The first man to bring cocoa beans to Europe was Christopher Columbus. During his fourth voyage to the New World in 1502, Columbus encountered a Mayan trading canoe off the coast of Honduras. The canoe was filled with goods, including cocoa beans, which the Mayans used as currency and for making a bitter drink called "xocolatl."

Columbus was intrigued by the cocoa beans and decided to take some back to Europe with him. He believed that the beans could be used as a form of currency and also had potential as a luxury item. Upon his return to Spain, Columbus presented the cocoa beans to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. The royal couple were not impressed with the beans, as they did not recognize their value or understand how to use them.

It wasn't until Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador, arrived in Mexico in 1519 that cocoa beans began to gain popularity in Europe. Cortés was welcomed by the Aztecs, who offered him a frothy chocolate drink made from cocoa beans, water, and spices. Cortés was amazed by the taste of the drink and saw the potential for cocoa beans to become a valuable commodity in Europe.

After Cortés returned to Spain in 1528, he introduced cocoa beans to the Spanish court. The beans were ground into a paste and mixed with sugar and spices to create a sweetened chocolate drink that became popular among the nobility. The Spanish kept the discovery of cocoa beans a closely guarded secret for nearly a century, until the secret was leaked to the rest of Europe in the early 1600s.

Today, cocoa beans are used to make a variety of chocolate products, from chocolate bars to hot cocoa drinks. The discovery of cocoa beans by Christopher Columbus and their introduction to Europe by Hernán Cortés played a crucial role in the development of the chocolate industry and the global popularity of chocolate as a sweet treat.

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