Bonajuto Chocolate 70% Cocoa 50g

A harmonious fusion of cocoa mass and sugar create a bar of chocolate with a strong yet delicate flavour, where the sweet notes combine perfectly with the exquisite aroma of the cocoa.

Description
This product looks and feels rough and raw. It contains a minimum of 70% cocoa mass. The richness and depth of flavours are released slowly and provide an extraordinary contrast to other extensively processed chocolates. Rather than simply chewing and consuming the chocolate, the product should be allowed to rest in the mouth and the flavours should be allowed to develop gradually.
The chocolate of Modica, in the province of Ragusa, is the only chocolate in the world which is produced according to the original recipe and methodology of the Aztecs. Since 1880, the Bonajuto family has produced a fine example of this chocolate and their original shop, the dolceria, is still open to the public today.
The production process involves harvesting the cocoa beans, which are then dried and roasted. Traditionally, a Central American metate was used to grind the roasted cocoa beans or the beans were ground by rolling a curved stone over base stones. Nowadays, a more modern tool is used to produce very coarse cocoa ‘flour’.
The gritty cocoa mixture is slightly heated to form a paste. At 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, castor sugar is added and, in some cases, spices are added too. The mixture is maintained at this temperature to prevent the dissolution of the sugar crystals. Then the mixture is spread into moulds and is pounded into the shape of the eventual product. This method of producing chocolate is known as ‘cold working’ or al freddo.
The al freddo style of chocolate is particularly unique because the cocoa beans are not conched, like modern chocolate. Conching involves the agitation of cocoa beans to the extent that the mixture produced is very refined. This means that the naturally occurring cocoa butter is distributed throughout the mixture. It has been said that in comparison to the chocolate of Modica, modern chocolates are a pale imitation and corrupt adulteration of the original taste sensation.
The advantage of this traditional (and simple) method of production is that there is no addition of butter, vegetable fats, milk derivatives or lecithin. Bonajuto’s chocolate contains only cocoa, sugar and sometimes spices.