Description
On Tom & Monica’s trips to Central America, they were often given a drink made with cacao and allspice, which is known as “Pimienta Gorda” (fat pepper) in Spanish. Adding local spices was a common way to make “chocolatl,” a drink which was, for thousands of years, the primary way people consumed cacao.
The history of chocolatl is fascinating, dating back thousands of years to the Olmecs, Mayans and finally the Aztecs. Although traditional chocolatl doesn’t include sugar, this hot cocoa is a sweet and savory way to experience the spiced flavors which are present in the historically significant drink.
Like the name implies, allspice has hints of a number of different spices in its flavor profile, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Goodnow Farms love using “local” favors, and it’s also the only spice which grows only in the Western Hemisphere. They source this particular Pimienta Gorda from the single origin spice masters at Burlap & Barrel Single Origin Spices, who purchase it directly from small farmers in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. If that region sounds familiar it’s because it’s the same place our Asochivite cacao comes from!
Most hot cocoa is alkalized, which means it’s washed with a solution of potassium carbonate. This process allows the cocoa powder to dissolve in milk or water more easily, but significantly alters the flavor. Alkalizing also removes a significant amount of the natural flavanols, which are compounds that play a significant role in the beneficial effects of eating cacao. This cocoa is NOT alkalized. You may need to stir it more vigorously but you’ll taste the unique flavor of the beans, and get the full benefit of cacao’s flavanols.
Directions: add three tablespoons of cocoa to one cup of hot milk or milk alternative and whisk vigorously.
This product does not ship with a jar of Burlap & Barrel Allspice (seen in the image). The image is depicting a reference of the spice used in this mixture.
