It was 1685, and a messenger arrived in the Dominican convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla, Mexico. The local bishop, Don Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz, was on his way, along with two other dignitaries. They would be expecting dinner

The culinary skills of the convent cook, Sr Andrea de la Asunción, were legendary. The only problem was, Sr Andrea’s pantry was bare. She prayed for inspiration. There was an old turkey in the yard that could provide the centrepiece – but a rich sauce would be needed. The kitchen was full of chillies and spices – this was Mexico, after all – but having ground many of them together, Sr Andrea was still searching for the right ingredient to bind them. And then she noticed another cupboard staple: chocolate, invented in Mexico more than 4,000 years ago and found on the shelves of every larder in the country.

Get Instant Access

Continue Reading

Register for free to read this article in full

REGISTER

Subscribe for unlimited access

SUBSCRIBE NOW

From just £37.50 quarterly

  Print copy of The Tablet delivered directly to your door.
  Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
  Access to the weekly digital copy of The Tablet.
  Full access to The Tablet’s archive – over 180 years of back issues.

Already a subscriber? Login