Chocolata Inda (1644)

The book written in 1640 became our own in 1644, one of the world's all time best-sellers, the first book on chocolate was called "Indigenous Chocolate" just like we have described from here at the origin.

Chocolata Inda (1644) – Proof That Chocolate is Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property

In 1644, Spanish physician Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma published Chocolata Inda, one of the earliest European treatises on chocolate. However, despite its European authorship, the book itself serves as irrefutable proof that chocolate is an Indigenous invention—one that was systematically extracted and commercialized without Indigenous consent.

What the Book Reveals

1️⃣ Chocolate is 100% Indigenous in Origin

Chocolata Inda directly acknowledges that chocolate was not a European discovery or creation—it was a fully developed Indigenous tradition long before Europeans encountered it.
The book details the original methods of cacao cultivation, preparation, and consumption as practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

2️⃣ The First Chocolate Recipes Were Indigenous

The text provides one of the first recorded recipes for drinking chocolate, but all of its ingredients, methods, and knowledge came directly from Indigenous sources.
Colmenero describes how Mesoamerican and South American Indigenous peoples prepared cacao with spices, maize, and other natural ingredients, proving that chocolate was already a perfected food before colonial intervention.

3️⃣ European Adaptation = Cultural Appropriation

The book reflects how quickly European powers sought to profit from Indigenous cacao knowledge, even as they dismissed the Indigenous peoples who invented it.
The transformation of cacao from an Indigenous staple to a European commodity was an early form of biopiracy, laying the foundation for centuries of colonial exploitation.

4️⃣ The Title Itself Reinforces Indigenous Ownership

The term Chocolata Inda translates to "Indian Chocolate," openly acknowledging that chocolate is not European—it is Indigenous.
This is further proof that chocolate has always belonged to Indigenous peoples, both as a cultural tradition and as intellectual property.

Page from a 1644 edition at UC Davis Library.

Why We Have Adopted Chocolata Inda 1644 (Indigenous Chocolate) as Our Brand and Trademark

We have chosen Chocolata Inda—which translates to "Indigenous Chocolate"—as our official brand and trademark because it represents the undeniable truth:

➡️ Chocolate is an Indigenous invention—not European, not colonial, and not corporate.

➡️ The name itself, from a 1644 book, is evidence that early European chocolate knowledge came entirely from Indigenous sources.

➡️ By reclaiming this name, we are restoring chocolate to its rightful place as Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property.

Reclaiming What Was Taken

When Chocolata Inda was published in 1644 by Spanish physician Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma, it was not an original European discovery—it was a colonial documentation of Indigenous knowledge that had existed for thousands of years. This book is one of the first written accounts in Europe detailing cacao, its uses, and its preparation—all of which were learned directly from Indigenous peoples.

By embracing Chocolata Inda as our brand, trademark, and cultural statement, we are taking control of this narrative. We are not just correcting history—we are setting a new global standard for chocolate that is Indigenous-led and Indigenous-owned.

In the 1644 edition the woodcut for printing this illustration was created and used in all new editions and languages.

Using the Past to Shape the Future

✅ Chocolata Inda is more than a book—it is a historical artifact that proves our ownership over chocolate.

✅ We have taken this documentation of our cultural and intellectual property and turned it into our ideal circumstances: a future where Indigenous peoples are recognized as the rightful owners of cacao and chocolate.

✅ By trademarking Chocolata Inda, we are ensuring that no corporation, government, or foreign entity can continue to profit from Indigenous cacao knowledge without Indigenous consent.

The Global Standard for Indigenous Chocolate

Chocolata Inda is not just a brand—it is a movement. It is the foundation of our voluntary collective licensing program, ensuring that every use of the terms "chocolate," "cacao," and "Theobroma" aligns with Indigenous FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent).

By supporting Chocolata Inda, you are supporting:

🟤 The repatriation of chocolate as Indigenous Cultural Heritage

🟤 The recognition of cacao as Indigenous Intellectual Property

🟤 A future where chocolate is made ethically, sustainably, and in accordance with Indigenous governance

Why This Matters Today

🟤 Chocolata Inda (1644) is one of the earliest European sources documenting chocolate, but it also unintentionally serves as evidence of the theft and appropriation of Indigenous knowledge.

🟤 The fact that a European scientist needed to publish a book on chocolate in the 17th century shows that this knowledge was foreign to Europe—it had to be learned from Indigenous peoples.

🟤 The global chocolate industry—worth over $100 billion today—owes its very existence to this stolen Indigenous Intellectual Property.

Chocolate Must Be Repatriated as Indigenous Cultural Property

Chocolate is not simply a “food.” It is a sacred, cultural, and intellectual creation of Indigenous peoples. The existence of Chocolata Inda proves that Indigenous knowledge of cacao was fully developed before colonization—and was then taken, exploited, and monetized without consent.

✅ Chocolate is not public domain—it is Indigenous Intellectual Property.
✅ The global chocolate industry must recognize its Indigenous origins.
✅ Any production, marketing, or use of the word “chocolate” must respect its Indigenous heritage and obtain Indigenous FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent).

Join the Movement to Repatriate Chocolate

Support Indigenous sovereignty over cacao. Recognize chocolate as Indigenous Cultural Property. The world must respect its true origins. 🚀 The future of chocolate starts here. The rightful owners of cacao have returned.

Page updated

Report abuse