CHOCOLATE AS FOOD. 107 



piece makes a small cup of splendid rich chocolate, costing 

 about one penny. 



Very good chocolate can also be made by mixing several 

 sorts together, but is is very important to reject all the rotten 

 seeds. 



Pure chocolate is considered as one of the most nutritive 

 and wholesome foods. With bread and chocolate alone, life 

 can be sustained for a long while, or for ever. Its aromatic 

 principles stimulate the most debilitated or delicate tempera 

 ments without tiring them. It is easily digested and suits 

 everyone. It is more nourishing and less exciting than 

 coffee or tea. It has the property of fattening those who 

 drink much of it. 



In Mexico, Central and South America, as well as in 

 Spain and Portugal, it is usually drunk pure. Before serving 

 it, they bring the froth to the top by placing in the pot what 

 they call the molinillo&quot;, a wooden instrument, like a wheel 

 attached to a long stick, and twisting it round with rapidity. 



In America, chocolate replaces the tea of the Chinese and 

 Japanese. The first things which are always brought to 

 visitors, at any time of the day or night, are cups of chocolate 

 and cigarettes. This reminds me of a good story of an in 

 cident which occurred in one of the mesons, or native inns. 

 A German asked for something to eat. He was told that there 

 was only chocolate in the house. So he asked for some. A 

 little while after, they brought him a cup. The German took 

 it and swallowed it in one draught, returned the cup, said it 

 was very good and asked them to bring him some. Another 

 cup was brought, and was drunk in the same manner. He 

 asked again for some more. When the third cup was brought 

 to him he was quite furious, and told the waitress to stop this 

 mockery, that twice he had told her that he liked the drink 

 very much, and to bring him a cup, instead of which they only 

 brought him samples. Explanations followed, and it was with 

 the greatest difficulty that they convinced him that chocolate 

 was always served up in small cups, and that no one had 

 tried to fool him. He was quite surprised when he had to pay 

 about one shilling for what he had taken. 



The German knew perfectly well what chocolate was, but 

 he was accustomed to drink it with milk in his own country, 

 where it is served in large bowls. It is the usual manner of 

 taking chocolate in Europe, and it is also the best, pure choco 

 late being rather difficult of digestion for certain delicate 

 constitutions, especially if taken in large quantity. 



