Different Chocolate

Ridwan Asher

Upon discovering Xocoatl Soup in Mexico, Spaniards decided the original version was kind of crazy and they modified it with sugar, vanilla and milk into the sweet stuff we know and love today.

What if it was the Chinese who 'first' encountered chocolate ? Or the muslims ? What will they do with it ?
 

Ridwan Asher

I can see the Arabs/muslims not differing too radically far from Europe, which owed to muslim world cane sugar and vanilla. I can easily see them mixing ground chocolate with mint, milk, and tea or coffee. It will similarly become a leisure drink, but isn't quite dessert.

It's the chinese take that'd make a big question...
 

Gonzaga

Could Muslim colonizers have the same approach to chocolate they had to coffee? Roast the beans, ground and brew them, add sugar if you want?
 
Beedok

Beedok

Because Vanilla and Chocolate are from roughly the same area I'd guess whoever shows up will try to mix them. Less milk from the Chinese I'd guess though.
 

xerex

Beedok said:
Because Vanilla and Chocolate are from roughly the same area I'd guess whoever shows up will try to mix them. Less milk from the Chinese I'd guess though.
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Ninja'd

I guess the question this why didnt the Aztecs mix vanilla and Cacao?
 
Beedok

Beedok

xerex said:
Ninja'd

I guess the question this why didnt the Aztecs mix vanilla and Cacao?
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Well they were two different things in their region. To the Spanish they were new foreign things. I'm sure if the exchange went the other way the Aztecs would combine European foods you'd never expect.
 

Ridwan Asher

Actually, Aztecs did mixed cocoa and vanilla... as well as pepper, maizena and chilli. And they drank it cold. Spanish followed the Mayan example, which drank chocolate warm and plain.

As for the Chinese, I suppose the first thing they'll notice would be the bitter and pliant taste as well as the unique sweet aroma. They'll might associate these properties to spices, and they'll might use it for soups.
 

Sovereign12

The Chinese would probably combine it with Tofu as a flavoring or during the fermenting process. Possibly tofu, honey and pasted chocolate beans as a sweet.
 

DominusNovus

Given that we put chocolate in almost anything nowadays, just start looking around at some of the more unusual combos out there.
 
LSCatilina

LSCatilina

Gonzaga said:
Could Muslim colonizers have the same approach to chocolate they had to coffee? Roast the beans, ground and brew them, add sugar if you want?
Click to expand...

That's possible, but giving the likeness of a western Arabo-Islamic contact, it may involves tastes a bit different.
I'm half expecting sort of milk-shake with cacao, fat, arrope and/or must and/or syrup (possibly quince, rose or fruits), with possibly some spices as saffron.
 
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Dathi THorfinnsson

Ridwan Asher said:
Upon discovering Xocoatl Soup in Mexico, Spaniards decided the original version was kind of crazy and they modified it with sugar, vanilla and milk into the sweet stuff we know and love today.

What if it was the Chinese who 'first' encountered chocolate ? Or the muslims ? What will they do with it ?
Click to expand...

Certainly, the Spanish added sugar, but I believe milk was added later - and further north?
 
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