. The chocolate is prepared from cocoa, nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, vanilla and chilli in accordance with the secret recipe of Montezuma's cooks. The Aztecs added petal essence to their delicacy, which gave it a special aroma impossible to reproduce today.