Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1898-02-18
CHOCOLATE or cAoAo.
How II Grows and the Methods Of Pre-
pairing II for Usc.

pairing ~ Tor Use
The Mexicans call the beverage com
posed Of the pounded seeds Of the cacao
tree chocolate.
The tree is n handsome one, twelve
10 sixteen fee, high; the trunk upright,
and about five feet long; the wood.
light In weight aud white in color: the
bark. brownish.
The leaves are lanceolate. oblOng
bright green. quite entire: the flowers
are small. reddish and inodorous. The
fruit is smooth. of a yellow or red
tinge, and about three inches in diam.
eter; the rlnd is aeshy. about half an
inch In thickness. desh-colored. within
the pulp IS white. Of the consistency
Of butter, separating from the rlnd
when ripe, and adherlng only to II by
filaments. which pentrate It and reach
to the seeds. Hence II Is known when
the seeds are ripe by the ratiling OF
the capsule when It is shaken The
pulp has a sweet and not unpleasant
taste. with a slight acidity. 1t is suck
ed and eaten raw by the natives The
seeds are about twenty-five in number
when fresh they are Of flesh color;
gathered before they are quite ripe
sley preserve them in sugar. and thus
they are very grateful to the palate
They quickly lose their vegetation II
taken out OF the capsule. but kept in It
they preserve that power for a long
time. The tree bears leaves, flowers
and fruit all the year through; but the
usual seasons for gathering the fruit
are June aud December. In two years
It Is about three feet high, and spreads
Its branches, not more than ave Of
which are suffered TO remain. in three
years II begins TO bear fruit A tree
yields from two TO three pounds OF
seeds annually. The seeds are nourish-
ing and agreeable to most people. and
are generally used in South America
and in the West India Islands.
The seeds Of the caenO were made
use OF rs money in Mexico. In the time
OF the Aztec kings. and this use Of
them is still partially continued. the
smaller seeds being employed for the
purpose. The lowest denomination of
coin money current in Mexico is of the
value of about twelve cents; and as
there must arise many pretty transac-
tlons OF business to a lower amount
the convenience Of these seeds. six Of
which are reckoned as the value of one
cent. must needs be very great.
Cacao is principally used after hav-
ing been made into cakes. to which the
name of chocolate IS given. The meth
cd anciently employed by the Indians
in making these cakes was simply to
roast the seeds in earthen pots. and af-
ter clearing them from the husks,
which by reason OF the heat employEd
could be easily removed. the nak ked
seeds were bruised between two stdnes
and made up with the hands Into
cakes. The process at present used by
Europeans does not differ greatly fFom
that just described; more care is taken
In grinding the seeds after they are
roasted. so as to convert them into a
paste which is perfectly SMOOTH. and
some fiavoring ingredients are. added,
according to the taste Of the people
who are TO consume the chocolate.
Cloves and cinnamon are much used for
this purpose by the Spanlards; other
aromatics. and even perfumes. such as
musk and ambergis. have sometimes
been added; but the principal flavor
ing ingredient used with cacao is va
nilla.