Modica chocolate is the passion of adults and children: velvety, sweet and mellow, milk or dark , it is a dessert that satisfies everyone. But how much do we know about its Modican variant, recognized in 2018 as a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) product? The well-known Modica chocolate has obtained from the European Union the legal protection mark for agricultural and food products whose quality and reputation depends on their geographical origin. A recognition to which the tireless work of the Modica Chocolate Protection Consortium , which includes twenty chocolate producers from the city, undoubtedly also contributed.
But what are the characteristics of the famous Modica chocolate ? Let's discover them together.
How is Modica chocolate prepared and where does it come from?
It seems that the preparation of the well-known dessert arrived in Sicily in the 16th century through the domination of the Spanish, who in turn learned it from the Aztecs , a pre-Columbian population of Mexico. Documents from the archives of the Grimaldi family , the ruling family of the Principality of Monaco who settled in Modica in the 16th century, indicate 1747 as the official date of birth of Modica chocolate . The Sicilians in fact modified the original Aztec recipe by adding sugar and spices , such as vanilla, cinnamon and chili pepper , without however altering the preparation with various lecithins and vegetable fats.
So how is Modica chocolate prepared? Its peculiarity is the production without conching , a process common in the production of all other types of chocolate and so called starting from the shell shape, conca , of the first machines used in the phase necessary to make the mixture fluid and homogeneous .
The secrets of its preparation are in fact these: natural, almost raw ingredients and cold processing . The mixture of toasted and ground cocoa beans is in fact worked at a temperature of around 40° with the addition of granulated sugar, which thus does not melt and which gives Modica chocolate its characteristic grainy consistency. The mass is then poured into the peculiar tin molds ( ianni ) to make it homogeneous and make any air bubbles disappear. The bars obtained are all the same size, have a non-uniform brown color and smell of toasted cocoa.
The percentage of cocoa and calories of Modica chocolate
Featuring a grainy consistency and an intense flavour, the so-called muricana ciucculatta contains, as anticipated, granules of sugar and spices . A further peculiarity is the reduced percentage of fats : Modica chocolate contains only those naturally present in cocoa beans and is free of the cocoa butter usually added in the manufacturing process.
In other words, Modica chocolate is the type of chocolate with the absolute lowest percentage of calories. Much loved for this reason by athletes and by those who pay close attention to their figure, the dessert, composed only of "naked" cocoa mass, has a fat percentage equal to only 50% of cocoa butter naturally contained in the cocoa beans and not never includes milk , an ingredient with a high percentage of fat.
How to eat and where to buy Modica chocolate
Pistachio , ginger , white , chilli , cinnamon , vanilla : there are dozens of flavors of Modica chocolate and they challenge the curiosity and creativity of chefs and enthusiasts. There are also numerous recipes that you can find online on how to use it to prepare cakes, donuts, desserts and savory dishes . Our advice, however, is to consume it naturally , perhaps with a good bitter and at the end of a meal of delicious Sicilian specialities .
Where to buy it? There is no need to use Amazon : the strength of Modica's artisanal chocolate lies in the small and medium-sized local producers, characterized by competitive prices and respect for the history and tradition of the area. In fact, it is no coincidence that a very important Modican chocolate festival , Chocomodica , is held every year in the city in the province of Ragusa . We suggest you not miss the opportunity to enjoy this unique delicacy immersed in the beauty of the typical Sicilian Baroque , with its refined architecture of sumptuous palaces and elegant monuments.
Bring Sicily to your table: on Emporio Sicilia it is very easy to buy Modica PGI chocolate in a thousand variations and combinations. Choose our traditional Sicilian products.
