The document discusses the history and importance of chocolate in human civilization. It notes that chocolate originated in Mesoamerica over 3000 years ago and was first consumed as a bitter drink by Mayans and Aztecs for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Cocoa beans were later used as currency and cocoa cultivation and chocolate-making became important industries for European colonial powers in the 16th-17th centuries. Today, chocolate remains widely popular around the world due to its taste and the cultural traditions associated with its production and consumption.