The Indian Nectar (1662)

The book written in 1662, was a best-seller in its time, the first book in English on chocolate was called "The Indian nectar, or A discourse concerning chocolata" the book evidences the origin of chocolate to be our own.

The Indian Nectar (1662): A Treatise on the Legacy of Chocolate

Reclaiming the Intellectual and Cultural Property of Cacao

In 1662, Dr. Henry Stubbe published The Indian Nectar, or, A Discourse Concerning Chocolata, one of the most detailed early European works on chocolate. However, far from being an original European discovery, this book serves as undeniable proof that chocolate was, and always has been, the intellectual property of Indigenous Peoples.

Today, we recognize this text as an essential artifact documenting Indigenous knowledge of cacao, reinforcing that it was Indigenous Peoples—not colonizers, corporations, or European scientists—who cultivated, perfected, and shared chocolate with the world. As such, we, the Piaroa people, reclaim The Indian Nectar as part of our cultural and intellectual heritage, ensuring that the legacy of cacao remains in Indigenous hands.

What This Book Proves About Indigenous Chocolate

1. Chocolate Was an Indigenous Invention

The Indian Nectar does not introduce new knowledge; instead, it confirms that cacao was fully understood, cultivated, and used by Indigenous peoples long before European contact. Henry Stubbe writes about chocolate as a sophisticated beverage, long cherished by Indigenous societies, demonstrating that Europe did not create chocolate—Europe merely appropriated it.

2. The First Chocolate Science Belonged to Indigenous Peoples

Stubbe details how Indigenous civilizations had already mastered cacao cultivation, fermentation, and preparation centuries before Europeans even knew of its existence. His work describes:

The medicinal properties of chocolate as understood by Indigenous healers.
The use of cacao in rituals, social gatherings, and trade networks.
The precise ways Indigenous peoples blended cacao with spices, herbs, and water—recipes that were later copied and commercialized in Europe.

3. Indigenous Peoples Were the First Guardians of Chocolate’s Sustainability

The book highlights how cacao was cultivated in balance with nature—unlike the European plantation model that led to mass deforestation and exploitation. Indigenous growers used traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to ensure the longevity of cacao forests, a practice that is still essential today.

4. Colonial Erasure of Indigenous Chocolate Ownership

Despite clearly documenting that cacao was an Indigenous creation, Stubbe, like many colonial writers, fails to acknowledge Indigenous sovereignty over chocolate. Instead, The Indian Nectar became one of many works that justified European control over cacao production. This omission is exactly why chocolate must be repatriated as Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property today.

The Indian Nectar (1662) is one of the earliest European accounts of chocolate, written by Dr. Henry Stubbe. The book details the Indigenous origins of cacao, its medicinal and cultural significance, and how it was appropriated by European colonizers. This work inadvertently preserves valuable Indigenous knowledge about chocolate, affirming its rightful place as Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property.

Why We Have Adopted The Indian Nectar as an Indigenous Document

As Indigenous Peoples, we reclaim this book as part of our cultural heritage because:

✅ It is one of the earliest written records proving that chocolate was already a complete Indigenous tradition.

✅ It unintentionally documents Europe’s dependence on Indigenous knowledge of cacao.

✅ It strengthens our claim that chocolate is Indigenous Intellectual Property (IIP) under UNDRIP, FPIC, ICIP, the Nagoya Protocol, and Access & Benefit Sharing (ABS) frameworks.

✅ It allows us to set a new, Indigenous-led International Standard for cacao and chocolate.

By adopting The Indian Nectar, we turn colonial documentation into Indigenous affirmation. This book is not European property—it is an archive of Indigenous cacao wisdom that must be returned to the rightful caretakers of chocolate.

Join the Movement: Repatriate Chocolate as Indigenous Cultural Property

💠 Recognize that cacao and chocolate were never European inventions.

💠 Acknowledge Indigenous Peoples as the original, rightful owners of cacao biodiversity and knowledge.

💠 Support Indigenous-led governance of cacao through FPIC-based licensing and fair, ethical trade.

Chocolate is not just a commodity—it is an Indigenous legacy. The world must respect its true origins.

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