Sicily’s black gold is not oil
How often do you come across the word “gold” associated with a color?
The latter often recalls an expensive and valuable food.
Sicily is home to many golds, and one of them is black:
Modica chocolate.
From Mexico to Modica: a little history of this product
The origin of Modica chocolate dates back to the Spanish domination of Sicily, which occurred around the 16th century. It was they who introduced its processing to the Modica County area. But the recipe had origins much farther back in time; in fact, it was the ancient Aztecs, in Mexico, who devised the processing of cocoa, a food that-for those peoples-was imbued with a very important symbolic value. In fact, for the Aztecs, cocoa was an indication of high social background and, most importantly, it was considered a most useful vehicle for connecting with the deities.
Chocolate’s connection to the social classes of a certain extraction endures even as its processing moves to the beautiful Sicilian island. In fact, what to this day is referred to as the black gold of Sicily, was made by the richest Modican families on holidays or important events.
From Mexico, via Spain, to the shores of Sicily, this is how the ancient tradition of chocolate took root on the island and has come down to the present day.
A non-industrial chocolate: processing
Modica chocolate, already to the eye, is different from all others. It owes its distinctive appearance to the simplicity Of the manufacturing process from which it arises. To create a Modican black gold bar, nothing needs to be added; in fact, a step common to all other chocolate bar production must even be skipped: conching. This is the process that takes place hot and inside the basins, from which the stage gets its name.
Modica chocolate, on the other hand, undergoes simpler processing, which is done “cold.” To the cocoa mass, made from the roasted and ground beans without the addition of butter, brown or granulated sugar is added. All this, however, takes place at a maximum temperature of only 40 degrees. For this reason, the sugar crystals do not melt but remain intact within the mass, giving Sicily’s black gold that peculiarity that differentiates it from all other types of chocolate.
From gold to gold: taste tourism
On the Italian scene, there are many tourist destinations which are chosen for the culinary delights they have to offer. One of them is precisely the small town of Modica, known globally for its sweet, but not too sweet, chocolate. It is no coincidence that the acronym “Black Gold” is used in reference to this traditional Sicilian product.
It is thanks to this traditional product with a timeless taste that, every year, the Modican area is taken by storm by tourists with refined palates from all over the world. This phenomenon is not only an excellent showcase that incentivizes the local tourism, but it allows the entire area to achieve a not inconsiderable economic return.
This return benefits not only the direct producers of Modica chocolate, but also all those involved in welcoming tourists, travelers and food and wine experts to beautiful Sicily. It is no coincidence that in just a few years, accommodations in the area surrounding the Modican area have grown from 60 to about 700.
As can be seen, the history of this chocolate is intimately linked to that of the city of Modica, and in this regard the black gold of Sicily has been recognized as Traditional Food Product. Since 2003, the Consortium for the Protection of Modica Chocolate has also been established, which from the very beginning has been working to ensure that the product obtains the PGI recognition, succeeding in 2018. That year sanctioned the inscription of the typical dessert within the Protected Geographical Indications register, a further source of pride and boast for all producers of Sicily’s purest black gold.
Speaking of experiences related to this delicacy, there are several companies that, in addition to producing this PGI food, provide opportunities for connoisseurs, amateur or not, to approach the world of chocolate. One of the most renowned is Ciomod House.
The company offers the possibility to take advantage of the services of tours chocolate-themed tours. These are not only culinary experiences, but above all educational, real paths of approach to the very sweet world of Modica chocolate.
by Giada Saglimbeni