SC - Chocolate Drink - 1615

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

First, great thanks, Bear, for the very detailed information.

>Just as guess, I would use about 3/8 lb of baker's chocolate or cocoa powder
>to begin experimenting with the understanding that these have been processed
>beyond the basic cocoa paste stage and may not represent the cocoa in the
>drink accurately.

Yes, i do understand. Thanks for all the info on measures.

(snip)
>If someone has not converted the recipe to modern measure, then these would
>probably be apothecary weights (Troy measure).

Probably, as these weights appear in the 1652 version of the recipe, 
not a modern 20th century translation. I'll adjust accordingly. I've 
got a Conversion program on my computer.

>Logwood (Haematoxylon campechianum) is a member of the pea family.  A cod is
>a seed pod.  The toxicity is unknown, but I would point out that our
>ancestors seem to have survived it.  Also the wood is primarily used as a
>dye stuff.

Yes, and i have recipes using logwood, *dyeing* recipes.

>Achiote or annatto (Bix orellana)in this instance is the seed of a New World
>evergreen, so an annatto seed about the size of a hazelnut.  I don't think
>hazelnut size has changed much.

Hmmm, the achiate / annatto seeds i use are considerably smaller than 
the whole hazelnuts i see. Or is a hazelnut the size of a *pod* of 
achiote containing some number of seeds (like a pod of cardamom 
contains many cardamom seeds)? I've never seen achiote in the 
"rough", although i've been using it since 1968.

>What nuts were commonly available in Spain at this time?  Seems to me
>walnuts and hazelnuts grow further north, but I'm real sketchy on this.

Walnuts are grown in the Near and Middle East, and originated there, 
i believe, so were likely brought with the Muslims to Spain, but I'm 
sketchy on this, too. I know the nuts besides adding flavor add body 
to the drink.

>So have fun and tell us hov it goes.

Will do. Not this week or next, but probably soon, as the cold 
weather comes up, and a cup of temperature hot and spicy *hot* 
chocolate will be quite the restorative.

Thanks so much for the detailed information,

Anahita al-shazhiyya