|
Chocolate
Quick Links
To advertise your business on
this page
click here
|
Chocolate at a Glance |
Chocolate’s
Roots in Ancient Mesoamerica
We tend to think of chocolate as a sweet candy created
during modern times. But actually, chocolate dates back to the
ancient peoples of Mesoamerica who drank chocolate as a bitter
beverage.
For these people, chocolate wasn’t just a favourite food—it also
played an important role in their religious and social lives.
The ancient Maya grew cacao and made it into a beverage.
The first people clearly known to have discovered the secret of
cacao were the Classic Period Maya (250-900 C.E. [A.D.]). The Maya
and their ancestors in Mesoamerica took the tree from the rainforest
and grew it in their own backyards, where they harvested, fermented,
roasted, and ground the seeds into a paste.
When mixed with water, chili peppers, cornmeal, and other
ingredients, this paste made a frothy, spicy chocolate drink.
The Aztecs adopted cacao.
By 1400, the Aztec empire dominated a sizeable segment of
Mesoamerica. The Aztecs traded with Maya and other peoples for cacao
and often required that citizens and conquered peoples pay their
tribute in cacao seeds—a form of Aztec money.
Like the earlier Maya, the Aztecs also consumed their bitter
chocolate drink seasoned with spices—sugar was an agricultural
product unavailable to the ancient Mesoamericans.
Drinking chocolate was an important part of Maya and Aztec life.
Many people in Classic Period Maya society could drink chocolate
at least on occasion, although it was a particularly favoured
beverage for royalty. But in Aztec society, primarily rulers,
priests, decorated soldiers, and honoured merchants could partake of
this sacred brew.
Chocolate also played a special role in both Maya and Aztec royal
and religious events. Priests presented cacao seeds as offerings to
the gods and served chocolate drinks during sacred ceremonies.
Resource:
Fieldmuseum.org |
|
Tools needed for Chocolate Moulding |
The actual moulding
equipment required is inexpensive and
quite readily available:
- Assorted plastic chocolate moulds for different types of chocolates
- A long-handled teaspoon for spooning your chocolate into the moulds
- A thick, soft-haired, good-quality paint brush for brushing the sides
of moulds
- A couple of good-quality small paint brushes for painting colour
designs
- A dipping spoon or fork for dipping nuts and candies into the
chocolate
- A good pair of scissors for cutting out hollow moulds
- Bulldog clips for holding together both sides of hollow moulds
- Chocolate colouring, flavouring, wrapping foils, fillings and
packaging
Essentially the only ingredient
you need for chocolate moulding is the chocolate itself. Buy the coating
chocolate you believe best suits your needs. For important functions,
occasions and gifts, remember to buy the best quality chocolate.
Unfortunately, where chocolate is concerned, best quality usually means
the most expensive.
Although we do not really recommend it, many people tend to compromise
on the quality of their chocolate when making clusters and novelties for
children's birthdays. These are perhaps the only times such compromises
in chocolate quality may be made. However, you will always feel
confident if you only use the best.
The other ingredients that you will need will depend entirely upon the
type of chocolates you intend making.
To make your chocolate more interesting and exciting, you will need
assorted chocolate colourings, flavourings and fillings.
The list of potential chocolate fillings is never ending - use your
imagination to make your own exotic personal favourites. Some ideas for
chocolate fillings are different types of nuts, Turkish delight,
marshmallows, toffees, coconut, raisins, mint crisps, honeycomb,
marzipan, flavoured fondants, as well as all the ready-made and
delicious chocolate fillings available from the
Chocolate Den.
|
|
Related Articles |
Methods of Melting Chocolate
Melting chocolate in the microwave is clean, quick and easy. But be super
careful not to burn your chocolate. Rather be slow than sorry, is our motto
in this regard. Taking an extra couple of minutes to melt your chocolate
slowly means that you save yourself throwing out a bowl full of burnt
chocolate lumps. Take 500g of coating chocolate and break it up into
smallish pieces. Place these pieces into a glass bowl in the microwave. Set
the microwave on high for thirty seconds and then take the chocolate out and
stir it. Repeat this process until the chocolate is melted - usually four
times.......read more
Colouring White Chocolate and painting
with it
Chocolates of all shapes and sizes
decorated with colour have become very popular over the last few years. A
box of cherry chocolates with the cherries painted red, a chocolate Easter
bunny with pink cheeks, and a bunch of chocolate roses in yellow and apricot
are examples of how important colour work has become in chocolate-making.
The visual appeal, as well as the financial value, of the chocolates
increase enormously once they have been painted. Painting your chocolates is
great fun and all it takes is a little powder ........read
more
|
To advertise your business on
this page
click here
|
Preferred Suppliers
Projects
|
