(from which chocolate is derived from)Since 3000 years, chocolate has come an incredible long way. Imagine an Olmec, holding a cocoa pod, scratching his head and saying to his wife, "Can we eat this?" As it turns out his wife, like most wives, was right when she answered, "Honey what you have there, in 3000 years, is destined to be better than sex." It was likely that the wife was subsequently sacrificed to a ferocious Deity. The grieving husband got drunk from the alcohol made from the white mucus that covered the beans inside the pod and was buried with the remains of the drink.
The Aztecs learned to crack the bean, extract the nibs, crush them to paste and make a bitter drink which they believed kept them in excellent vigor.In time the learned to mix it with maize gruel and honey. Montezuma, the great Emperor of the Aztecs, drank it dyed red.And beaten to a froth. In fact, whatever the experts may say, the word "choicolat" means "beaten drink."
Later they experimented with extracts of vanilla, chili and annatto.
The Dominican Friars introduced it to Spain.The ancestors of El Bulli and Chocovic then took over and Chocolate began the first step towards an incredibly wonderful future.
But the chocolate of today bears little resemblance to its origins. It is being sissified so that we, who don't quite measure up in spunk to the Aztecs, Mayans an Olmecs can find it palatable. And pleasureable. Are we missing out in the real pleasure of chocolate?
French pastries are concoctions with chocolate. They do not offer the unique pleasure that chocolate is meant to offer. They use chocolate for sensational gimmickry.The mass manufactured chocolates,rich with alpine milks and cane sugar, laden with nuts, are say what you may are not the stuff that braced up the Aztecs. In some of the mass produced chocolate, you can still taste a trace of palm oil. These manufacturers, would have promptly beheaded by Montezuma. Justly so.
The chocolate revolution led by the Artisans, Amano, De Vries, Tim Childs, Bonnat, Cocoa Farm of Australia(though this one is a bit too civilised) to name a few, that restored some of the mystic and adventure of chocolate. They have brought back the passion and romance and their chocolate can justly be gifts of love on Valentine's Day. Then there are others who have come up with a "new idea" chocolate revolution.
The chocolate experience I took immense pleasure from was a moist,rich velvety, utterly sinful "cake" from "awfully chocolate".It's really not a cake, but a gloriously round of superb chocolate.There a bit of fudginess in it somewhere. This one you dream about.It is not a return to the origins but it has reinvented the chocolate experience.
The company "awfully chocolate" is, I am told was founded by Singapore lawyers. Which explains the exactitude of the definition of chocolate, in 2008, or what it legally should be. The "awfully chocolate" shop in Jakarta, is almost sterile.It's bare. There is no display nor evidence of chocolate at all. You walk up to the counter and ask for the chocolate. There is one ONE kind. Customers keep coming back!I must say, lawyers are far smarter than we usually credit them for.
It is the right time to go back a 1000 years or so and look at recipes that seemed to have worked well with chocolate,and ingredients like honey, vanilla, cinnamon. annatto and chili. And giving it a good beating in-between.Bring back the boldness and the savage romance!
Showing posts with label aztecs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aztecs. Show all posts
Sunday, 16 November 2008
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
THE SYNTHESIS OF JAVA CHOCOLATE.
After all the home of cocoa is in equatorial regions. Where it was consumed by crushing the beans and mixing with spices found in the backyard. Aniseed was a favourite ingredient among the Aztecs. The first cocoa drinks were very local.
In Europe, they too made it local and subsequently exported their ides throughout the world to all chocolate lovers. Up to today Milk Chocolate remains the world's most popular. But within Europe things are changing. Chocolate has acquired, over the last fifty years more localised variations and flavours. Flavours and tastes even came from colonies and former colonies. Spain particularly was very keen of give chocolate the brisk feel of the Mediterranean.
There are several dates quoted as to when cocoa came to Indonesia. Some say it was brought by the Spaniards in 1560 or thereabouts. Others, borne out by credible records, say the late 18Th century.A report of that time says that that the first person to plant 50 trees would be awarded a trophy.
This strategy seemed to work. By 1839 annual exports to Europe were around 50 tonnes. Unfortunately the Sulawesi crops came under the scourge of Helopeltis and the Cocoa Pod Borer Moth.
Plantations moved to the Sangir islands and then on the Java. The Java Criollo, red Java, produces deep red pods with white beans. Later these were combined with trees from Caracas in 1888. These pods were yellow.
In the beginning of the 20Th century, 1000kg of beans were produced per ha. In the western part of Java a lighter fermented roasted bean great for milk chocolate was produced. This cocoa was known as Edelcacao or "noble cocoa,"
Today pretty exciting plantations exist in Ciajur, between Bandung and Jakarta, Around this area sugar is made from the sap of coconut trees.
Added to cocoa paste this combination gives a warm fruity taste. Later I began to realise that cocoa adds a nice warmth to some of our backyard spices. Adding a tingling and surprising flavour and aroma. It gives a new twist to many of our local foods(and I don't just mean desserts. sweets and snacks). The "warm twist" is very seductive on the palate.
It is therefore appropriate to set out some strategies to give cocoa and chocolate a Javanese direction(which from our history is not a new thing in itself, merely a logical progression, even if it comes a bit late).
We have to acknowledge that creativity with chocolate is a global art. It is harmony within complexity. It is a celebration of joy, provocation, ethnic exuberance, innovation and peace.
Regional chocolate, like Java chocolate among others, is a natural evolution rising from the richness of our backyard resources and culinary traditions. In Java, which the world knew for hundreds of years as the Spice Island, chocolate and cocoa blends well and enriches our own natural ingredients and with the vitality and sensuality of our tastes and flavours.
Here most of all, given our enormous backyard resources, no barriers will exist between the many different worlds from exotic to erotic and from sweet to pungent. We will learn and collaborate from knowledge and experience of chocolate professionals, and reach out to the scientific world which has brought on some spectacular advances to give an impetus to our evolution.
For centuries we have been very passionate about culinary innovation. That's why Bandung is the snack capital of the world, and unique flavours and tastes have emerged from Padang, Menado, Medan, Malang, Semerang, Bali and so on. These are cuisines come about through years of collaboration with the Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, Malays and others
Our development of chocolate will follow a similar path with a focus on our own growing gourmet traditions.
In time and with a sense of purpose, given our vast culinary resources we have no doubt we will make a profound effect on the world of chocolate. I hope that those who have an passionate investment in chocolate will collaborate.
In Europe, they too made it local and subsequently exported their ides throughout the world to all chocolate lovers. Up to today Milk Chocolate remains the world's most popular. But within Europe things are changing. Chocolate has acquired, over the last fifty years more localised variations and flavours. Flavours and tastes even came from colonies and former colonies. Spain particularly was very keen of give chocolate the brisk feel of the Mediterranean.
There are several dates quoted as to when cocoa came to Indonesia. Some say it was brought by the Spaniards in 1560 or thereabouts. Others, borne out by credible records, say the late 18Th century.A report of that time says that that the first person to plant 50 trees would be awarded a trophy.
This strategy seemed to work. By 1839 annual exports to Europe were around 50 tonnes. Unfortunately the Sulawesi crops came under the scourge of Helopeltis and the Cocoa Pod Borer Moth.
Plantations moved to the Sangir islands and then on the Java. The Java Criollo, red Java, produces deep red pods with white beans. Later these were combined with trees from Caracas in 1888. These pods were yellow.
In the beginning of the 20Th century, 1000kg of beans were produced per ha. In the western part of Java a lighter fermented roasted bean great for milk chocolate was produced. This cocoa was known as Edelcacao or "noble cocoa,"
Today pretty exciting plantations exist in Ciajur, between Bandung and Jakarta, Around this area sugar is made from the sap of coconut trees.
Added to cocoa paste this combination gives a warm fruity taste. Later I began to realise that cocoa adds a nice warmth to some of our backyard spices. Adding a tingling and surprising flavour and aroma. It gives a new twist to many of our local foods(and I don't just mean desserts. sweets and snacks). The "warm twist" is very seductive on the palate.
It is therefore appropriate to set out some strategies to give cocoa and chocolate a Javanese direction(which from our history is not a new thing in itself, merely a logical progression, even if it comes a bit late).
We have to acknowledge that creativity with chocolate is a global art. It is harmony within complexity. It is a celebration of joy, provocation, ethnic exuberance, innovation and peace.
Regional chocolate, like Java chocolate among others, is a natural evolution rising from the richness of our backyard resources and culinary traditions. In Java, which the world knew for hundreds of years as the Spice Island, chocolate and cocoa blends well and enriches our own natural ingredients and with the vitality and sensuality of our tastes and flavours.
Here most of all, given our enormous backyard resources, no barriers will exist between the many different worlds from exotic to erotic and from sweet to pungent. We will learn and collaborate from knowledge and experience of chocolate professionals, and reach out to the scientific world which has brought on some spectacular advances to give an impetus to our evolution.
For centuries we have been very passionate about culinary innovation. That's why Bandung is the snack capital of the world, and unique flavours and tastes have emerged from Padang, Menado, Medan, Malang, Semerang, Bali and so on. These are cuisines come about through years of collaboration with the Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, Malays and others
Our development of chocolate will follow a similar path with a focus on our own growing gourmet traditions.
In time and with a sense of purpose, given our vast culinary resources we have no doubt we will make a profound effect on the world of chocolate. I hope that those who have an passionate investment in chocolate will collaborate.
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