SC - Chocolate

[Philip & Susan Troy]

DianaFiona at aol.com wrote:
> 
> >> And what, pray
>  tell, is an Agiote?  (Not the Chaote we were talking about a couple of
>  weeks ago?)>>>
> 
>     No, my guess would be that it is the red seeds now called "Annatto"
> (sp?), since they come from South America, and are still in common use as a
> food dye. The treatise *does* say to add "as much as will give it color",
> which sounds more like it is just used for the appearance it gives.........

Yes, annato are those little reddish-brown seedy things otherwise known
as achiote. In Latin American cookery it's used to some extent as a
substitute for saffron (or at least its color) by infusing the seeds in
warmed oil or lard, and the fat is than called achiotina. It seems
pretty likely that annato is what they're talking about, but I'm not
sure how much would give it color. The cacao drink we're talking about
is considerably darker than modern cocoa made with milk, os it might be
hard to gauge a color change except under bright light.
  
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com