Chocolate Cacao Spice Enhance Savory and Sweet Italian Foods
As you may know, cacao itself is not sweet. When chocolate is made, it’s the sugar that provides cacao with its sweetness.
In the 15th century, the spice trade brought precious goods like cardamom, pepper, mace, cloves and cacao to Europe from around the World. Chefs began to integrate these prized ingredients into their cooking. (sometimes in unappealing amounts). With its nuanced characteristics, cacao became a key element in Italian savory dishes from pasta to meats that are still enjoyed in Italian regional cooking today.
“In Tuscany, chocolate is a key ingredient with venison and wild boar,” says Remo Vannini, executive chef of Florence’s L’Incontro at Hotel Savoy. “Like wine, vinegar or lemon juice, chocolate provides just the right touch of acidity. We Italians add a hint of chocolate to many sauces. Chocolate acts not only as an emulsifier, adding natural thickness to sauces, but also enhances the other flavors. It is wonderful with game meats, but lovely, too, with chicken and beef.”
As is Italian tradition, let chocolate spice up dinner – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
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