SC - Chocolate
Christine A Seelye-King
mermayde at juno.com
Tue Jun 2 10:22:45 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. <i>Cacaos</i>, you must put two cods of the [sidenote:
Chiles] long red Pepper, of which I have spoken before, and are called in
the <i>Indian</i> Tongue, <i>Chilparlagua</i>; and in stead of those of
the
<i>Indies</i>, you may take those of <i>Spaine</i> which are broadest, &
least hot. One handfull of Annisseed <i>Orejuelas</i>, which are
otherwise
called <i>Vinacaxlidos</i>: and two of the flowers, called
<i>Mechasuchil</i>, if the Belly be bound. But in stead of this, in
<i>Spaine</i>, we put in six Roses of <i>Alexandria</i> beat to Powder:
One
Cod of <i>Campeche</i>, or Logwood: Two Drams of Cinamon; Almons, and
[Masle?]-Nuts, of each one Dozen: Of white Sugar, halfe a pound: Of
<i>Achiote</i> enough to give it the colour. And if you cannot have those
things, which come from the <i>Indies</i>, you may make it with the rest.
<h3>The way of Compounding</h3>
The <i>Cacao<i>, and the other Ingredients must be beaten in a Morter of
Stone, or ground upon a broad stone, which the <i>Indians</i> call
<i>Metate</i>, and is onely made for that use: But the first thing that
is
to be done, is to dry the Ingredients, all except the <i>Achiote</i>,
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
<i>Confection</i> 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 <i>Cacao</i>; and if you
take the shell from the <i>Cacao</i>, 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 <i>Indians</i> put it
upon the leaf of a </i>Plantentree</i>, 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 <i>Indies</i> they take it two severall waies: The one,
being the common way, is to take it hot, with <i>Atolle</i>, which was
the
Drinke of Ancient <i>Indians</i> (the <i>Indians</i> call <i>Atolle</i>
pappe, made of the flower of <i>Maiz</i>, and so they mingle it with the
<i>Chocolate</i>, and that the <i>Atolle</i> may be more wholsome, they
take off the Husks of the <i>Maiz</i>, 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
<i>Chocolate</i>, 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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