The Natural History of Chocolate Part 3

The _Indians_, from whom we borrow it, are not very nice in doing it; they roast the Kernels in earthen Pots, then free them from their Skins, and afterwards crush and grind them between two Stones, and so form Cakes of it with their Hands.

The _Spaniards_, more industrious than the _Savages_, and at this day other Nations after their Example, chuse out the best Kernels[a], and the most fresh: Of these they put about two Pounds in a great Iron Shovel over a clear Fire, stirring them continually with a large _Spatula_, so long that they may be roasted enough to have their Skins come off easily, which should be done one by one[b], laying them a-part; and taking great heed that the rotten and mouldy Kernels be thrown away, and all that comes off the good ones; for these Skins being left among the Chocolate, will not dissolve in any Liquor, nor even in the Stomach, and fall to the bottom of Chocolate-Cups, as if the Kernels had not been cleansed.

If one was curious to weigh the Kernels at the Druggists, and then weigh them again after they are roasted and cleansed, one should find that there would be about a sixth Part wasted, more or less, according to the Nature and Qualities of the Kernels; that is to say, if you bought (for example) 30 Pounds, there would remain entirely cleansed, near twenty-five.

All the Kernels being thus roasted and cleansed at divers times, they put them once more to roast in the same Iron Shovel, but over a more gentle Fire, and stir them with the _Spatula_ without ceasing till they are roasted all alike, and as much as they ought to be; which one may discover by their Taste, and their dark-brown Colour, without being black. The whole Art consists in avoiding the two Extremes, of not roasting them enough, and roasting them too much; that is to say, till they are burnt. If they are not roasted enough, they retain a disagreeable Harshness of Taste; and if they are roasted so much as to burn them, besides the Bitterness and ill Taste that they contract, they lose their Oilyness entirely, and the best part of their good Qualities.

In _France_, where they are very apt to run into Extremes, they are mighty fond of the burnt Taste, and the black Colour, as if they were proper Marks of good Chocolate, not considering that, Quant.i.ty for Quant.i.ty, they may as well put so much Charcoal as burnt Chocolate. This Opinion is not only agreeable to Reason and good Sense, but is also confirmed by the unanimous Consent of all that have written on this Subject; and I can affirm, that it is authorized by the universal Consent of all _America_.

When the Kernels are duly roasted, and well cleansed, they put them into a large Mortar to reduce them into a gross Powder, which they afterwards grind upon a Stone till it is very fine, which requires a more particular Explication.

They make choice of a Stone which naturally resists the Fire, not so soft as to rub away easily, nor so hard as to endure polishing. They cut it from 16 to 18 Inches broad, and about 27 or 30 long, and 3 in thickness, and hollowed in the middle about an Inch and a half deep.

This Stone should be fix'd upon a Frame of Wood or Iron, a little higher on one side than the other: Under, they place a Pan of Coals to heat the Stone, so that the Heat melting the oily Parts of the Kernels, and reducing it to the Consistence of Honey, makes it easy for the Iron Roller, which they make use of for the sake of its Strength, to make it so fine as to leave neither Lump, nor the least Hardness. This Roller is a Cylinder of polish'd Iron, two Inches in diameter, and about eighteen long, having at each End a wooden Handle of the same Thickness, and six Inches long, for the Workman to hold by.

When the Paste is ground as much as is thought necessary, they put it hot in Moulds made of Tin, where they leave it, and it becomes hard in a very little time. The Shape of these Moulds is arbitrary, and every one may have them made according to his Fancy; but the cylindrick ones, which will hold about 2 or 3 Pounds of Chocolate, seem to me to be most proper; because the thicker they are, the longer they keep good, and may be commodiously held when there is occasion to sc.r.a.pe them. These Rolls ought to be wrapped in Paper, and kept in a dry Place: it should also be observed, that they are very susceptible of good and ill Smells, and that it is good to keep them 5 or 6 Months before they are used.

Now the Kernels being sufficiently rubb'd and ground upon the Stone, as we have just directed, if you would compleat the Composition in the Ma.s.s, there is nothing more to be done, than to add to this Paste a Powder sifted thro a fine Searce, composed of Sugar, Cinnamon, and, if it be desired, of _Vanilla_[c], according to the Quant.i.ties and Proportions, which we shall teach in the Third Part of this Treatise; and mix it well upon the Stone, the better to blend it and incorporate it together, and then to fashion it in Moulds made of Tin in the form of Lozenges of about 4 Ounces each, or if desired, half a Pound.

FOOTNOTES:

[y] For this reason, when they would send _Cocao-Nuts_ to the neighbouring Islands from _Martinico_, that they may have wherewithal to plant, they are very careful not to gather them till the Transport Vessel is ready to sail, and to make use of them as soon as they arrive.

For this reason also it is not possible that the Spaniards, when they design to preserve Nuts for planting, should let them be wither'd and perfectly dry, and that afterwards they should take the Kernels of these same Nuts, and dry them very carefully in the Shade, and after all, raise a Nursery with them, as _Oexmelin_ reports, _History of Adventurers_, Tom. 1. Pag. 424.

[7] See the seventh Note hereafter.

[8] The _Mahot_ is a Shrub, whose Leaves are round and feel soft like those of _Guimauve_; its Bark easily comes off, which they divide into long Slangs, which serves for Packthread and Cords to the Inhabitants and Natives.

[z] It gets this Taste either by being laid in a moist Place, or by being wet by Sea-Water in the Pa.s.sage.

[a] As the Kernels are never so clean, but there may be Stones, Earth, and bad ones among them; it will be necessary, before they are used, to sift them in a Sieve that will let these things pa.s.s through, while it retains the Kernels.

[b] The Artists, to make this Work more expeditious, and to gain time, put a thick Mat upon a Table, and spread the Kernels upon it as they come hot from the Shovel, and roll a Roller of Iron over them to crack and get off the Skins of the Kernels; afterward they winnow all in a splinter Sieve, till the Kernels become entirely cleansed.

[c] What this is, you will find hereafter.

THE Natural HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE.

PART II.

Of the Properties of Chocolate.

We have hitherto treated of _Chocolate_, as it were, superficially, and as it presents itself to our Senses. We come next to examine its intrinsick Qualities, and to search into its Nature: As far as we can, we will discover what Reason, join'd to long Experience, has taught us concerning the salutary Properties of this Fruit.

CHAP. I.

Of the old Prejudices against Chocolate.

To proceed more methodically, and with greater Clearness in our Enquiries concerning _Chocolate_, it seems proper to set People right about the Prejudices which a false Philosophy has instilled into most Authors who have wrote upon this Subject; the Impressions whereof, are yet very deeply ingraven in the Minds of a great Number of People.

The _Spaniards_, who were first acquainted with Chocolate after the Conquest of the new World, have laid it down for an undoubted Truth, that _Chocolate_ is cold and dry, partic.i.p.ating of the Nature of Earth.

They have supported this Determination neither with Reason nor Experience; nor do they know from whence they learnt it; perhaps they have taken it upon the Words, and from the Tradition of the Inhabitants of the Country. Let that be as it will, it is natural from false Principles to draw false Conclusions, of which the two princ.i.p.al are as follow.

The first is, That Chocolate being by Nature cold, it ought not to be used without being mixed with Spices, which are commonly hot, that so they might, both together, become temperate and wholesome. This was the Jargon and Practice of those Times. For the same Reason the ancient Physicians erroneously imagining that _Opium_ was cold in the fourth Degree, never fail'd to correct this pretended Coldness in their narcotick Compositions, with Drugs extremely hot, as _Euphorbium_, _Pellitory_, _Pepper_, &c.

Their second Conclusion was, That Chocolate being dry and earthy, and from thence supposed to be of a styptick and astringent Quality; if it was not corrected, must necessarily breed Obstructions in the _Viscera_, and bring on a Cacochimy, and a great Number of other incurable Diseases.

These Prejudices have from the _Spaniards_ pa.s.s'd into other Nations. To prove this, it will be unnecessary to cite a great Number of Authors, for whoever has read one, has read them all, the later having done nothing but copy the former; they have even sometimes improved their Dreams, and exaggerated this pretended Coldness of Chocolate, and at length push'd the Matter so far, as to make it a kind of cold Poison; and if it was taken to Excess, it would bring on a Consumption[1].

"Mexiaci friget nativa Cocai Temperies, tantoq; excedit Frigore ut inter noxia ne dubitem glandes censere Venena." _Thom. Strozzae_ de Mentis potu seu de Cocolatis Opificio, _lib. 3_.

"Hinc siquis solo Cocolatis Fomite Vitam extrahat, atq; a.s.sueta neget Cibi Prandia, sensim contrahet exsueto marcentem Corpora Tabem."

It is not very extraordinary that People who are more ready to _believe_ than to _examine_, (such as the World is full of) should give into the unanimous Opinion of so many Authors; and it would be strange if they were not carry'd down by the Stream of a Prejudice so general. But I cannot sufficiently admire that _Chocolate_ being so much decry'd, has not been entirely laid aside as unfit for Use; without doubt there was nothing but the daily Experience of its good Effects, which could support it, and hinder it from giving way to Calumny.

Now to overturn this old System, it is sufficient, in my Opinion, to observe with how little Skill and Penetration they then treated of the whole Natural History; one ought not to be amazed that they have affirmed _Chocolate_ to be cold and dry, in an Age when, for Example, they could say _Camphire_ was cold and moist, which is a kind of Resin, from whence one Drop of Water cannot be extracted, whose sharp Taste, and penetrating Smell, joined to the extreme Volatility and Inflammability of its Particles, even in Water itself, are such evident Signs of its Heat, that it is difficult to conceive upon what account they persuade themselves of the contrary.

The Qualities of Chocolate are not indeed so remarkable, nor so active, as those of Camphire; but, with the least Attention, one may easily discern, that the Quant.i.ty of Oil that it contains, and the Bitterness that is perceivable in Tasting, are not the Marks of Coldness, since all Bitters are esteem'd hot, and since Oil is a Matter very near a-kin to, and necessary for Fire. This is very near the Reasoning of a celebrated Physician at _Rome_[2] against the old Opinion: _As for me_, says he, _I am of another Judgment; I believe that Chocolate is rather _temperate_ than _cold_, and I refer my self to the Decision of every ingenious Person that will be at the pains to taste and examine it._

These Reflections will be farther confirmed in the first Section of the following Chapter, where we shall experimentally demonstrate that Chocolate is a Substance very temperate, yielding soft and wholesome Nourishment, incapable of doing any Harm. And if this intrinsick Coldness is no more to be feared, it must be own'd, that it will be henceforward ridiculous, if not pernicious, to join it with hot acrid Spices, more likely to alter and destroy its good and real Qualities, than to correct the bad ones which it has not: I nevertheless do not doubt but the Pleasantness of the Smell, and the favourite Taste of several agreeable Spices, being pretty much liked in this Mixture, will have their Partizans; who, more delighted with a present Gratification, than afraid of the insensible Prejudice that these Ingredients bring to their Health, will not resolve to leave them off. Tho these will be no longer the Correctors of Chocolate, yet they will serve to season it, with which they will please their Taste, without troubling themselves with the Consequences. But those Persons who will give themselves the trouble of thinking, and are more tractable and less sensual, will wisely abstain from such Extreams, and their Moderation will not be unattended with Benefit. Health is so valuable a Blessing, that the Care to gain and preserve it, ought to supersede any other Consideration.

As to the pretended Obstructions which Chocolate is said to occasion from its astrictive Quality, they are so far from being afraid of it in _America_, that they have found by Experience a Vertue directly contrary to it; for several young Women, subject to the Whites, have been cured of this Distemper, by eating a Dozen _Cocao_ Kernels for Breakfast every Morning. It is well enough known that Obstructions are the Cause of this Disease, which instead of being encreas'd by Chocolate, were entirely taken away.

Then as to those strange Disorders which are said to arise from its immoderate Use, we shall bring in the Sequel so many Facts directly contrary to these Chimerical Fears, that all Persons of good Sense will be disabused, and convinced of the salutary and wonderful Properties of this Fruit; which shall be the Subject of the following Chapter.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] _Ludov. Ramira_, Relat. ad Hurtad. ad Append. cap.

[2] _Paulus Zachias_, de Malo Hypocondriaco, Lib. 2. Cap. 15.

CHAP. II.

Of the real Properties of Chocolate.