Have you ever heard about the famous chocolate made in Modica? Modica is a lovely baroque-style town in the south of Sicily, precisely in the province of Ragusa.
As you all probably know pretty well Sicily has been dominated from the Spanish empire for a long time, so during those centuries local people learnt some recipes and food process from their conquerors. One of the most famous product became the chocolate that finds its roots in the ancient Aztec people in the territory of Mexico back in the 16th century. The Spaniards obviously learnt it from them after the discovery of the Americas and taught it in other parts of their empire. We know for sure that in Modica stayed until today. Isn't it amazing?Now, what makes this chocolate different from the others is the process with which is made. Infact the cocoa beans are roasted and grinded, then mixed to the sugar at a low temperature, that doesn't make the sugar melt. Infact if you taste it just as it is you will feel the grainy texture into your mouth. A totally different experience from the usual chocolate bars.
Since many years the chocolate of Modica has also been famous for having different flavours. The most traditional still remain cinnamon and vanilla, but now you find such a wide variety of species and flavors, like: orange, nutmeg, lemon, red chilli pepper, white pepper, pistaches, anise, ecc... Even the New York Times dedicated an amazing article on this great product and its history some years ago.
For those who are crazy about chocolate I would suggest a lovely but simple way to enjoy this product as its best: melted in a soft big choc cake or in a plain pudding (don't ask for the recipe I will put it as soon as I can). You will savor a strong lasting chocolate aroma and you will definetely love its taste! This is SICILIAN EXCELLENCE!!!
You can read the NYT article here, while the chocolates in the pictures come from the Pasticceria Bonajuto in Modica.
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