Chocolate is a beloved food that is famous all over the world. From little kids to adults, everyone enjoys this heavenly creation of sugar and coco beans. But with it being so famous, this has created hundreds of different flavors and types of chocolate like milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate filled with nuts, or traditional chocolate di Modica that we find in Modica in Italy!
The city of Modica:
There are many different chocolate shops in Modica and many of them historical. The best part is when you walk in the shops, there are many different samples for you to try and decide what flavors you like it or don’t like. When you walk around and taste the chocolate, you will see the passion people have for the history of their chocolate. They are willing to help you find the right flavor and share the old traditions and the history behind the chocolate. Modicans are proud and very knowledgeable about what they make and share with people. Along with samples and positivity in the shops, there are also different sizes for you to take back home with you. Chocolate di Modica is not just a sugary treat, but is a mixture of history, tradition, ingredients, and passion.
History behind chocolate:
When the Aztecs invented the chocolate, they actually drank it instead of eating it like we do now, kind of like a small hot chocolate! They would create it by mixing it with hot water and would drink it for warmth and strength. Although we are all used to having sweet chocolate, their chocolate mixture was quite bitter instead of sweet as they added spices instead of sugar to give it a little ting. When this recipe migrated to Europe, it was changed into a sugary drink and later into the typical chocolate bar that we all know now.
History behind chocolate di Modica:
The small Italian town of Modica in Sicily is famous for their unique chocolate. In Modica they use the traditional recipe from the Aztecs and have kept it crunchy instead of the smooth chocolate that we know. But they have adapted the recipe a little bit for our taste buds by adding brown sugar to make it even more delicious for us. The secret behind the Modican chocolate is that it has very little cocoa butter and no white sugar instead they use granulated brown sugar that you can see and taste in ever bite! Since there is very little cocoa butter, the best thing is that it doesn’t melt.
How is it made?
So I bet you’re wondering how this famous chocolate is made, well to get your hands on this it takes a lot of patience and work. First of all the cocoa beans are collected all together and then they are roasted to bring out the best flavor. Those roasted beans are then crushed and the cocoa butter is taken out of them. After this process, it is time to finally make the paste by heating up the crushed beans and adding different ingredients to it; the granulated sugar, the cocoa butter that was separated, and finally the flavoring for a different tastes. You can add many different types of flavors to the chocolate like cinnamon, vanilla, chili, orange, sea salt, hazelnut, and many more. After the paste is made, it is poured into the metallic molds shaped like a rectangle with four boxes. The molds are then frozen and packed for the customers to buy. And finally at last it is ready to be devoured!
The taste and taste is so different from the modern sweet chocolate. There is very little room to work with different ideas about chocolate besides the different flavors because this is a very traditional recipe which people don’t want to change. So if you want to eat chocolate and not feel bad about eating it, then eat chocolate di Modica. If you want to do as they did in the past, you can even drink the chocolate to keep yourself warm during winter.
So, if you are visiting Sicily and you love chocolate and love trying different types then you should definitely take a trip to Modica. This small town has more chocolate to offer than you can imagine. If you are looking for a chocolate paradise, then Modica is the place. Rich in not just sugar but also in history, this chocolate is the one to taste and take home.
