Foot and Fire

I took a photo of this article from the online version of RD March issue. It was a revelation for me. All I thought that our local cacao is the real cacao. It turns out I was wrong all along and this article reveals that it is Carob. Our local kakao is a robust pod with seeds in its cavities. The sour-sweet flesh surrounding the seeds can be eaten before sun-drying them. The sun-dried seeds will then be toasted and peeled and the "beans" inside will be ready for grinding. It is then molded in bamboo molder and we call the output, Tableya. Check out my earlier blog on how to make this. Click here. The real cacao, the ones mentioned when touching the Mayan culture and in the novels of Laura Esquivel (Malinche and Hot water for Chocolate) is actually a bean as it comes from a pod. That is what should be called cocoa, cacao or chocolate.

Choco Mixture... Wonder how chocolates are made? This is how the basic of all chocolates... The preparation of cacao... from humble seeds to grand hot choco... While sipping, remember the Mayans, on how they treasure every cacao bean during their times. Dried Cacao seeds Peanuts Mascuvado sugar Bake or roast cacao seeds.  Remove outer covering by twisting and then separate from the cacao seeds inside. Add roasted peanuts, if desired. Add mascuvado sugar. Let it grounded electrically in the market, otherwise mortar and pestle will be used to refine the mixture. The powder mixture is ready to be enjoyed as hot choco! Mascuvado *** cacao, not yet peeled. *** My lola roasting the cacao! *** The peeled cacao...