SC - Pine nuts

Tue Jun 2 11:40:34 PDT 1998

On Mon, 1 Jun 1998 14:14:06 EDT Bronwynmgn at aol.com writes:
>In a message dated 98-05-29 22:45:15 EDT, you write:
>
><< And one more thing--I know it's not completely period, but are 
>there any "period" chocolate recipes?  This is desperation here, a
chocoholic who needs help.  (It's just not the same hiding a Milky Way
bar.  It kills the atmosphere.) >>

>Not for bar chocolate or chocolate candy, I'm afraid.  There is some 
>evidence, for some very late period personas in certain areas (like
Spain or the New World) for drinkable chocolate, but not the kind we're
familiar with today. It involved some very hot spices added to the
chocolate, and little or no sugar.<snip>

This came to me before I ever got on the Cook's List.  I will post the 
recipie that talks about a molded confection, and one of the recipies for
a sweetened hot drink.  If you want the rest of the document, email me
privately and I'll send it.  It is long, and since it came from the list
originally, I don't think everyone wants it again.  

Mistress Christianna MacGrain, OP, Meridies
mermayde at juno.com

It's a 1652 translation of a 1631 Spanish manuscript.  And it's talking
about Mexico, not Europe. 

[From "Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke." London, 1652, by Capt. John 
Wadsworth. Apparently a translation of a book by Melchor de Lara, 
"Physitian General for the Kingdome of Spaine", 1631.]

<h3>The Receipt is this</h3>

To every 100. Cacaos, you must put two cods of the [sidenote: 
Chiles] long red Pepper, of which I have spoken before, and are called in

the Indian Tongue, Chilparlagua; and in stead of those of
the 
Indies, you may take those of Spaine which are broadest, & 
least hot. One handfull of Annisseed Orejuelas, which are
otherwise 
called Vinacaxlidos: and two of the flowers, called 
Mechasuchil, if the Belly be bound. But in stead of this, in 
Spaine, we put in six Roses of Alexandria beat to Powder:
One 
Cod of Campeche, or Logwood: Two Drams of Cinamon; Almons, and 
[Masle?]-Nuts, of each one Dozen: Of white Sugar, halfe a pound: Of 
Achiote enough to give it the colour. And if you cannot have those

things, which come from the Indies, you may make it with the rest.

<h3>The way of Compounding</h3>

The Cacao, and the other Ingredients must be beaten in a Morter of 
Stone, or ground upon a broad stone, which the Indians call 
Metate, and is onely made for that use: But the first thing that
is 
to be done, is to dry the Ingredients, all except the Achiote,
with 
care that they may be beaten to powder, keeping them still in stirring, 
that they be not burnt, or become black; and if they be over-dried, they 
will be bitter, and lose their vertue. The Cinamon, and the long red
Pepper 
are to be first beaten, with the Annisseed; and then beate the Cacao,
which 
you must beate by a little and little, till it be all powdred; and 
sometimes turne it round in the beating, that it may mixe the better: And

every one of these Ingredients, must be beaten by it selfe, and then put 
all the Ingredients into the Vessell, where the Cacao is; which you must 
stirre together with a spoone; and then take out that Paste, and put it 
into the Morter, under which you must lay a little fire, after the 
Confection is made. But you must be very carefull, not to put more

fire, than will warme it, that
the unctuous part doe not dry away. And you must also take care, to put
in 
the Achiote in the beating; that it may the better take the colour. You 
must Searse all the Ingredients, but onely the Cacao; and if you 
take the shell from the Cacao, it is the better; and when you
shall 
find it to be well beaten, & incorporated (which you shall know by the 
shortness of it) then with a spoone take up some of the Paste, which will

be almost liquid; and so either make it into Tablets; or put it into
Boxes; 
and when it is cold it will be hard. To make the Tablets, you must put a 
spoonfull of the Paste upon a piece of paper, the Indians put it 
upon the leaf of a Plantentree, where being put into the shade,
it 
growes hard; and then bowing the paper, the Tablet falls off, by reason
of 
the fatnesse of the paste. But if you put it into any thing of earth, or 
wood, it sticks fast, and will not come off, but with scraping, or 
breaking. In the Indies they take it two severall waies: The one, 
being the common way, is to take it hot, with Atolle, which was
the 
Drinke of Ancient Indians (the Indians call Atolle 
pappe, made of the flower of Maiz, and so they mingle it with the 
Chocolate, and that the Atolle may be more wholsome, they 
take off the Husks of the Maiz, which is windy, and melancholy;
and 
so there remaines onely the best and most substantiall part.) Now, to 
returne to the matter, I say, that the other Moderne drinke, which the 
Spaniards use so much, is of two sortes. The one is, that the 
Chocolate, being dissolved with cold water, & the scumme taken
off, 
and put into another Vessell, the remainder is put upon the fire, with 
Sugar; and when it is warme, then powre it upon the Scumme you tooke off 
before, and so drinke it. The other is to warme the water; and then, when

you have put it into a pot, or dish, as much <i>Chocolate</i> as you
thinke 
fit, put in a little of the warme water, and then grinde it well with the

molinet; and when it is well ground, put the rest of the warme water to
it; 
and so drinke it with Sugar.

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