Bolas de cacao
Cacao truffles are a product made by the farmers and residents of Baracoa, which are used to prepare a range of local dishes, drinks, nougat and preserves. The variety of cacao used is Trinitario, a hybrid of the Criollo and Forastero varieties, which has adapted to Cuba. Even today, farmers in Baracoa process cacao in a similar way to how the Aztecs used it in Pre-Columbian times. This means that when the cacao is dry, it is toasted and separated from the husk; once dried, it is ground and a paste is produced to which sweet spices may be added, such as nutmeg, anise, clove and vanilla. The truffles are made from this, which are prepared with pure cacao or with the addition of wheat flour on the outside to form them into balls, or incorporated in the paste to give it a thicker consistency. The cacao truffles measure around 10 to 12 cm and keep for a long time unrefrigerated.
In Cuba, before the rise in popularity of drinking coffee, during the 19th century, cacao was a ubiquitous foodstuff in Creole households. Nowadays, it is consumed in Baracoa, where many traditions survive in relation to this crop, which in Cuba is mainly grown in mountainous areas, as they used to be places not occupied by sugar producers, and it is considered a complementary crop to coffee.
This product is used to make chorote, the typical drink of the region, which was adopted by the Maya 4,000 years ago. To make this drink, the cacao truffles are grated and cooked with flour and milk. The ingredients of this drink include cocoa milk, cassava flour (cornstarch) and maize or plantain, Cacao truffles are still made in Cuba artisanally on plantations in the Baracoa area.
En Cuba, antes del incremento del consumo de café, durante el sigo XIX, prevalecía el uso del cacao como alimento omnipresente en la casa criolla. En la actualidad, su consumo se localiza en Baracoa, donde aún se conservan muchas tradiciones con relación a este cultivo, que en Cuba se desarrolla fundamentalmente en las zonas montañosas, ya que eran lugares no ocupados por los azucareros, y se considera un cultivo complementario del café.
De este producto nace el chorote, bebida típica de la región que ha sido tomada por los mayas hace cuatro mil años. Para realizar esta bebida se rallan las bolas de cacao y se cocinan con harina y leche. En la composición de esta bebida están la leche de coco, la harina de yuca (almidón de maíz) y el maíz (maicena) o el plátano (bananina). Las bolas de cacao aún se siguen elaborando en Cuba de una forma muy artesanal en las fincas de la localidad de Baracoa.
