RECIPES FOR BEVERAGES
CHAPTER XLIXTea, Coffee, Cocoa, Home-made Wines, Liqueurs, Cups, Summer and Winter Drinks, and American Drinks.
Tea, Coffee, etc.
3467.—ALMOND MILK.
Ingredients.—2 ozs. of Jordan almonds, ½ an oz. of bitter almonds, 2 ozs. of castor sugar, 1 tablespoonful of orange-flower water, 1 pint of cold water.
Method.—Blanch the almonds, and pound them with the sugar and orange-flower water, adding a few drops of cold water occasionally, to prevent it getting oily. When quite smooth, turn the preparation into a basin, stir in the remainder of the water, allow it to remain covered for 2 hours, then strain, keep on ice or in a cool place until required, and serve diluted with an equal quantity of cold water.
3468.—CHOCOLATE, TO MAKE.
Ingredients.—Plain chocolate. To ½ an oz. allow ½ a pint of water and ½ a pint of milk.
Method.—Make the milk and water hot, break the chocolate into small pieces, add it and stir until quite dissolved. Bring to boiling point, then strain, and serve with sugar.
Chocolate and Cocoa.—Both these preparations are made from the seeds, or beans, of the cocoa-tree; it grows in the West Indies and South America. The Spanish and the proper name is cacao, not cocoa, as it is generally spelt. From this mistake, the tree from which the beverage is procured has often been confounded with the palm that produces the edible cocoa-nuts, with are the produce of the cocoa-tree (Cocos nucifera), whereas the tree from which chocolate is procured is very different, the Theobroma cacao. The cocoa-tree was cultivated by the aboriginal inhabitants of South America, particularly in Mexico, where according to Humboldt, the cultivation was encouraged by Montezuma. It was transplanted thence into other dependencies of the Spanish monarchy in 1520; and it was so highly esteemed by Linnaeus as to receive from him the name now conferred upon it, of "Theobroma," a term derived from the Greek, and signifying "food for gods." Chocolate has always been a favourite beverage among the Spaniards and Creoles, and was considered as a great luxury here when introduced, after the discovery of America, but the high duties laid upon it confined it almost entirely to the wealthier classes. Before it was subjected to duty, Mr. Bryan Edwards stated that cocoa plantations were numerous in Jamaica, but that the duty caused their almost entire ruin. The removal of this duty has increased the cultivation.
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