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New world Chocolate
During the Pre-hispanic period, the science of transforming cacao into food and medicine was highly developed in Mesoamerica. The connoisseurship of cacao buyers, sellers and drinkers was very sophisticated. For nearly four millennia cacao had been bred for taste and medicinal qualities by expert farmers.
In 1492 when Columbus arrived, Xoconusco Mexico grew the best cacao in the world with its sister country Nicaragua as its primary rival in quality. In fact throughout the pacific coast of Nicaragua were planted about 300km of fine cacao trees.
Due to slavery, disease, and racial cruelty contact with the Spanish was catastrophic to the farmers who tended the cacao plantations of Mesoamerica. The Spanish never regained pre-conquest levels of Cacao production or quality. The recipes created during the apex of Mesoamerican culture before contact with the old world are renowned for their medicinal and stimulating qualities.
The aromatic flavors of Colonial/criollo/mestizo Chocolate
Contact between the old and new world also transformed and fuzed planetary cuisine for ever. This gave chocolate to the world while also highly enriching mesomerican and latin American chocolate recipes.This is the colonial/criollo/mestizo period we delve into.
During this period the focus turns from health to taste and reflects the European milk based palate which had by then become used to consuming sugar and all the exotic spices of the east.
To learn more about our workshops visit the Bay Area courses section or the Cursos Nicaragua Section.
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