Sweet Sweet Chocolate (p.50)

By Pat Brothers

Ever since Mr. Cadbury first put his confections in a heart-shaped box, chocolate has been the most appreciated gift on Valentine's Day. We just can't get enough of it. Yet we also take it for granted. Chocolate is easy to find and inexpensive to buy. It was not always so – at one time it was revered as sacred and even used as currency.

Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cocoa tree, theobroma cacao, which translates literally as "food of the gods." Most of us would agree with this choice of a name. The word chocolate is derived from the Mayan xocoatl – cocoa from the Aztec cacahuatl. The cacao tree is a small understory tree of up to 25 feet, grown in a narrow band around the equator. While it can live up to 100 years, it is productive for only 25 to 50 years. It is deciduous, dropping leaves at least twice a year. The new growth is red, changing to a bright shiny green at maturity. The abundant, small white flowers grow in thick clusters directly from the trunk and are produced year-round. They are pollinated mainly by midges and other small insects that favor sweat-bath conditions. Only a fraction of the flowers actually get pollinated, producing green seedpods that turn orange-red as they ripen. At any given time, the cocoa tree will sport red new leaves, green mature leaves, white flowers, green pods, and orange pods, all at the same time.

If you were thinking of trying this gaudy little tree as a houseplant, you may have to reconsider. Ripe seeds must be planted within 10 days or they lose their viability, which explains why they do not appear in seed catalogs. The cocoa tree needs shade; high humidity (at least 80%); temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees; moist, well-drained soil; and plenty of water with no periods of drought. Perhaps you could grow one if you converted your sauna into a greenhouse.

Cocoa originated millions of years ago in South America, to the east of the Andes. There are many species of theobroma, but the one we make chocolate from probably arose about 15 thousand years ago in the Orinoco River basin in South America. The Mayans, sophisticated farmers and plant breeders, later brought it to Central America. The Aztecs got chocolate from the Mayans. It was most commonly used as a spice. The nobles and priests made it into a drink that combined ground roasted cocoa beans, maize, and water, seasoned with some combination of cinnamon, vanilla and hot pepper. Aztec myths claimed chocolate was a gift brought from Paradise by the god Quetzalcoatl and that Tonacatecutli, the goddess of food, and Calchiuhtlucue, the goddess of water, were its guardians. Each year, human sacrifices were given to the goddesses. The victims were given cocoa as their last meal … chocolate to die for. The Spanish Conquistadors introduced chocolate to Europe, where it was none too popular until someone thought to add sugar. Technical advances in Europe led to the introduction of cocoa powder, chocolate bars, and the explosion of all things chocolate that we experience and enjoy today.

Two excellent books have been recently published about the history of chocolate. The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars documents the intense rivalry between the two companies and the profoundly different motivations and methods of their founders. Chocolate Wars: The 150 Year Rivalry Between the World's Best Chocolate Makers by Deborah Cadbury offers an insider's look at the history of chocolate-making in Europe.

Currently, there are three main strains of chocolate. Forastero is most common, making up the vast majority of chocolate products. Crillo is cultivated in small quantities in the original Cacao areas, especially in Venezuela – traditionally it is the rarest and most sought-after of all chocolate. Trinitero, which is grown almost exclusively in the Antilles, is a hybrid of the two other varieties. Chocolatiers are beginning to produce boutique chocolates made from one variety or grown exclusively in one place.

The health benefits of chocolate have been touted for centuries. An article on the medical history of chocolate published in the journal Lancet showed that it was once used to treat just about everything. The Aztecs used it to soothe stomach and intestinal complaints, control childhood diarrhea, reduce fevers, aid coughs, reduce hemorrhoids, and promote strength before military or sexual conquests. In later eras, chocolate remedies were thought to combat emaciation, decrease female complaints, delay hair growth, promote kidney stone expulsion, increase production of breast milk, prolong longevity, both encourage and prohibit sleep, clean teeth, diminish one's timidity, and prevent syphilis.

Modern studies show it contains flavonoids, which help protect the body from environmental toxins. Unfortunately, these are mostly stripped during processing. Chocolate makers are studying ways to retain flavonoids in their finished products. It also contains dopamine and other chemicals that affect the pleasure centers of the brain, though the quantities are very small. Raw, unprocessed cocoa powder is best for you, but oh, yuck … I much prefer a Baby Ruth!

Chocolate has also been used as an aphrodisiac for millennia. Montezuma supposedly consumed 50 cups of chocolate a day before entering his harem. Many folks still believe that chocolate can light the fire of love, science notwithstanding. It certainly makes me all warm and fuzzy when my honey brings it home to me!

Mexican Champurrado
This ancient beverage brings together two Mesoamerican natives, corn and chocolate.

Ingredients
1/3 cup masa harina mix (available at Whole Foods or in the ethnic section of your grocery store)
4 cups cold water
2 tablets Mexican chocolate (4 ounces)
1 stick cinnamon
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar or piloncillo, or to taste

In a medium saucepan, dissolve the masa harina mix in the water and cook, stirring over medium heat, until the mixture reaches the consistency of heavy cream.

Strain mixture into a larger saucepan; add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the chocolate and sugar have dissolved. The champurrado may be thinned with milk if desired.

Pat Brothers is formally trained in design and has an extensive, practical knowledge of plants. She tends a garden of vegetables, fruits, and interesting plants, especially tropicals, at her Wake Forest home. You can find her at Atlantic Avenue Orchid and Garden in Raleigh.