[Sca-cooks] Cioccolato di Modica

[Christiane]

I'm engaged in a spirited, uh, debate with someone on another list about Sicilian gastronomy. In researching my rebuttal I came across mentions of chocolate made in Modica, Sicily. There, chocolate is made like the Aztecs did it; cacao beans ground against stone, mixed with sugar (of course the Aztecs would have used honey) and occasionally flavored with hot pepper; today cinnamom and vanilla are the standard flavorings, but I understand peperoncino is still popular. 

If you've ever had Ibarra chocolate, then you understand what I mean about the texture of the bars; gritty, very intense-tasting. Not smooth and silky, but exotically edible. I've used the Ibarra to make out-of-this world hot chocolate.

Allegedly chocolate-making came to Modica when the town was under Spanish rule in the 16th century.

Has anyone in charge of a feast ever tried to satisfy a queen's chocolate whim by serving them Spanish-style hot chocolate? With cinnamon, vanilla, and honey? Maybe a bit of hot pepper? I would imagine if you're doing a Spanish-style or Sicilian-style feast, this could fit right in ...

Still don't know if Modicani were putting chocolate in cassata any earlier than the 17th century, though.

Gianotta