Week 2 Reflection: Reading and Painting analysis

Shw Lew

20 October 2015

Making the Mediterranean

Professor Cristina Villa

Week 2 Reading Reflection

            Even though chocolate became widespread phenomenon throughout Europe, how it came into Spain and spread throughout other countries is still unknown. There are, however, theories that were made for the discovery of the cacao and chocolate. It was first noted that it came from Mesoamerica where chocolate was consumed for spiritual, ritual and religious practices. The Europeans of Renaissance soon then discovered the chocolate and cacao during the Baroque Age and it was known to be an “elite drink” that was consumed by the wealthy and noble class (D Coe, 125). This week’s reading on the history of chocolate sheds a light on how the consumption and preparation of chocolate and cacao have transformed and appropriated from one European society to another.

From Mesoamerica to Spain to Italy to France to beyond European societies, chocolate preparation and consumption have transformed throughout centuries. The purpose of chocolate and cacao shifted from spiritual and ritual use to medicinal purposes that were “appreciated for its taste, its filling nature and its stimulation” (D. Coe 126).  New purposes for the consumption of chocolate and cacao arose and overtime it became a recreational drink and eventually losing its spiritual and ritual meaning. For example, as mentioned in lecture, chocolate was known to be cold and humid which was good to cure fever. We have also learned that spices were added to cacao, which warms the stomach, perfumes the breath, and alleviates any pain. In Baroque Spain it was discovered that chocolate can be a strong disguise for poison due to its strong taste and thick texture (D. Coe, 137).

            Chocolate soon arrived in Italy after Spain and Portugal adopted the chocolate drink through religious networks of Jesuits. There have been multiple debates on how people prepared and consumed the chocolate drink in this country as well. In the Italian case, the jasmine chocolate was soon introduced and became very popular and widespread. Not only were new recipe were brought up, but in the 17^th century, literature soon began to express the usage and the discovery of chocolate and cacao. The poem, we read in class, “Bacchus in Tuscany” by Francesco Redi, is an example that expresses devotion to Bacchus, the god of wine and rejecting the chocolate drink and coffee. Even though, Redi was not in favor of the chocolate drink, chocolate was still very popular and still known to be nourishing to many Europeans (D.Coe 149).

            Similar to Italy and Spain, the introduction and the consumption of chocolate and the chocolate drink were still unknown in France and England. The French are known to have invented the chocolattere in the 19^th century, which allowed the consumption of chocolate to become increasingly popular. Like Italy, the French also came up with new recipes to refine chocolate and to adapt it into its own French culture. Additionally, like other European countries, England also adapted its own ways of using chocolate and cacao through the Dufour’s Method. The purpose and consumption of chocolate continues to grow beyond European nations and spread throughout other continents such as Asia, and the Americas. The ways of adapting and consuming the chocolate product continues to change as well.

            This week’s information and lessons on chocolate was interesting as we all have consumed different types of chocolate before but never really knew where it came from and how it came about. We not only able to learn the history of the chocolate, we were able to test our taste palate and try out different types of chocolate that were all prepared. When wee were able to taste the various chocolate, we were able to learn how different methods of preparations and the usage of ingredients can truly change the flavor, taste, texture, and the smell of it. Though I have tried different types of chocolate, I have yet to try the Italian’s very own Jasmine chocolate and I wish to do so during my stay in Florence.

Painting Reflection

The painting I decided to analyze is the Wedding Feast by Gherado Delle Noti.  By the title, one can assume that a group of family or friends is gathered around the table in a room or a hall to celebrate one’s matrimony with another. The painting itself depicts eating and drinking wine while conversing one with one another. On the right, you see a man’s hand wrapped around a woman’s waist and on the left side, a man is offering what seems to be a glass of wine, to the woman next to him. Similarly, in the middle, you see a man in the green smiling and enjoying his own glass of wine. Additionally, on the right of the man, there’s a loaf of bread, what we now know to be the stable food in Italy. Furthermore, there’s a plate of meat at the center of the table that is probably being shared among the people who attends the feast. The painting is fairly bright and lit up giving it a soothing and friendly ambiance.