Chocolate has been historically used as currency in some cultures. In Maya and Aztec societies in Mesoamerica, cacao was so highly valued that it was used as a form of money. Cacao beans were employed to conduct trade transactions and were exchanged for goods and services. For instance, the Maya had an exchange system where they could pay taxes and purchase products using cacao beans.
This use of cacao as currency reflects the cultural and economic significance it held in these ancient civilizations. Apart from being consumed as a beverage and in food forms, cacao had both symbolic and functional value in their societies, underscoring its profound meaning in the history of pre-Columbian civilizations.