Our Maltese and Sicilian Food Experience: Modica chocolate

Needless to say I have been looking forward to visiting the small Baroque hill town of Modica, the self-proclaimed chocolate capital of Sicily. They are known for their unique historical methods of making chocolate, which originates from the methods used by the Aztecs using a cold press process to extract the cocoa butter from the roasted beans. Granulated sugar is added and a result of the cold processing is that the sugar does not melt into the chocolate, resulting in a grainy texture with a sweet aftertaste. Notice the sugar granules in the picture below. This does not compromise the deep, rich flavor of the chocolate.

Italian hot chocolate is a thick, rich mixture made with lots of chocolate pieces and not powder. It is so thick that a spoon rests on top of the chocolate. It is almost as thick as American pudding, but definitely has a deeper, richer flavor.

When it comes to desserts Modica is not a chocolate colored one-trick pony. Witness the artful marzipan pastry in the form of a pepper. All sorts of fruit and vegetable shapes were made to choose from. Tom’s cream filled croissant was delicious as well.