Because sugar was yet to come to the Americas, "xocōlātl" was said to be an acquired taste. What the Spaniards then called "xocōlātl" was said to be a drink consisting of a chocolate base flavored with vanilla and other spices that was served cold. The drink tasted spicy and bitter as opposed to sweetened modern hot chocolate. As to when "xocōlātl" was first served hot, sources conflict on when and by whom. However, José de Acosta, a Spanish Jesuit missionary who lived in Peru and then Mexico in the later 16th century, described "xocōlātl" as: