Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke - Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma (read aloud books .TXT) 📗
- Author: Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma
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The Receipt of him who wrote at Marchena, is this: Of Cacaos, 700; of white Sugar, one pound and a halfe; Cinnamon, 2. ounces; of long red pepper, 14. of Cloves, halfe an ounce: Three Cods of the Logwood or Campeche tree; or in steade of that, the weight of 2. Reals, or a shilling of Anniseeds; as much of Agiote, as will give the colour, which is about the quantity of a Hasell-nut. Some put in Almons, kernells of Nuts, and Orenge-flower-water.
Concerning this Receipt I shall first say, This shooe will not fit every foote; but for those, who have diseases, or are inclining to be infirme, you may either adde, or take away, according to the necessity, and temperature of every one: and I hold it not amisse, that Sugar be put into it, when it is drunke, so that it be according to the quantity I shall hereafter set downe. And sometimes they make Tablets of the Sugar, and the Chocolate together: which they doe onely to please the Pallats, as the Dames of Mexico doe use it; and they are there sold in shops, and are confected and eaten like other sweet-meats. For the Cloves, which are put into this drinke, by the Author aforesaid, the best Writers of this Composition use them not; peradventure upon this reason: that although they take away the ill savour of the mouth, they binde; as a learned Writer hath exprest in these verses:
Fœtorem emendat oris Cariophilia fœdum;
Constringunt ventrem, primaque membra juvant.
Cloves doe perfume a stincking Breath, and Bind
The Belly: Hence the prime members comfort find.
And because they are binding (and hot and dry in the third degree) they must not be used, though they help the chiefe parts of Concoction, which are the Stomacke and the Liver, as appeares by the Verses before recited.
The Huskes or Cods of Logwood, or Campeche, are very good, and smell like Fennell; and every one puts in of these, because they are not very hot; though it excuse not the putting in of Annis-seed, as sayes the Author of this Receipt; for there is no Chocolate without it, because it is good for many cold diseases, being hot in the third degree; and to temper the coldnesse of the Cacao; and that it may appeare, it helpes the indisposition of Cold parts, I will cite the Verses of one curious in this Art:
Morbosus renes, vesicam, guttura, vulnam,
Intestina, jecur, cumque lyene caput
Confortat, variisque Anisum subdita morbis
Membra: istud tantum vim leve semen habet.
The Reyns, the Bladder, throat, & thing between—
Enatrailes and Liver, with the Head, and spleen
And other Parts, by ** Annis. it are comforted:
So great a vertue’s in that little seed.
The quantity of a Nut of the Achiote Ta-asco. is too little to colour the quantity made according to his Receipt; and therefore, he that makes it, may put in it, as much as he thinkes fit.
Those, who adde Almons, and Nuts, doe not ill; because they give it more body and substance then Maiz or PanisoA graine like Millet., which others use; and for my part, I should always put it into Chocolate, for Almonds (besides what I have said of them before) are moderately hot, and have a thinne juice; but you must not use new Almons, as a learned Author sayes in these Verses.
Dat modice calidum dulcisque Amigdala succum,
Et tenuem; inducunt plurima damna nova.
New Almonds yeild a Hot and slender juice,
But bring new mischiefs by too often use.
And the small Nuts are not ill for our purpose; for they have almost the temper, which the Almons have; onely because they are dryer, they come nearer the temper of Choler; and doe therefore strengthen the Belly, and the Stomacke, being dryed: for so they must be used for the Confection; and they preserve the head from those vapours, which rise from the Belly: as it appeares by the said Author in these Verses.
Bilis Avellanam sequitur; sed roborat alvum
Ventris, & a fumis liberat assa caput.
Filberds breed Chollar, Th’ Belly Fortifie,
Benzoin the Head frees from Fumosity.
And therefore they are proper for such as are troubled with ventuosities, and Hypochondriacall vapours, which offend the brain, and there cause such troublesome dreames, and sad imaginations.
Those who mixe Maiz or Paniso in the Chocolate doe very ill; because those graines doe beget a very melancholly humour: as the same Author expresseth in these Verses.
Crassa melancholicum præstant tibi Panica succum
Siccant, si penas membra, gelantque foris.
Grosse Eares of Corne have Cholorique juice (no doubt)
Which dries, if taken inward; cooles without.
It is also apparantly windy; and those which mixe it in this Confection, doe it onely for their profit, by encreasing the quantity of the Chocolate; because every Fanega or measure of ** Maiz, or Indian Wheat Grani containing about a Bushell and a halfe, is sold for eight shillings, and they sell this Confection for foure shillings a pound, which is the ordinary price of the Chocolate.
The Cinamon is hot and dry in the third degree; it provokes Urine, and helps the Kidneys and Reynes of those who are troubled with cold diseases; and it is good for the eyes; and in effect, it is cordiall; as appeares by the Author of these Verses.
Commoda & urinæ Cinnamomum, & renibus
Lumina clarificat, dira venena fugat. (affert:
Cinnamon helps the Reines and Urine well,
It cleares the Eyes, and Poison doth expell.
The Achiote hath a piercing attenuating quality, as appeareth by the common practice of the Physitians in the Indies, experienced daily in the effects of it, who doe give it to their Patients, to cut, and attenuate the grosse humours, which doe cause shortnesse of breath, and stopping of urine; and so it may be used for any kind of Opilations; for we give it for the stoppings, which are in the breast, or in the Region of the belly, or any other part of the Body.
And concerning the long red Peper, there are foure sorts of it. One is called Chilchotes: the other very little, which they call Chilterpin; and these two kinds, are very quicke and biting. The other two are called Tonalchiles, and these are moderately hot; for they are eaten with bread, as they eate other fruits, & they are of a yellow colour; and they grow onely about the Townes, which are in, and adjoyning to the Lake of Mexico. The other Pepper is called Chilpaclagua, which hath a broad huske, and this is not so biting as the first; nor so gentle as the last, and is that, which is usually put into the Chocolate.
There are also other ingredients, which are used in this Confection. One called Mechasuchil; and another which they call Vinecaxtli, which in the Spanish they call Orejuelas, which are sweet smelling Flowers, Aromaticall and hot. And the Mechasuchil hath a Purgative quality; for in the Indies they make a purging portion of it. In stead of this, in Spaine they put into the Confection, powder of Alexandria, for opening the Belly.
I have spoken of all these Ingredients, that every one may make choise of those which please him best, or are most proper for infirmities.
As concerning the second point, I say, as I have said before, that though it be true, that the Cacao is mingled with all these Ingredients, which are hot; yet there is to be a greater quantity of Cacao, then of all the rest of the Ingredients, which serve to temper the coldnesse of the Cacao: Just as when we seek, of two Medicines of contrary qualities, to compound one, which shall be of a moderate temper: In the same manner doth result the same action and re-action of the cold parts of the Cacao, and of the hot parts of the other ingredients, which makes the Chocolate of so moderate a quality, that it differs very little from a mediocrity; and when there is not put in any ordinary pepper, or Cloves, but onely a little Annisseed (as I shall shew hereafter) we may boldly say, that it is very temperate. And this may be proved by reason, and experience: (supposing that which Gallen sayes, to be true, that every mixt Medicine, warmeth the cold, and cooleth the hot; bringing the examples of Oyle of Roses.) By experience, I say, that in the Indies (as is the custom of that countrey) I comming in a heat to visite a sick person, and asking water to refresh me, they perswaded mee to take a Draught of Chocolate; which quencht my thirst: & in the morning (if I took it fasting) it did warme and comfort my stomack. Now let us prove it by reason. Wee have already proved, that all the parts of the Cacao are not cold. For we have made it appeare that the unctuous parts, which are many, be all hot, or temperate: then, though it be true, that the quantity of the Cacao is greater than of all the rest of the ingredients, yet the cold parts are at the most, not halfe so many as the hot; and if for all this they should be more, yet by stirring, & mangling of the warme unctuous parts, they are much qualified. And, on the other side, it being mixt with the other Ingredients, which are hot in the second and third degree, being the predominant quality, it must needs be brought to a mediocrity. Like as two men, who shake hands, the one being hot, and the other cold, the one hand borrows heat, and the other is made colder; and in conclusion, neither hand retaines the cold, or heat it had before, but both of them remain more temperate. So like-wise two men, who go to wrestle, at the first they are in their full vigour and strength; but after they have strugled a while, their force lessens by degrees, till at last they are both much weaker, than when they began to wrestle. And Aristotle was also of this opinion in his fourth Booke of the Nature of Beasts, cap. 3. Where he sayes, that every Agent suffers with the patient; as that which cuts, is made dul by the thing it cuts; that which warmes, cooles it selfe; and that which thrusts, or forceth forward, is in some sort driven bake it selfe.
From whence I gather, that it is better to use Chocolate, after it hath beene made some time, a Moneth at the least. I believe this time to be necessary, for breaking the contrary qualities of the severall Ingredients, and to bring the Drinke to a moderate temper. For, as it alwayes falls out at the first, that every contrary will have its predominancy, and will worke his owne effects, Nature not liking well to be heated and cooled, at the same time. And this is the cause why Gallen in his twelfth Booke of Method, doth advise not to use Philonium, till after a yeare, or, at the least, six moneths; because it is a composition made of Opium (which is cold in the fourth degree) and of Pepper, and other Ingredients, which are hot in the third degree. This Theorum, and Doctrine, is made good by the practise, which some have made, of whom I
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