CHOCOLATE, a preparation of the seeds of Theobrama, Cacao, made by grinding the seeds mixed with water to a very fine paste. The mill is usually constructed of heavy metal rollers turn ing in a circular course upon a flat metal plate. A curved knife or scoop is at tached to the rollers in such wise that it shall return the paste continually to be crushed and recrushed by the rollers until it becomes almost impalpable. The object of this is to render the nut, otherwise difficult of solution, readily diffusible in water or milk when used as a beverage. The paste when unmixed, or mixed only with flour or other farina ceous material, is usually called cocoa, but when much sugar or spices such as vanilla, cinnamon, etc., are added, it bears the name of chocolate. The two names are much confounded commer cially. Chocolate is molded into cakes or sold in powder or flakes formed by simply drying the paste as it comes from the mill. The seeds or nuts con tain a large proportion (30 to 50 per cent.) of oily matter (cocoa butter). This may be partially removed or all re tained in the chocolate. In the latter case much of it is mechanically adherent to the sugar or farinaceous matter.
Chocolate is a favorite beverage in Spain, Italy, and other S. countries, especially for breakfast; the cake or powder is heated and diffused in water or milk with much stirring. The Italian rarely uses butter, but cuts his bread into sippets and dips them in his choco late, the oily matter of which per forms the same nutritive functions as the butter we spread on our bread. It is sometimes mixed with coffee in Italy, and there known as mischiata. It is also made into a paste with cream and sugar and frozen as Chocolate ice. Vanilla is the favorite flavoring. The name appears to be Mexican, Chocolatl (choco, "cocoa," and lati, "water"). It was introduced from America to Europe by the Spaniards. ' It is highly nutri tious, containing a large proportion of nitrogenous flesh-forming material. On this account it is used as portable food by many mountaineers. An excessively rich food is obtained by preparing it with milk and then whisking in a raw egg. In the solid form, mixed with much sugar, cream, and various confec tions, Chocolate is largely used as a sweetmeat, and is introduced in pastry.