Last Tuesday, Farm & Table commemorated the amazing archeological findings at Chaco Canyon of 2009 by hosting a indulgent dinner that explored the amazing flavors and uses of cacao in six chocolate-rich courses.
Cacao as been enjoyed for its decadent taste and sensuous properties for thousands and thousands of years. And now, thanks to the discovery of Dr. Patricia Crown and her team of anthropologists at UNM, we know that ancient cultures were enjoying cacao as far north as the present-day Southwest.
At the dinner, Dr. Crown, our guest of honor, said a few brief words on her groundbreaking findings, and while chocolate historian Mark Sciscenti and Nicolasa Chavez guided us through a short history of chocolate.
Cacao is one of the world’s most ancient foods, used by the Mayans and Aztecs as early as 600 B.C. – 2,600 years ago. The ancient peoples would ferment, roast and grind the raw cacao, and mix with water and spices to create a rich, decadent sipping chocolate. (For most of history, chocolate has been consumed only as a drink – just within the last 200 years has it developed into solid form.)
In Mayan and Aztec cultures, cacao was an indulgence reserved only for those in the highest positions in society. It was served ceremonially on very special occasions, and sipped from ornate vessels – a little like champagne in modern society. Before Dr. Crown’s findings in Chaco Canyon, the farthest north cacao had been discovered was northern Mexico – but now we know cacao traveled over 1,200 miles across the trade chain all the way to New Mexico, and that the ancient dwellers of Chaco Canyon used cacao in ceremial rituals very similar to the Mayans.
Ancient indigenous cultures and and, later, explorers of the Americas revered chocolate for its transcendent, medicinal properties and, science has now shown, with good reason. Chocolate contains many nutrients that contribute to cardiovascular health, and cacao flavanols have been proven in studies to increase cognitive function. Cacao has also been proven to have stress-relieving properties – in addition to stimulants like theobromine and caffeine, cacao also triggers the release of dopamine and the endorphine phenylethylamine. Don’t be surprised if a bit of good, raw cacao gives you a heady little buzz!
We thought a food with such a rich history deserves a rich dinner to celebrate it! Here are a few of our favorite dishes from the dinner:
Cocoa-encrusted hamachi and hamachi sashimi with a cacao nib vinaigrette
Pasta di cacao
Duck tamale with house-ground cacao mole
Rosewater sipping chocolate with sugared rose petals, white pepper ice cream, and mini-churros