The Indian nectar, or, A discourse concerning chocolata the nature of cacao-nut and the other ingredients of that composition is examined and stated according to the judgment and experience of the Indian and Spanish writers ... its effects as to its alimental and venereal quality as well as medicinal (especially in hypochondrial melancholy) are fully debated : together with a spagyrical analysis of the cacao-nut, performed by that excellent chymist Monsieur le Febure, chymist to His Majesty / by Henry Stubbe ... ; Thomas Gage, Survey of the West-Indies. chap. 15 ...

The Judgment of Roblez a Licen∣tiate Physician in Peru concern∣ing Cacao, and Chocolata.

EL Cacao es frio, y seco, de su templan∣sa: y per esto tienen partes astringentes, con que opila. Esta oi el mas valido de quan∣tas mercadurias oi: y esta tan adelante, que ai majorasgos fundados sobre sus heredades, de a dies, y dose mil ducados de orenta. Es el Cacao summamenta alimentoso, por don de hace dudar de su templansa. El aceito, que sale del, quando se cuesse, es blanco, y gra∣nujado, que mas pareoer manteca. Sacasse tostandole en casuela de barro, y no es bueno en metal. Muelesse el Cacao en la piedra, y con mano de piedra, estando calientes ambos, y echa masa, se pone en puchero al fuego, en las brazas, y en tomando calor sale encima la manteca, y aceite mas rubio que la llama, y de s••¦mis••o sabor: ass•• mismo se tuesta para hacer la bebida. Pero quando le uan moliendo, o passiando por la••piedra, le mesclan, anis, canela, y al∣gun clavo; echando a tres libras de Cacao, dos onsas de anis, una de canela, y media de

clavo, con esto, passan por la piedra dos o tres vezes, y luego le echan en caxitas, ole hacer paneci••los de a onsa, que as lo que adellevar una Xicara de bebida: este es el Chocolate regalada, y mas sano, y el, que bebe la gente regalada: otros le echan harina de mais, y en la Nueva-Espanna viscocho, molido, pero esto de mas de hacer, el Chocolate de poca dura, es enfermo, por que la harina, que le echan, no cosida, aun que va tostada es de mal mantenemiento, y causa opilaciones, y o∣tros mil achaques: tanbien le mesclan en o∣tras partes con Achiote, por ser a proposito para la orina: el modo de hacer la bebida, es este. Lo cuessen ••esaziendo la pasta en proportionada cantit••d de agua, poco mas de medio quartillo, y dos onsas de asucar, una de Chocolate, y cuesse en una olleta uno o dos hervores al fuego, y le dan con un molinillo hasta llevantar espuma, y quanto caliente se puede se bebe; el que se bebe desta manera, se tiene por mas sano: no soi de parecer, se t••me muchas vezes, por que in∣quieta el cossimiento, y carga el estomago de muchas crudesas. El Cacao comido confi∣tado, por la tarde quieta el suenno des tod•• la n••che. Solo es bueno para los Soldados, qu•• estan de posta. La mantera del Cacao es d••

grande provecho, para las inflammaciones, y para qual quiera fuegos, y quemaduras; y so∣bre todo, para el tiempo de las virvelas, y se∣rampion, y ampollas, y llagas, securan un∣tandose a menudo, con a quel aceite, para el principio, aumento, estado de la Erysipela: es gran sedante, y el major anodino para el do∣lor, que causan sus costras, y postillas: para los labios abiertos, y grietas de las manos, y en elrostro: para las enzias, que manan san∣gre con dolor, se les quita effectos bien contra∣rios, pero mejor conocidos por la experientia.

That is in English as follows.

THe Cacao-nut is cold and dry in its temperament: and thereby it hath parts adstringent, wherewith it obstructs. It is at this day the most rich Merchan∣dize in the Indies: and it is of so high an esteem, that they settle by right of Primogeniture on their Eldest Sons Farms of Cacao, which yield annually twelve thousand Duckets. The Cacao∣nut is exceeding nourishing, which makes People doubt concerning its par∣ticular temperament. Thea 1.1 Oyl, that comes from it, when it is boil'd, is white,

and imbodies intob 1.2 Grains, which seems rather to be a sort of butter: it is to be extracted by roasting in a large earthen pot [such as we bake meat in] and it doth not well in a brass vessel. The Nut is grinded in a Stone-Mortar, with a Stone pestel,c 1.3 both of them being hot; and, be∣ing made into a paste, it is set on a Charcoal-fire•• in a Pipkin, and, as it heats, there rises up to the top the but∣ter,d 1.4 and an Oyl more red then the flame or fire [of Charcoal;] both having but one taste. In like manner it is roasted to make the Drink. And, as they grinde, or beat it up in a Mortar, they mix with the Paste some A∣nise-seeds, Cinnamom, and a few Cloves; ad∣ding to three pounds of Cacao two ounces of Anise-seeds, one of Cinnamom, and half an ounce of Cloves: with which they grind it on the Stone two or three times: and then they put it into little boxes, or they make little Cakes of one ounce-weight, which is the propor∣tion of Chocolata to make one draught.

This is the Royal Chocolata, being the best, and most wholesom, and which is drunk by the Nobility, and Persons of the best rank. Others mix with it the flower of Maiz: and in New-Spain they mix therewith the fine Powder of Bisket-bread: but this sort of Chocolata la••ts not long to keep, is not good, but weak; be∣cause the flower of Maiz, which they put in, is not boil'd, and prepared; and though the Maiz be prepared by roasting, yet it yields but bad nourishment, it begets Obstructions, and a thousand Aches, and Distempers. In other parts they mix with the Cacao-paste some Achiote, which serves to provokee 1.5 Urine. And the way of making their Chocolata-drink is this. They scrape the Cacao-paste, and dissolve it in a pro∣portionate quantity of water, to a little more then half a pint of wa∣ter they put in two ounces of Sugar, and one of the Paste of Cacao, and they let it boil in a pot one or two woulms over the fire, and then they mill it, till it rise

with a large froth; they drink it as hot, as they can possible: and they, that drink it so, think it to be most wholesom. And I am of the Opinion, that it ought not to be drunk too often: because it disturbs f 1.6 Concoction, and loads the Stomach with many Crudities. The Cacao-nut being made into Confects, [as Al∣mond-confects are made] being eaten at night, makes Men to wake all night-long: and is therefore good for Souldiers, that are upon the Guard. The Cacao-butter is excellently usefull in case of Inflammations, and any scalds, or burns; and especially in the small-Pox, and pustulous Tumours, and eruptions from heat, and Bruises: they are cured by a∣nointing therewith in the beginning, en∣crease, state, or declination of the E∣rysipelas, or St. Antonie's-fire. It is a great cooler, and allayer of pains created by Crusts, or Scars upon Sores, and Pimples, and in chopped Lips, and Hands, and Face, and Gums, which bleed, and are dolorous. It produceth effects very various, and contrary one to another, which are best known by Experience.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Rather fat.
• b 1.2

  And into bigger bodies too, upon long infusing, and decocting.
• c 1.3

  This is bet∣ter done on a Stone-table.
• d 1.4

  This is true, if the Cacao-paste be long digested on the fire, and never mill'd: and it is to be seen only whilst it is hot; for, being cold, you have•• only a fatty water, and some large lumps of fat floating, whilest the lesser grains sink, or strike against the side, all in very dif∣ferent and irregular figures.
• e 1.5

  In those hot Countries men are very apt to be troubled with retention of Urine: which is the great reason, they still mix in their Compositions what pro∣vokes Urine; it being usual even here for those, that sweat, and transpire much, to make less water: wherefore we see, that in Colds the Vrine is more then ordinary.
• f 1.6

  If it be taken too soon after meals; in which it hath no pe∣culiar inconvenience, but what is general to any Sustenance: and it hurts least, because less apt to corrupt, then other food is.