because sugar had not come to the americas, "xocolatl" was said to be something that one did not like in the beginning. the drink tasted spicy and bitter, unlike today's hot chocolate. as to when "xocolatl" was first made warm, sources are not sure about when and by whom. however, jose de acosta, a spanish jesuit missionary who lived in peru and then mexico in the later 16th century, described "xocolatl" as a drink with a bitter taste that the natives liked a lot.