The Columbian Stock Exchange: Chocolate During the period between 1450 and 1750, the Columbian Stock Exchange was at the height of its power and influence. Many products were introduced from foreign lands, such as animals such as cattle, chickens, and horses, and agricultural products such as potatoes, bananas, and avocados. Diseases also spread and persisted in distant lands where they wreaked havoc on unimmunized people. One such influential product during this time was cocoa, or more commonly known as chocolate. First discovered and used in the Americas, cocoa beans traveled quickly and became a popular treat in European countries. It was valuable in the New World and was also used as currency by the Aztecs. At first only the rich and privileged could purchase the valuable item. Cocoa was also used in religious ceremonies by the natives. Even when it moved to Europe and other countries it caused quite a stir. The cocoa plant had a rather large impact on Colombian exchange. Chocolate or cocoa was first discovered by Europeans as a New World plant, as the seed of the tropical tree Theobroma cacao. In Latin, Theobroma literally means: “food of the gods” (Bugbee, Cacao and Chocolate: A Short History of Their Production and Use). Originally found and cultivated in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, its first documented use dates back to approximately 1100 BC. Most Mesoamerican peoples made chocolate drinks, including the Aztecs, who transformed it into a drink known as xocolātl, a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water" (Grivetti; Howard-Yana, Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage) . It was also a drink in Mayan tradition that served a function as a ceremonial object. The cocoa plant is native to South America and became an important export crop in West Africa in the 20th century. Although little information was provided on our specific topic, this source was helpful for information from the Columbian Exchange.Nunn, Nathan, and Nancy Qian. "The Colombian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas." Journal of Economic Outlook. Yale University, 2010. Web. October 12, 2013. This source was one of the most useful for researching collateral. It is a PDF file of the Colombian Stock Exchange and all the basic information of the trade is provided, as well as an extensive list of foods. Cocoa beans, while not a staple crop, were very influential in the trade network. This journal was helpful in providing details on the importance of cocoa and its significance over time.