History of chocolate the South of Mexico. After its arrival to Europe in the sixteenth century, sugar was added to it and it became popular throughout society, first among the ruling classes and then among the common people. In the 20th century, chocolate was considered essential in the rations of United States soldiers at war. The word "chocolate" comes from the Classical Nahuatl word "chocolātl", and entered the English language from the Spanish language. Cultivation, consumption, and cultural use of cacao were extensive in Mesoamerica where the cacao tree is native. When pollinated, the seed of the cacao tree eventually forms a kind
North-West University Botanical Garden rockery. Some more common plant genera represented in the garden include Acacia, Aloe, Bonatea, Crinum, Dierama, Encephalartos, Eucomis, Eulophia, Euphorbia, Gasteria, Gladiolus, Haworthia, Hypoxis, Indigofera, Kniphofia, Plectranthus, Podocarpus, Polygala, Scadoxus, Searsia, Stapelia and Zantedeschia. In the tropical greenhouse a variety of tropical and subtropical plants from all over the world can be found. Some of the plants include a variety of food and medicinal plants including "Coffea arabica" (coffee), "Camellia sinensis" (tea), "Vanilla planifolia" (vanilla), "Saccharum officinarum" (sugarcane), "Cinnamomum zeylanicum" (cinnamon), "Oryza sativa" (rice), "Theobroma cacao" (cacao), "Siphonochilus aethiopicus" (wild ginger), "Warburghia salutaris" (pepper bark tree) and "Piper nigrum" (pepper).