Cocoa is a very popular form of beverage. It is more of a food than
either tea or coffee, because it contains a considerable amount of fat
and albuminous matter. The beans contain 1 to 1½ per cent. theobromin,
an alkaloid identical with the thein or caffein found in tea and
coffee. They also contain from 45 to 50 per cent. of cocoa butter,
a pure type of vegetable fat, as well as from 13 to 18 per cent.
proteids. Phosphate of soda is one of the chief organic mineral salts
contained in cocoa.
The beans before use are roasted, which changes the starch into dextrin
and develops aromatic substances as in the case of tea and coffee.
Cocoa is seldom sold here in its pure state, as the beans are hard and
require powerful machinery to crush them. We can, however, obtain forms
of cocoa which contain the full constituents of the beans. Among these
may be included “cocoa nibs” and “rock cocoa,” the last named being
mixed with sugar and being usually prepared on the Estate where the
beans are grown.
Most of the cocoa sold in this country is in the form of a fine powder
called “Cocoa Essence.” By means of machinery the beans are finely
ground and the oil is extracted; the fibre is also extracted, or well
broken down.
Cocoa made from the “Cocoa Nibs” or “Rock Cocoa.”
Crush 1 ounce of the nibs in a mortar or grate them in a small nut
mill. Put into a pot, simmer 4 hours. Pour into a clean dish, skim the
fat. When cold reheat and serve. Or grate as much “rock cocoa” as is
required, boil for an hour or more until fully dissolved. “Swizzle up”
and serve. The great drawback to these articles is the difficulty of
dissolving the cocoa, and the time wasted in preparation.
Cocoa made from the Essence.
The great advantage of the various Cocoa Essences is their ease of
preparation. One teaspoonful has merely to be dissolved in ½ pint of
boiling water or milk and water and the drink is ready to serve. In
making, it is always best to first mix the cocoa essence with a little
cold water before adding the hot water to ensure a smooth beverage free
from lumps.
Chocolate.
Another form of cocoa beverage is that made from ordinary chocolate,
or chocolate in a powdered form. Chocolate is prepared by crushing and
finely grinding or pulping the beans, adding sugar, dried milk, etc.,
and, when it is in a soft state, running it into moulds to set. To make
a chocolate beverage, dissolve a sufficient amount of the prepared
chocolate in boiling water, add milk to taste and serve. To many people
it is sickly, owing to its sweetness; to others it is fermentative.
Cocoashell as a Drink.
The cocoashells, or the husks of the cocoa beans, like the bran of
cereal grains, are well laden with organic mineral salts, especially
those of iron and phosphorus. A very valuable nutritive beverage can
thus be made from them. They also possess the advantage of cheapness.
To make the beverage, place a handful of the shells into a covered
saucepan with 1½ pint of water, bring to the boil, strain, serve very
hot, either alone or with milk or cream. (It is best to buy one of the
sifted and cleaned or malted preparations of cocoashell now on the
market, as the ordinary loose cocoashell obtainable at grocers’ shops
is frequently inferior and often very dirty.) Another method is to
grind the cocoashells in a Dana machine or a nutmill, and make exactly
in the same manner as tea, in a teapot, adding milk or cream to taste.