“Chocolate” is, therefore, a much wider term than “cocoa,” embracing both the food and the drink prepared from the cacao, and is the Mexican name, chocolatl, slightly modified, having nothing to do with the word cacao, in Mexican cacauatl.[7] In the New World it was compounded of cacao, maize, and flavourings to which the Spaniards, on discovering it, added sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and other ingredients, such as musk and ambergris, cloves and nutmegs, almonds and pistachios, anise, and even red peppers or chillies.  “Sometimes,” says a treatise on “The Natural History of Chocolate,” “China [quinine] and assa [foetida?]; and sometimes steel and rhubarb, may be added for young and green ladies.”

In our own times it is unfortunately common to add potato-starch, arrowroot, etc., to the cocoa, and yet to sell it by the name of the pure article.  Such preparations thicken in the cup, and are preferred by some under the mistaken impression that this is a sign of its containing more nutriment instead of less.  Although not so wholesome, there could be no objection to these additions so long as the preparations were not labelled “cocoa,” and were sold at a lower price.

[Illustration—­Drawing:  Pure decorticated cocoa, highly magnified.]

Such adulteration is rendered possible by the presence in the bean of a large proportion of fatty matter or cocoa-butter, which renders it too rich for most digestions.  To overcome this difficulty one or other of two methods is available:  (1) Lowering the percentage of fat by the addition of starch, sugar, etc.; or (2) removing a large proportion of the fat by some extractive process; this latter method being in every respect preferable to that first mentioned.

[Illustration—­Drawing:  Cocoa adulterated with arrowroot or potato starch.]

In order to avoid the expense and trouble consequent on the latter process, some manufacturers add alkali, by which means the free fatty acids are saponified, and the fat is held in a state of emulsion, thus giving the cocoa a false appearance of solubility.

Another effect of the alkali is to impart to the beverage a much darker colour, from its action on the natural red colouring matter of the cocoa, this darkening being often taken, unfortunately, as indicative of increased strength.  On this account the presence of added alkali should be regarded as an adulteration, unless notified on the package in which the cocoa is contained.

A more subtle treatment with alkali for the same purpose is the addition to the pulverized bean of carbonate of ammonia, or caustic ammonia.  This is afterwards volatilized by the application of heat.  Scents and flavourings are then added to disguise their smell and taste.