Trying to cook using methods from an ancient Maya site

I saw a report about clay pots found with residue from chocolate and chili stews. My attempt at making it turned out too bitter, maybe from the cocoa type I used. Can anyone share how they adjust recipes based on archaeological finds? I'm curious if heating the clay like they did changes the flavor.

2 comments

2 Comments

bell.alice5d agoMost Upvoted

Ancient recipes can be brutal to figure out. That clay pot trick really does change the taste, makes it deeper. Using less of the bitter stuff and a sweet fruit seems like the move.

parker2245d ago

Actually had the same problem with a different old recipe... tried making this Roman fish sauce thing from a dig site. The written instructions were basically just "ferment fish guts," which... yeah. Turned out way too salty and funky the first time. What worked was cutting the main ingredient by half and adding a bit of honey to balance it. For your chocolate stew, maybe try way less cocoa and throw in some sweet fruit like mango? And yeah, heating the dry clay pot slowly before you cook in it does something... makes the food taste earthier, almost smoky.

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