Comments on: Blood and Chocolate http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/01/blood-and-chocolate.html A Historian's Take on Food and Food Politics Fri, 5 Dec 2008 10:45:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Adam Balic http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/01/blood-and-chocolate.html#comment-281 Adam Balic Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:42:13 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/01/blood-and-chocolate.html#comment-281 I guess one thing to make clear is that this historic chocolate is a very different product to the modern version. Modern chocolate really didn't exist until the middle of the 19th century. The historic chocolate we are discussing here is much more similar to what most people call "Mexican""Chocolate, although it is also made in Spain, Sicily and South America. Another issue is how these people saw chocolate. They were pretty obsessive about it's preceived health properties and even in the 19th and into the 20th century recipes for hot chocolate/cocoa are found in the inavalid cooking sections of cookbooks. It was also an expensive novelty item. My guess would be that when originally introduced as an expensive item it was used in "savory" cooking for its status in terms of health, expensive and novelty value. Any relationship with blood would be secondary I would think. I should think that as chocolate use trickled down the ranks, other associations may haved developed, including the fact that it makes a good substitute for blood in some cases. I've written a little about chocolate and peoples reaction to it here: http://adambalic.typepad.com/the_art_and_mystery_of_fo/2007/06/chaculato_choco.html In terms of original sources for early European reactions to chocolate, Henry Stubbe's "The Indian Nectar or a Discourse concerning Chocolata" (1662) is the most interesting and intelligent. Let me know if you haven't read this. I guess one thing to make clear is that this historic chocolate is a very different product to the modern version. Modern chocolate really didn’t exist until the middle of the 19th century. The historic chocolate we are discussing here is much more similar to what most people call “Mexican”"Chocolate, although it is also made in Spain, Sicily and South America.

Another issue is how these people saw chocolate. They were pretty obsessive about it’s preceived health properties and even in the 19th and into the 20th century recipes for hot chocolate/cocoa are found in the inavalid cooking sections of cookbooks.

It was also an expensive novelty item. My guess would be that when originally introduced as an expensive item it was used in “savory” cooking for its status in terms of health, expensive and novelty value. Any relationship with blood would be secondary I would think.

I should think that as chocolate use trickled down the ranks, other associations may haved developed, including the fact that it makes a good substitute for blood in some cases.

I’ve written a little about chocolate and peoples reaction to it here:

http://adambalic.typepad.com/the_art_and_mystery_of_fo/2007/06/chaculato_choco.html

In terms of original sources for early European reactions to chocolate, Henry Stubbe’s “The Indian Nectar or a Discourse concerning Chocolata” (1662) is the most interesting and intelligent. Let me know if you haven’t read this.

]]> By: Rachel Laudan http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/01/blood-and-chocolate.html#comment-279 Rachel Laudan Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:29:54 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/01/blood-and-chocolate.html#comment-279 Adam, Thanks so much. I think you're quite right that in modern dishes it is a straight replacement. What interests me is why it happened earlier, if it did. Agreed about savory and sweet being mixed. But why go for expensive chocolate? And many apologies for changing my post on you as you were writing your comment. Adam, Thanks so much. I think you’re quite right that in modern dishes it is a straight replacement.

What interests me is why it happened earlier, if it did. Agreed about savory and sweet being mixed. But why go for expensive chocolate?

And many apologies for changing my post on you as you were writing your comment.

]]> By: Adam Balic http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/01/blood-and-chocolate.html#comment-278 Adam Balic Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:09:17 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/2008/01/blood-and-chocolate.html#comment-278 I guess the answer is that there are many reasons for using chocolate as a blood substitute. In some cases it is seen as a straight replacement, as in the case of the recent replacement in Tuscan blood pancakes, and in many middle-class recipes for civet type dishes, coq au in, blood is often offered as a replacement. In older recipes it can be more complex as the seperation of sweet and savory isn't as clear as today. In fact many "savory" dishes would contain a lot if sugar. During the late 17th-mid 18th century the Northern Italians seem to have used chocolate in a lot savory dishes and there are a few extant examples. As I'm not sure what the original form of the dishes were, I can't say it the chocolate was replacing blood. In terms of why chocolate was being used to replace blood, in some cases it is easier to come by then fresh blood and there is a cetain similarity in the colour, texture and flavour given to a dish. I guess the answer is that there are many reasons for using chocolate as a blood substitute.

In some cases it is seen as a straight replacement, as in the case of the recent replacement in Tuscan blood pancakes, and in many middle-class recipes for civet type dishes, coq au in, blood is often offered as a replacement.

In older recipes it can be more complex as the seperation of sweet and savory isn’t as clear as today. In fact many “savory” dishes would contain a lot if sugar. During the late 17th-mid 18th century the Northern Italians seem to have used chocolate in a lot savory dishes and there are a few extant examples. As I’m not sure what the original form of the dishes were, I can’t say it the chocolate was replacing blood.

In terms of why chocolate was being used to replace blood, in some cases it is easier to come by then fresh blood and there is a cetain similarity in the colour, texture and flavour given to a dish.

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