Chocolate: Political Tool of Italy's Medicis

[celticdragonfly]

This is a cool article!

The Medicis, the family that dominated the Italian Renaissance, used chocolate as a powerful political tool to impose the Florentine taste in European courts, according to an exhibition that traces the history of chocolate from its arrival to Europe in the 16th century. (click for the full article)

Grateful hat tip to fordprfct who sent me the link.
(why don't I have a chocolate icon? Must do something about that soon.)

Comments

[carbonelle.livejournal.com]

"10 librae of roasted cocoa, cleaned and coarsely minced (1 libra = 12 oz.)
fresh jasmine petals
8 librae white sugar
3 ounces vanilla flowers
6 ounces cinnamon
2 scruples (7.76 grams)ambergris "

I'd worry about the ambergris myself.

Note that the recipe calls for "8 lbs" sugar. Making vanilla sugar is simple enough with the beans (and obviates the need for the blossom); while if you don't live in the Frozen North(TM), jasmine is dead easy to grow.