Wednesday, December 1, 2010  CHOCOLATE~ Food of Mystery, Myth
and Magic  Amano Artisan hot chocolate drink  Is there anything
we can’t imagine when we think of chocolate? Its taste is
transformative. Its presence on the tongue intrigues, the
familiar slow melt from solid to liquid somehow reassures. This
is a substance perfect in its texture and flavor. Dark and
bitter or milky and sweet — there is something completely
intoxicating about chocolate.  Its origin is the stuff of
legend. Mired in mythology and a complex history of ritual,
superstition and intrigue that brought the substance from the
jungles of Mesoamerica to the tables of Spanish Kings. The
earliest Mayans enjoyed “xocolatl” and believed the tiny beads
found within the cacao pods to have restorative powers. The
bitter brew made from grinding the seeds and mingling heated
water, chile peppers, and cornmeal was a frothy ambrosia
considered too precious for anyone but the tribal rulers and
priests to consume. Eventually the spicy drink concoction ev