Within Mesoamerica cacao was normally prepared in two similar ways. Among the Maya cacao beans would be ground up and mixed with water. Then this bitter chocolate water would be poured back and forth between two vessels to make it frothy. Sometimes the Maya would add spices to it like vanilla, chili, and honey. The Aztecs would do something similar, but instead of making the chocolate water froth by pouring it back and forth they used a wooden instrument that contained rings on one end. This wooden instrument would be spun back and forth between the user's hands to create a froth. Again, spices may be added to the bitter frothy drink depending on the person's preference. It could be consumed either hot or cold, again on the person's preference.