The potential of the cocoa bean

The Aztecs aren't responsible just for the unsightly leggings in Primark. They also gave us our beloved hot chocolate.

Some 2,000 years ago, the Mayas discovered the humble cocoa bean's untapped potential.

When Cortés defeated Montezuma (ah, so that's where the name's from), he took all the Aztecs' stuff. This included their cocoa beans.

Sugar wasn't really around back then, so straight up cocoa was an acquired taste and - as it grew only in South America - it wasn't cheap.

In 1657, the first chocolate house opened and it was similar to today's coffee shops, albeit without the prams and WiFi.

In the Netherlands in 1828, Van Houten developed a powdered form of cocoa. Anyone else assume Cadbury was the first?

Today, hot chocolate is available all over our city. The addition of whipped cream and marshmallows would disappoint the Aztecs greatly, but given that they had slaves and sacrificed people, animal by-products are probably forgiveable.

What they'd make of those leggings is another story.