Here in Italy I was given to taste, for the first time, "Cioccolato di
Modica". (Modica is a town in Sicily.)

They said "It's different, it doesn't use cocoa butter." And it seemed very
grainy. This version also had orange peel.

Anybody knowledgeable about this type of chocolate and can tell me a bit
more?

Thanks,

John

JMF wrote:
> Here in Italy I was given to taste, for the first time, "Cioccolato di
> Modica". (Modica is a town in Sicily.)
>
> They said "It's different, it doesn't use cocoa butter." And it seemed very
> grainy. This version also had orange peel.
>
> Anybody knowledgeable about this type of chocolate and can tell me a bit
> more?
>
> Thanks,
>
> John

No cocoa butter ? then its an ersatz chocolate....a compounded
'chocolate' made with sugar,cocoa butter substitute fats., cocoa
powder, sugar,emulsifier SMS/STS/LC.

"Chembake" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> JMF wrote:
>> Here in Italy I was given to taste, for the first time, "Cioccolato di
>> Modica". (Modica is a town in Sicily.)
>>
>> They said "It's different, it doesn't use cocoa butter." And it seemed
>> very
>> grainy. This version also had orange peel.
>>
>> Anybody knowledgeable about this type of chocolate and can tell me a bit
>> more?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> John
>
> No cocoa butter ? then its an ersatz chocolate....a compounded
> 'chocolate' made with sugar,cocoa butter substitute fats., cocoa
> powder, sugar,emulsifier SMS/STS/LC.

You know, after years and years it still doesn't occur to me often enough to
just Google something.

So I Googled "Modica Chocolate" and here's what I got:

The culture of a people includes diverse elements such as history,
traditions, customs and foods.

The Sicilian Cuisine is well-known for numerous unique specialties, for its
large use of important agricultural typical products like pistachio, carobs,
prickly pears, and for other traditional products like D.O.P. extra-vergine
olive oils, D.O.C. wines and citruses.

The pastry-making is perhaps the best celebrated of all Sicilian
specialties, with a range of products able to satisfy the most exigent
gourmet. More and better than any other foods, our pastry specialties show
the signs of the many dominations that have ruled over this Island
throughout the centuries. The pastry-making is considered a realm of
fantasy, that gives life to much elaborated and often symbolic shapes.

The Modican Chocolate is one of the best appreciated products of the
Sicilian pastry. It has a rectangular shape, 15cm long, and can be divided
into four smaller bars. It is prepared according to a traditional recipe
dating back to the Aztec ancient civilization and handed down to us by the
Spaniards.

Upon entering a traditional "dolceria modicana", you'll smell delicious
flavours coming from the genuine ingredients used in the chocolate-making,
such as bitter cocoa paste, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa butter.

The basic ingredients are 500gr of sugar semolato, 500gr of bitter cocoa
paste, either a cinnamon or a vanilla roll, and a cocoa butter bar.
The latter is specifically required to amalgamate all ingredients.

In the past this chocolate was prepared using some specific utensils, like
the "spianatoio", an half moon shaped tool, made of lava stone, where all
ingredients were low-heated and mixed. They were also rolled with a stone
rolling pin, whose weight varied according to the different working steps.

Today the chocolate-making uses modern saucepans, but has preserved the
traditional pans which are commissioned to the fewest tinsmiths left.

The traditional recipe requires ingredients to be rolled three times in the
refining process.

The mixture obtained is placed into rectangular forms that give the
chocolate their well-known shape. Before it solidifies the forms are lined
up on a large wooden tray that is beaten against a marble table top, serving
to expel air bubbles and leave the top side of the bars shiny and smooth.
Then chocolate is left to cool down for about 24 hours.

JMF wrote:
>> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >> John
> >
> > No cocoa butter ? then its an ersatz chocolate....a compounded
> > 'chocolate' made with sugar,cocoa butter substitute fats., cocoa
> > powder, sugar,emulsifier SMS/STS/LC.
>
>You know, after years and years it still doesn't occur to me often enough to
>just Google something.

Googling things is the easiest way to know about something but the
shortest way to get deluded by the tons of information that often lack
depth

>The Sicilian Cuisine is well-known for numerous unique specialties, for its
>large use of important agricultural typical products like pistachio, carobs,
>prickly pears, and for other traditional products like D.O.P. extra-vergine
>olive oils, D.O.C. wines and citruses.


For me anything Sicilian have something to do with the underworld. i.e
MAFIA,yes I know about Sicilian delicacies but likely consumed by the
Mafiosi etc...LOL

>The pastry-making is perhaps the best celebrated of all Sicilian
>specialties, with a range of products able to satisfy the most exigent
>gourmet.. The pastry-making is considered a realm of
>fantasy, that gives life to much elaborated and often symbolic shapes.
"Well many European states have their pastry traditions, Sicilians
included....
>The Modican Chocolate is one of the best appreciated products of the
>Sicilian pastry. It has a rectangular shape, 15cm long, and can be divided
>into four smaller bars. It is prepared according to a traditional recipe
>dating back to the Aztec ancient civilization and handed down to us by the
>Spaniards.

Modican chocolate? ..and
Related to the Mayan chocolatl made by the Aztecs?<Big Grin> Could be
a BITTER way to enjoy chocolate?
Might be an alternative to the esspresso for the Mafiosi?

>Upon entering a traditional "dolceria modicana", you'll smell delicious
>flavours coming from the genuine ingredients used in the chocolate-making,
>such as bitter cocoa paste, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa butter.


Well IMO I have entered countless bakeries,patisserie confisseries etc
but it never left a lasting impression on me. Flavors and odors may
stick to my clothing and skin but once they are laundered and I have
taken a shower I can't remember if I had ever entered a certain shop
known for its delicacies.<grin> All I remember that I must have entered
a food shoppe as I am not hungry at that time?


>The basic ingredients are 500gr of sugar semolato, 500gr of bitter cocoa
>paste, either a cinnamon or a vanilla roll,.

Semolato?....maybe a Sicilian name for sanding sugar with the same
particle size as durum semolina for pasta making?

>and a cocoa butter bar.
>The latter is specifically required to amalgamate all ingredients

COCOA BUTTER BAR, but just added to improve the blending properties
Its just a miniscule amount , insufficient to improve the eating
quality of such native chocolate,
Maybe good for making chocolate beverage only...

>In the past this chocolate was prepared using some specific utensils, like
>the "spianatoio", an half moon shaped tool, made of lava stone, where all
>ingredients were low-heated and mixed. They were also rolled with a stone
>rolling pin, whose weight varied according to the different working steps.

Lets call it simply as a jacketed mixer, and the rolling machine is
the primitive or old fashioned chocolate Conche that Walter LIndt
popularized ...(and even romanticized?. In the early part of the last
century.

>Today the chocolate-making uses modern saucepans, but has preserved the
>traditional pans which are commissioned to the fewest tinsmiths left.

Whatever are the utensils and vessels used for preparation, lets call
it simply as 'cooking pots ' related the kind you use to prepare
your stews.<grin>
And its not made from tin ....its too soft

>The traditional recipe requires ingredients to be rolled three times in the
>refining process.

Simply stated made in a particular device.....is a simple three roll
refiner,.....
good for reducing particle size of the chocolate prior to conching but
....IMO and experience not good enough to produce a fine eating
chocolate. Specially with the type of crude conching machine in
existence then.
I would not eat that kind of chocolate as its likely gritty.Made only
with sugar and cocoa mass, no different from some third world countries
chocolate beverage recipes.

I>The mixture obtained is placed into rectangular forms that give the
>chocolate their well-known shape. Before it solidifies the forms are lined
>up on a large wooden tray that is beaten against a marble table top, serving
>to expel air bubbles and leave the top side of the bars shiny and smooth.
>Then chocolate is left to cool down for about 24 hours.

Just like what is being done in developing countries...where its cast
in small tablets
Whether cast in bars, blocks , drop, nuggets or ingots as long as its
look, smells, and taste like chocolate, it can be considered
chocolate but not necessarily the best one...except for the Sicilan
People....and also others that sang praises for Sicilian food
products....

"Chembake" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
....

> I would not eat that kind of chocolate as its likely gritty.M ade only
> with sugar and cocoa mass, no different from some third world countries
> chocolate beverage recipes.

In fact, I didn't like it because it tasted gritty. It *did* taste like some
kind of old, "folk" recipe.

....

> Whether cast in bars, blocks , drop, nuggets or ingots as long as its
> look, smells, and taste like chocolate, it can be considered
> chocolate but not necessarily the best one...except for the Sicilan
> People....and also others that sang praises for Sicilian food
> products....

And indeed I'm not crazy about the Sicilian sweets either, as famous as they
are here in Italy. For one thing, they tend to be HEAVY. Mostly because
they're loaded with ricotta. But as you say, the Sicilian people surely love
them ... just like I love Skippy Peanut Butter only because I grew up with
it.

John

On 11 Oct 2006 17:37:21 -0700, "Chembake" > wrote:


>For me anything Sicilian have something to do with the underworld. i.e
>MAFIA,yes I know about Sicilian delicacies but likely consumed by the
>Mafiosi etc...LOL
>
Unless you have a vowel on the end of your name, that could be
consider prejudice. ;-)