From my point of view Johannesburg has the best climate in the world.
It has the dry heat of southern (and northern) Africa which is my absolute favourite. It also has the cool nights of the high elevation (Jo'burg is at 1800m).
I love the cool morning with the sun already bearing the promise of hot days. I love the noon sun which feels like hot peppers on your skin and the slowly cooling evening air steeping with all the scented plants which grow in this climate.
Xmas of course here is in summer and it will make it very easy to totally ignore it this year, which is my plan.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
"Cocoa" or "Cacao"?
Early I posted about my new vice: eating "100% cocoa" and then today I noticed that the product I eat is labeled "cacao"!
I always thought that in English it was "cocoa" and in French "cacao", which of course I thought was quite funny, but now I am not sure....Well I am sure it is funny to me but I am not sure that in English it is truly "cocoa".
I had to go and check to see if these were actually two different things and it turns out that they are.
"cacao" is the evergreen tree which produce cocoa fruits and seeds (note they are not beans).
Whereas "cocoa" is either the fruit, the powder from the roasted, husked and grounded seeds of the cacao, or the drink made from the powder.
Or at least this is the way this online dictionary defines it.
So to following this the label my post was right to read "cocoa" instead of "cacao" regardless of what the product is labeled since this is not 100% of the tree and even though it is 100% of the seeds they are processed, they are not just seeds sitting there .....
The Concise Oxford Dictionary says:
"cacao": seeds of tropical tree, giving cocoa and chocolate; the tree.
"cocoa": Powder made from crushed cacao seeds often with other ingredients; drink made from this or from the seeds.
At the end I still don't know if I am eating cacao or cocoa!!!
Anyway enjoy your end of year festive chocolates, that at least is clearly called chocolate.
De Villiers Chocolate (which does not produce what I am eating these days) has an interesting post on their website about the how cacao is processed. What I get is from Willie's cacao and they also have a great site explaining how they do it.
Turns out that in a very similar fashion than coffee the cacao seeds are roasted and the husks are removed. After this the grinding, refining, conching and tempering are of course not like coffee anymore since one of the particularity of cacao is that about 50% of the cacao seeds is cocoa butter. (notice how you go "cacao seed" to "cocoa butter"!! interesting!!!). I have to admit that the process seems quite tricking but then again we all know that chocolate can take that weird texture when heated if it is not done carefully.
I always thought that in English it was "cocoa" and in French "cacao", which of course I thought was quite funny, but now I am not sure....Well I am sure it is funny to me but I am not sure that in English it is truly "cocoa".
I had to go and check to see if these were actually two different things and it turns out that they are.
"cacao" is the evergreen tree which produce cocoa fruits and seeds (note they are not beans).
Whereas "cocoa" is either the fruit, the powder from the roasted, husked and grounded seeds of the cacao, or the drink made from the powder.
Or at least this is the way this online dictionary defines it.
So to following this the label my post was right to read "cocoa" instead of "cacao" regardless of what the product is labeled since this is not 100% of the tree and even though it is 100% of the seeds they are processed, they are not just seeds sitting there .....
The Concise Oxford Dictionary says:
"cacao": seeds of tropical tree, giving cocoa and chocolate; the tree.
"cocoa": Powder made from crushed cacao seeds often with other ingredients; drink made from this or from the seeds.
At the end I still don't know if I am eating cacao or cocoa!!!
Anyway enjoy your end of year festive chocolates, that at least is clearly called chocolate.
De Villiers Chocolate (which does not produce what I am eating these days) has an interesting post on their website about the how cacao is processed. What I get is from Willie's cacao and they also have a great site explaining how they do it.
Turns out that in a very similar fashion than coffee the cacao seeds are roasted and the husks are removed. After this the grinding, refining, conching and tempering are of course not like coffee anymore since one of the particularity of cacao is that about 50% of the cacao seeds is cocoa butter. (notice how you go "cacao seed" to "cocoa butter"!! interesting!!!). I have to admit that the process seems quite tricking but then again we all know that chocolate can take that weird texture when heated if it is not done carefully.
Monday, December 12, 2011
More Modern African Fabrics
In between all my meetings in Jo'burg I somehow have to pass the time. Honestly I am starting to get quite bored so I made up some sawing project (and I am NOT a seamstress even remotely). Part of the pleasure for me is of course to choose the fabrics. I don't sew but I love fabrics. Go figure!
Anyway today I went downtown with Michelle (she is a seamstress, in fact she has a clothing stores of her own stuff and I own a lot of simple dresses with crazy bright African prints that I bought from her) and this is what I bought:
Today we went to a store called Ismail's. It is a great fabric store with loads of choices, lots of Da Gama shweshwes, Fascos and Woodin London Elegance Wax prints.
The store is at the corner of Market Street and End Street at 224 Market.
I recommend this store.
Anyway today I went downtown with Michelle (she is a seamstress, in fact she has a clothing stores of her own stuff and I own a lot of simple dresses with crazy bright African prints that I bought from her) and this is what I bought:
Today we went to a store called Ismail's. It is a great fabric store with loads of choices, lots of Da Gama shweshwes, Fascos and Woodin London Elegance Wax prints.
The store is at the corner of Market Street and End Street at 224 Market.
I recommend this store.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
My Temporary New Place
While I am in Jo'burg I have to go to a all bunch of meetings. I took a new place within walking distance of where I have to go. It is quite nice but unfortunately it has to be a temporary arrangement because I can't afford to stay there long term. However this Saturday I am visiting two places that I can afford.
the best thing about the place where I am right now I think is the small terrace at the back. Because the place is on the side of a hill I have a view above everybody else's roof.
This is a small courtyard type of thing with banana trees.
Evening view from the terrace.
.
The hill at the back of the house
The stairs of the house next door. This is all I can see of that house so it is quite nice and private.
A very South African fence made of sticks just to block the view in a pleasant way.
Another view of the little courtyard with a view through the hallway to the pool of them main house. Loike most houses in Jo'burg they have a poo but never use it.
My door back into my place from the terrace.
the best thing about the place where I am right now I think is the small terrace at the back. Because the place is on the side of a hill I have a view above everybody else's roof.
This is a small courtyard type of thing with banana trees.
Evening view from the terrace.
The hill at the back of the house
The stairs of the house next door. This is all I can see of that house so it is quite nice and private.
A very South African fence made of sticks just to block the view in a pleasant way.
Another view of the little courtyard with a view through the hallway to the pool of them main house. Loike most houses in Jo'burg they have a poo but never use it.
My door back into my place from the terrace.
100% Cocoa, My New Bad Habit
Here in South Africa you can get 100% cocoa. Because I cannot eat sugar once as a treat I bought myself some. Now I am in trouble. I like it, though I realize that it may be an acquired taste. I already know that I do not care for the Indonesian cocoa as much as the others. So far I find cocoa from both Madagascar and Venezuela quite nice. I think Venezuelan cocoa may be a little easier to like, smoother while the Madagascar cocoa has more punch....And there are more to try!
I should say that without any sugar cocoa is bitter, since I started eating this 100% cocoa stuff I once had a "nice" chocolate with 85% cocoa and I thought the sugar was ruining it. I am in deep trouble. Where am I going to find single provenance 100% cocoa when I am not in South Africa!!!!
I should say that without any sugar cocoa is bitter, since I started eating this 100% cocoa stuff I once had a "nice" chocolate with 85% cocoa and I thought the sugar was ruining it. I am in deep trouble. Where am I going to find single provenance 100% cocoa when I am not in South Africa!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)