Chocolate Was Once Used as Currency

The Aztecs valued cacao beans so highly that they used them as currency — a turkey cost around 100 beans, and a tamale cost 1. Spanish conquistadors brought cacao to Europe in the 16th century, initially as a bitter drink mixed with spices. Sugar was added later in Europe, creating the sweetened chocolate we know today. The word "chocolate" comes from the Nahuatl word "xocoatl."

Source: The True History of Chocolate — Sophie D. Coe & Michael D. Coe