Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke Part 2

And therefore they are proper for such as are troubled with ventuosities, and _Hypochondriacall_ vapours, which offend the brain, and there cause such troublesome dreames, and sad imaginations.

Those who mixe _Maiz_ or _Paniso_ in the _Chocolate_ doe very ill; because those graines doe beget a very melancholly humour: as the same Author expresseth in these Verses.

Cra.s.sa melancholic.u.m praestant tibi Panica succ.u.m Siccant, si penas membra, gelantque foris.

_Grosse Eares of Corne have Cholorique juice (no doubt) Which dries, if taken inward; cooles without._

It is also apparantly windy; and those which mixe it in this _Confection_, doe it onely for their profit, by encreasing the quant.i.ty of the _Chocolate_; because every _Fanega_ or measure of [F]

_Grani_ containing about a Bush.e.l.l and a halfe, is sold for eight shillings, and they sell this _Confection_ for foure shillings a pound, which is the ordinary price of the _Chocolate_.

[F] Maiz, or Indian Wheat

The _Cinamon_ is hot and dry in the third degree; it provokes Urine, and helps the Kidneys and Reynes of those who are troubled with cold diseases; and it is good for the eyes; and in effect, it is cordiall; as appeares by the Author of these Verses.

Commoda & urinae Cinnamomum, & renibus Lumina clarificat, dira venena fugat. (affert:

_Cinnamon helps the Reines and Urine well, It cleares the Eyes, and Poison doth expell._

The _Achiote_ hath a piercing attenuating quality, as appeareth by the common practice of the Physitians in the _Indies_, experienced daily in the effects of it, who doe give it to their Patients, to cut, and attenuate the grosse humours, which doe cause shortnesse of breath, and stopping of urine; and so it may be used for any kind of Opilations; for we give it for the stoppings, which are in the breast, or in the Region of the belly, or any other part of the Body.

And concerning the long red Peper, there are foure sorts of it. One is called _Chilchotes_: the other very little, which they call _Chilterpin_; and these two kinds, are very quicke and biting. The other two are called _Tonalchiles_, and these are moderately hot; for they are eaten with bread, as they eate other fruits, & they are of a yellow colour; and they grow onely about the Townes, which are in, and adjoyning to the Lake of _Mexico_. The other Pepper is called _Chilpaclagua_, which hath a broad huske, and this is not so biting as the first; nor so gentle as the last, and is that, which is usually put into the _Chocolate_.

There are also other ingredients, which are used in this _Confection_.

One called _Mechasuchil_; and another which they call _Vinecaxtli_, which in the _Spanish_ they call _Orejuelas_, which are sweet smelling Flowers, Aromaticall and hot. And the _Mechasuchil_ hath a Purgative quality; for in the _Indies_ they make a purging portion of it. In stead of this, in _Spaine_ they put into the _Confection_, powder of _Alexandria_, for opening the Belly.

I have spoken of all these Ingredients, that every one may make choise of those which please him best, or are most proper for infirmities.

_The second Point._

As concerning the second point, I say, as I have said before, that though it be true, that the _Cacao_ is mingled with all these Ingredients, which are hot; yet there is to be a greater quant.i.ty of _Cacao_, then of all the rest of the Ingredients, which serve to temper the coldnesse of the _Cacao_: Just as when we seek, of two Medicines of contrary qualities, to compound one, which shall be of a moderate temper: In the same manner doth result the same action and re-action of the cold parts of the _Cacao_, and of the hot parts of the other ingredients, which makes the _Chocolate_ of so moderate a quality, that it differs very little from a mediocrity; and when there is not put in any ordinary pepper, or Cloves, but onely a little Annisseed (as I shall shew hereafter) we may boldly say, that it is very temperate. And this may be proved by reason, and experience: (supposing that which _Gallen_ sayes, to be true, that every mixt Medicine, warmeth the cold, and cooleth the hot; bringing the examples of Oyle of _Roses_.) By experience, I say, that in the _Indies_ (as is the custom of that countrey) I comming in a heat to visite a sick person, and asking water to refresh me, they perswaded mee to take a Draught of _Chocolate_; which quencht my thirst: & in the morning (if I took it fasting) it did warme and comfort my stomack. Now let us prove it by reason. Wee have already proved, that all the parts of the _Cacao_ are not cold. For we have made it appeare that the unctuous parts, which are many, be all hot, or temperate: then, though it be true, that the quant.i.ty of the _Cacao_ is greater than of all the rest of the ingredients, yet the cold parts are at the most, not halfe so many as the hot; and if for all this they should be more, yet by stirring, & mangling of the warme unctuous parts, they are much qualified. And, on the other side, it being mixt with the other Ingredients, which are hot in the second and third degree, being the predominant quality, it must needs be brought to a mediocrity. Like as two men, who shake hands, the one being hot, and the other cold, the one hand borrows heat, and the other is made colder; and in conclusion, neither hand retaines the cold, or heat it had before, but both of them remain more temperate. So like-wise two men, who go to wrestle, at the first they are in their full vigour and strength; but after they have strugled a while, their force lessens by degrees, till at last they are both much weaker, than when they began to wrestle.

And _Aristotle_ was also of this opinion in his fourth Booke of the Nature of Beasts, _cap. 3._ Where he sayes, that every Agent suffers with the patient; as that which cuts, is made dul by the thing it cuts; that which warmes, cooles it selfe; and that which thrusts, or forceth forward, is in some sort driven bake it selfe.

From whence I gather, that it is better to use _Chocolate_, after it hath beene made some time, a Moneth at the least. I believe this time to be necessary, for breaking the contrary qualities of the severall Ingredients, and to bring the Drinke to a moderate temper. For, as it alwayes falls out at the first, that every contrary will have its predominancy, and will worke his owne effects, Nature not liking well to be heated and cooled, at the same time. And this is the cause why _Gallen_ in his twelfth Booke of _Method_, doth advise not to use _Philonium_, till after a yeare, or, at the least, six moneths; because it is a composition made of _Opium_ (which is cold in the fourth degree) and of Pepper, and other Ingredients, which are hot in the third degree. This Theorum, and Doctrine, is made good by the practise, which some have made, of whom I have asked, what _Chocolate_ did best agree with them? and they have affirmed, that the best is that which hath beene made some moneths: and that the new doth hurt by loosening the Stomack; And, in my opinion, the reason of it is, that the unctuous or fat parts, are not altogether corrected, by the earthy parts of the _Cacao_. And this I shall thus prove; for, as I shall declare hereafter, if you make the _Chocolate_ boyle, when you drinke it, the boyling of it divides that fat and oyly part; and that makes a relaxation in the Stomacke in the old _Chocolate_, as well as if it were new.

So that I conclude in this second point, that the _Chocolaticall Confection_ is not so cold as the _Cacao_, nor so hot as the rest of the Ingredients; but there results from the action and re-action of these Ingredients, a moderate temper which may be good, both for the cold and hot stomacks, being taken moderately, as shall be declared hereafter; and it having beene made a moneth at the least; as is already proved. And so I know not why any many having made experience of this _Confection_ (which is composed, as it ought to be, for every particular) should speake ill of it. Besides, where it is so much used, the most, if not all, as well in the _Indies_, as in _Spain_, finde, it agreeth well with them. He of _Merchena_ had no ground in saying, that it did cause Opilations. For, if it were so, the Liver being obstructed, it would extenuate its subject; and by experience, we see to the contrary, that it makes fat; the reason whereof I shall shew hereafter. And this shall suffice for the second Point.

_The third Point._

Having treated in the first poynt, of the definition of _Chocolate_, the quality of the _Cacao_, and of the other Ingredients; and in the second Point, of the Complexion, which results from the mixture of them; There remaines now in the third poynt, to shew the way how to mingle them: And first I will bring the best Receipt, and the most to the purpose, that I could find out; although it be true which I have said, that one Receipt cannot be given, which shall be proper for all; that is to be understood of those, who are sick; for those that are strong, and in health, this may serve: and for the other (as I have said in the conclusion of the first Poynt) every one may make choyse of the Ingredients, as they may be usefull, to this, or that part of his body.

_The Receipt is this._

To every 100. _Cacaos_, you must put two cods of the[G] 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 Annis-seed _Orejuelas_, which are otherwise called _Pinacaxlidos_: 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 Hasle-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.

[G] Chiles

_The way of Compounding._

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 Annis-seed; 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 Sea.r.s.e all the Ingredients, but onely the _Cacao_; and if you take the sh.e.l.l 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 _Planten-tree_; 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 sc.r.a.ping, 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 wholesome, 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 sorts. The one is, that the _Chocolate_, being dissolved with cold water, & the sc.u.mme 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 Sc.u.mme 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 _Chocolate_ 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.

Besides these former wayes, there is one other way; which is, put the _Chocolate_ into a pipkin, with a little water; and let it boyle well, till it be dissolved; and then put in sufficient water and Sugar, according to the quant.i.ty of the _Chocolate_; and then boyle it againe, untill there comes an oyly sc.u.mme upon it; and then drinke it.

But if you put too much fire, it will runne over, and spoyle. But, in my opinion, this last way is not so wholsome, though it pleaseth the pallate better; because, when the Oily is divided from the earthy part, which remaines at the bottome, it causeth Melancholy; and the oily part loosens the stomacke, and takes away the appet.i.te: There is another way to drink _Chocolate_, which is cold; and it takes its name from the princ.i.p.all Ingredient, and is called _Cacao_; which they use at feasts, to refresh themselves; and it is made after this manner.

The _Chocolate_ being dissolved in water with the _Molinet_, take off the sc.u.mme or cra.s.sy part, which riseth in greater quant.i.ty, when the _Cacao_ is older, and more putrified. The sc.u.mme is laid aside by it selfe in a little dish; and then put sugar into that part, from whence you tooke the sc.u.mme; and powre it from on high into the sc.u.mme; and so drink it cold. And this drink is so cold, that it agreeth not with all mens stomacks; for by experience we find the hurt it doth, by causing paines in the stomacke, and especially to Women. I could deliver the reason of it; but I avoid it, because I will not be tedious, some use it, &c.

There is another way to drinke it cold, which is called _Cacao Penoli_; and it is done, by adding to the same _Chocolate_ (having made the _Confection_, as is before set downe) so much _Maiz_, dryed, and well ground, and taken from the Huske, and then well mingled in the Morter, with the _Chocolate_, it falls all into flowre, or dust; & so these things being mingled, as is said before, there riseth the Sc.u.m; and so you take and drink it, as before.

There is another way, which is a shorter and quicker way of making it, for men of businesse, who cannot stay long about it; and it is more wholsome; and it is that, which I use. That is, first to set some water to warm; and while it warms, you throw a Tablet, or some _Chocolate_, sc.r.a.ped, and mingled with sugar, into a little Cup; and when the water is hot, you powre the water to the _Chocolate_, and then dissolve it with the Molinet; and then without taking off the sc.u.m, drink it as is before directed.

_The fourth Part._

There remaines to be handled in the last Point, of the Quant.i.ty, which is to be drunke: at what Time; and by what persons: because if it be drunk beyond measure, not onely of _Chocolate_, but of all other drinkes, or meates, though of themselves they are good and wholsome, they may be hurtfull. And if any finde it Opilative, it comes by the too much use of it; as when one drinkes over much Wine, in stead of comforting, and warming himselfe, he breeds, and nourisheth cold diseases; because Nature cannot overcome it, nor turne so great a quant.i.ty into good nourishment. So he that drinkes much _Chocolate_, which hath fat parts, cannot make distribution of so great a quant.i.ty to all the parts; and that part which remaines in the slender veines of the Liver, must needs cause Opilations, and Obstructions.

To avoid this inconvenience; you must onely take five or six ounces, in the morning, if it be in winter; and if the party who takes it, be Cholerick, in stead of ordinary water, let him take the distilled water of Endive. The same reason serves in Summer, for those, who take it physically, having the Liver hot and obstructed. If his Liver be cold and obstructed, then to use the water of _Rubarb_. And to conclude, you may take it till the Moneth of _May_, especially in temperate dayes. But I doe not approve, that in the Dogdayes it should be taken in _Spaine_, unlesse it be one, who by custome of taking it, receives no prejudice by it. And if he be of a hot Const.i.tution, and that he have neede to take it in that season, let it, as is said before, be mingled with water of _Endive_; and once in foure dayes, and chiefely when he findes his stomacke in the morning to be weake and fainting. And though it be true, that, in the _Indies_, they use it all the yeare long, it being a very hot Countrey, and so it may seeme by the same reason it may be taken in _Spaine_: First, I say, that Custome may allow it: Secondly, that as there is an extraordinary proportion of heate, so there is also of moisture; which helpes, with the exorbitant heat, to open the pores; and so dissipates, and impoverisheth our substance, or naturall vigor: by reason whereof, not only in the morning, but at any time of the day, they use it without prejudice. And this is most true, that the excessive heate of the Country, drawes out the naturall heate, and disperseth that of the stomack and of the inward parts: Insomuch that though the weather be never so hot, yet the stomack being cold, it usually doth good. I do not onely say this of the _Chocolate_, which, as I have proved, hath a moderate heate; But if you drinke pure wine, be the weather never so hot, it hurts not, but rather comforts the stomack; and if in hot weather you drinke water, the hurt it doth is apparant, in that it cooles the stomack too much; from whence comes a viciated Concoction, and a thousand other inconveniences.

You must also observe, that it being granted, as I have said, that there are earthy parts in the _Cacao_, which fall to the bottome of the Cup, when you make the drinke, divers are of the opinion, that, that which remaines, is the best and the more substantiall; and they hurt themselves not a litle, by drinking of it. For besides, that it is an earthy substance, thick, and stopping, it is of a malancholy Nature; and therefore you must avoid the drinking of it, contenting your selfe with the best, which is the most substantiall.

Last of all, there rests one difficulty to be resolved, formerly poynted at; namely, what is the cause, why _Chocolate_ makes most of them that drinke it, fat. For considering that all of the Ingredients, except the _Cacao_, do rather extenuate, than make fat, because they are hot and dry in the third degree. For we have already said, that the qualities which do predominate in _Cacao_, are cold, and dry; which are very unfit to adde any substance to the body. Neverthelesse, I say, that the many unctuous parts, which I have proved to be in the _Cacao_, are those, which pinguifie, and make fat; and the hotter ingredients of this Composition, serve for a guide, or vehicall, to pa.s.se to the Liver, and the other parts, untill they come to the fleshy parts; and there finding a like substance, which is hot and moyst, as is the unctuous part, converting it selfe into the same substance, it doth augment and pinguifie. Much more might be said from the ground of Philosophy, and Physique; but because that is fitter for the Schooles, than for this discourse; I leave it, and onely give this Caution, that in my Receipt, you may adde Mellon seeds, and seeds of Pompions of _Valencia_, dryed, and beaten into powder, where there is any heat of the Liver or Kidnyes. And if there be any obstructions of the Liver, or Spleene, with any cold distemper, you may mixe the powder of _Ceterach_; to which you may adde Amber, or Muske, to please the scent.

And it will be no small matter, to have pleased all, with this Discourse.

_FINIS._

How to make use of the _Chocolate_, to be taken as a drinke, exceeding cordiall for the comfort of the healthfull, and also for those in weaknesse and Consumptions, to be dissolved in Milke or Water.

_If you please to take it in milke, to a quart, three ounces of _Chocolate_ will be sufficient: Sc.r.a.pe your _Chocolate_ very fine, put it into your milke when it boiles, work it very well with the _Spanish_ Instrument called _Molenillo_ between your hands: which Instrument must be of wood, with a round k.n.o.b made very round, and cut ragged, that as you turne it in your hands, the milke may froth and dissolve the _Chocolate_ the better: then set the milke on the fire againe, untill it be ready to boyle: having the yelke of two eggs well beaten with some of the hot milke; then put your eggs into the milke, and _Chocolate_ and _Sugar_, as much as you like for your taste, and worke all together with the _Molenillo_, and thus drinke a good draught: or if you please you may slice a little Manchet into a dish, and so eate it for a breakfast: you may if you please make your _Chocolate_ with Water and Sugar, working it after the same order with your _Molenillo_, which for some weake stomacks may chance to be better liked. And many there be that beat Almonds, and strayne them into the water it is boyled, and wrought with the _Chocolate_ and Sugar: others like to put the yelkes of eggs as before in the milke, and even sweeten it with Sugar to your taste: If you drinke a good draught of this in a morning, you may travell all the day without any other thing, this is so Substantiall and Cordiall._