Chocotravels presents a unique travel that ties together the architectural beauties of the Sicily in the XVII century with the fragrances and the flavours of this enchanted land.
From Palermo to Catania, from Modica to Ragusa and Noto following the sparkling scene of the baroque style we'll be surrounded by the incredible landscape of this island where the green, the red and the yellow of the country melt with the dark blue of the sea. And then we'll taste a lot of flavours never tested before or perhaps forgotten for a long time, in a world where history and legends still live together as the famous Modica's chocolate. Here, in this nice small town near the sea, the Aztec tradition lives again thanks to Franco and Paolo Ruta from the "Antica Dolceria Bonajuto" and to many other artisans that maintain the secret of this ancient recipe brought to them by the Spanish domination.

TOUR PROGRAM:

3° day: breakfast in hotel. At about 9.30 A.M we'll reach the "Antica Dolceria Bonajuto" where Franco Ruta will keep a charming lesson about the Modican Chocolate, true "food of gods" because it is still prepared following the ancient Aztec tradition. "The history of our chocolate winds along a same road, that going back to the past, joins the Sicily, especially the country ofModica, the Spain and finally refinds its roots in the splendid civilization of the Aztecs, old population of Mexico. The discovery of America allowed the Spaniards to know a great variety of food-stuffs, such as the "Xoco'atl", a product extracted from cacao seeds, kept carefully by the people. The term Xoco'atl indicated a drink and a solid product too. As for the latter, the first distinction had been made by brother Bernardino de Sahagun, who for the first time used the masculin "Cioccolato" pointing out that cigar shaped product that Aztecs obtained by grinding tha cacao seeds on tool called "metatl" (a round stone resting on two cross-bases), using a special stone "matterello". The so obtained cacao meal was mixed with cooked maize flour; the whole was rubbed on the "metatl" till the cocoa-butter had hardened the blend. The Spaniards during their domination, introduced the working of the chocolate, as well as they had learned by the old aztecs. This chocolate contrarily to what happened in the rest or Europe did never pass to an industrial phase, remaining unchanged over the centuries. Up to present the Bonajuto Old Pastry produces the chocolate with the same ".
Then we'll visit his workshop to discover the secrets of this incredible product and later he will propose us how to taste his chocolate. For lunch we suggest you to go and try some specialities of this country because Arabian and Spanish cooking are melted together with local products. There is a great variety of appetisers made of the famous DOP cheese from Ragusa or of sausages and olives. And don't forget the starts as the wonderful "minestroni"(vegetable soup) with lentils, broad beans and chick pea. For the meat lovers we suggest to taste the rabbit "a stimpirita", the pork "alla normanna" and the "Mpanatigghia" (in Spain it is called "Empanadilla") a cake with meat, almonds and chocolate. In the afternoon guided visit to the "Bottega del Dolciere" rebuilt with ancient instruments for preparing chocolate as the famous "metate". Time at disposal for shopping and visiting the house where Salvatore Quasimodo, the famous Sicilian Nobel poet was born. In the evening dining at Frigintini: for a particular appetiser we'll go to Aldo Puglisi's, a young pastry maker for tasting his interesting creations: the "Ciokarrube" pralines made with carob flavour. Overnight in Hotel.