I love chocolate.

But man some some times I wonder how desperately hungry were the people who made something edible out of the cocoa tree.

I wouldn't have assumed they were desperately hungry. Maybe they were bored of eating the same thing every day and looking for some novelty.

Matter of taste. I like eating cocoa beans. Oddly, I cannot stand the smell of coffee.

Well, the fruit is a lovely flavor. Once you learn that e.g. pomelo peel has a way to cook and be eaten, you realize the resourcefulness of our forebears and their quest for flavor and a full belly