TEK - Nixtmalization, Coca, and Cacao, Super Food Creation

[Potter]

No one has been working with making drinkable chocolate from raw cacao, the stuff is potent and filling. Then nothing was thinking, both corn and cacao are traditionally mixed with alkali substances, why not mix them with coca? Besides the benefits of the sweet leafs more exotic alkaloids, the vitamin and mineral content of the mixture would be nearing a full days supply of food.

The next batch of whole cacao beans is being prepared, in the three days they will ferment , the corn will be toasted, and figure out the best way to mix the lime with the foods so no one gets burned, but retain all of the good stuff. How bad would the cocaine fall out of solution if the solution was neutralized? Anyone got any data on peak pH for absorption?

The full report on the chocolate experiments will appear by accident in the Ethnobotanical folder.

[Benga]

Interesting idea. Traditional cacao is very interesting indeed.
for coca, the ideal pH for alkaloid extraction would be around 9.

b

[Potter]

Corn is usually soaked in lime and then washed of it, coca is chewed with lime, and the cacao, still not entirely sure on that process yet. Washing the coca with lime seemed like a great way of removing the good stuff and watching it run down the drain, so it was decided to add the lime to the final mixture.

A pea and a half of "edible" lime was added to a quart of water/foods, and simmered for a few hours. While the effects were pleasant, the after burn...not so. At least this time nobody burned their mouth for a week.

Nobody may try again at some point, but not until a consolidated process can be designed to liberate important nutrients without having lime in the final product. In the mean time a set of instructions on preparing the cacao is being prepared and will soon be out.

[kookala]

Interesting idea, Cacao and Coca are two of my favorite new world plants. If anyone gets the chance, or is travelling central or south America, I highly recommend the fruit juice or whole fruit from the cacao plant. Also, IMO, one hasn't had chocolate, until one has eaten or cooked with raw and unprocessed, whole or crushed cacao nibs, not the modern bastardization of the plant. It is often said that unprocessed cacao seeds don't produce the cravings that chocolate does. To me, it is quite the opposite, I had never experienced chocolate cravings until I ran out of raw cacao the first time.

I'm not sure if cacao is traditionally mixed with alakali. I very well could be wrong, but I believe you are confusing the more modern process of manufacturing cocoa powder which involves pressing the oil out of the cocao seeds, and the remaining powder is baked with alkali to make cocoa powder. The cocoa powder is then recombined with the oil to make chocolate. Perhaps, the natural unsweetened cocoa powder made by hershey's sold in most grocery stores may have a high enough PH to make the drink you are referring to. I'm looking at the ingredients on the package now and it just says cocoa, which actually means pressed nibs baked with alkali.

Another thing worth considering, is that while coca isnt addictive in the way that cocaine is, it does have the ability to induce cravings, as does cacao, so you might have something which can be fairly psychologically addictive, although in a much more friendly, nondestructive, controllable manner.

Just for giggles, here swim's my favorite cacao recipe. All ingredients adjusted to taste:

Fresh whole goat's milk
High quality organic Crushed Cacao Nibs
Amazonian (preferred) or Oaxacan Honey from wildflowers
Lower grade dry-sieved resin powder from high grade well cured trimmings from organically grown cannabis of a highland new world equatorial (colombian) or tropical (mexican) landrace varietals grown under the sun, either in a greenhouse or outdoors
Rosita de Cacao or American calamus oil (a more available easily found albeit mediocre substitute for rosita de cacao (Quararibea funebris)
Dried and crushed whole Cayenne or Habanero peppers

Now perhaps, one could make a ph adjusted milk extract of coca leaf and then add it to this drink, making it more complete. Together this would surely make a health drink par excellence...