Handmade Indigenous People
Chocolate process
ï Ripe Cacao 2200
ï 2202,2205 Cut open cacao, sucked on fruit covering seed, can bite the seed and taste the bitter of the chocolate
ï Peel, dry the seeds outside on a wood table
ï Dried seeds 2206 2186
ï 2210 Put seeds in wood tray, shake to separate husk from seeds
ï Put seeds in bag and smack with seeds to break up and make easier to grind
ï Grind seeds into paste - old style metal coffee grinder 2213. Puro chocolate.
ï Cooks paste with water, cocoa butter floats to top - sometimes several hours, sometimes right away (this is taken away). Cocoa butter 2188.
ï Grate tapa del dulce (brown sugar like product) to add it to chocolate 2217, 2219 and any flavors. She had nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, plain. Mix with 'indigenous blender' (stick rotating in hands in the pot)
ï Heat banana leaf to make it less fragile 2208
ï Spread layer on banana leaf, fold over 2221
ï Let cool
ï Cut into individual squares, remove banana leafs
Ceremonial uses of cocoa butter, something to do with death - purification ritual
Fried plaintain plus cocoa butter and cup of hot chocolate is traditional breakfast
2189 Paprika (she has a tree). Mixes with garlic and oil to bring out the spice. Women also used to wear this for makeup.
Posted by Doug Dosdall on June 4th, 2006 in Articles.
