The Mokaya are associated with the earliest known evidence of cacao drinks.
Archaeological evidence from the Soconusco region of present-day southern Mexico indicates that the Mokaya were consuming cacao beverages by about 1900 BCE. Residues of cacao have been identified in pottery, providing evidence that cacao was being processed and consumed long before the later Maya and Aztec civilizations became famous for cacao use.
The word “Mokaya” refers to an early archaeological culture of the Pacific coastal region. Their cacao drink was not necessarily the sweet, solid chocolate familiar today. Early beverages were likely made from cacao and other ingredients, and the exact recipes cannot always be reconstructed from residue evidence alone.
The Maya and Aztecs later developed important cacao traditions, including ceremonial and elite drinks. This later history can cause a common mix-up: the Aztecs were prominent cacao users, but they were not the earliest society for which evidence of cacao beverages is known.