Chapter 316 - 138: The 45th Mysterious Reward (Part 2)
He naturally didn’t have the conditions to refine it here.
And even though the structure of a cocoa bean refining machine isn’t complex, he couldn’t make one.
This kind of machine, which needs to work for long hours, must be driven by water, as wind power is not stable enough.
A pure wooden structure can’t withstand long working hours, the wear and tear is too great, and it would break after just a few uses. He didn’t feel that his life particularly needed a piece of silky chocolate; that would be a waste of time.
...
After grinding the cocoa bean powder, Chen Zhou added sugar while taking out a few empty cans.
There was no stove specifically prepared for small cans in the kitchen. To make chocolate using the cans, he needed to set up a bonfire in the yard to continue.
Busy here and there, before he realized it, the sun had already set.
He lit a bonfire in the yard and placed the cans containing the cocoa bean powder and sugar mixture over the fire. As it heated up, Chen Zhou stirred with chopsticks.
The cocoa bean powder inside the can gradually melted under the high temperature, forming a slightly rough cocoa paste.
An enticing aroma spread out, attracting the cats and dogs left at home to come and watch.
Afraid they would sneak a taste of the chocolate, Chen Zhou quickly stopped stirring, scolding them as he playfully flicked each of them on the head, driving away the greedy gang.
After simmering for about two hours, Chen Zhou, nearly lulled to sleep by the fire, finally boiled the cocoa bean powder into a brown, viscous paste.
The chocolate’s distinctive aroma was so tempting it almost made him drool.
Perhaps because these cocoa beans came from wild cacao trees, the chocolate made from them not only had an inviting aroma but also other rich, indescribable fragrances. Just a sniff was intoxicating.
Having waited a whole afternoon without even having dinner, Chen Zhou impatiently picked up a spoon, ready to start tasting.
The first batch of cocoa bean powder made a total of four cans of chocolate, but each was only a third full and not filled to the top —
Chen Zhou feared that if they were too full, the chocolate would spill over during stirring. Going all the way to Fruit Tree Valley wasn’t easy, so that would be too wasteful.
...
The freshly simmered chocolate was hot and thick. Before officially consuming it, Chen Zhou added a small piece of butter, making the already fragrant chocolate even more aromatic.
At the same time, he hoped the butter would make the somewhat rough handmade cocoa paste smoother, improving its texture.
Whew~
Before using the spoon to scoop the chocolate, he pulled out the chopsticks used for stirring, blew on the heat, and then sucked on them in his mouth.
"Hmm!
Delicious!"
The freshness and richness of the chocolate paste’s flavor almost overturned Chen Zhou’s understanding of chocolate. He never imagined chocolate could taste like this.
The rich flavor had a slight aftertaste, with the roasted aroma of natural cocoa beans carrying a unique bitterness and freshness of plants, reminiscent of roasted walnuts or fried dates. It even vaguely reminded Chen Zhou of some high-end cigarettes or cigars.
As someone who didn’t research much about food and considered his palate not particularly sensitive, he could only make a simple remark —
"Hmm, damn good!"
After eating the chocolate and soaking in the long-missed joy brought by desserts, Chen Zhou reflected on the shortcomings of this chocolate-making attempt.
The addition of butter was undoubtedly a stroke of genius, but there wasn’t enough sugar, making the hot cocoa not as sweet as he imagined. Instead, the aroma was more pronounced.
But this wasn’t his fault.
Even though he grew more and more sugarcane, he always had something to do in recent months and hadn’t had time to press the sugarcane to make sugar, leading to diminishing sugar reserves at home and caution in using it.
...
"It seems if I want tastier, better-textured chocolate, I must get the sugar-making machine built sooner..."
Ignoring the heat, while blowing on the chocolate in his spoon, Chen Zhou thought.
After enjoying this sweetness, he truly wished he could indulge in a can of chocolate every day, but unfortunately, there were no cacao trees near the cave dwelling.
Carrying chocolate back with a backpack would take up significant space for food and tools needed for a trip, and at best, last about a month, which couldn’t meet his demand.
"If I succeed in taming the natives this time and cultivate a reliable helper to look after the crops for me.
Once I have some free time, I definitely want to build a house in Fruit Tree Valley. Just the freedom of having chocolate is enough to be enticing."
With beautiful visions of the future, Chen Zhou finished a small can of chocolate.
The overly rich hot cocoa provided a substantial feeling of fullness so that after eating the chocolate, he wasn’t interested in having dinner.
The remaining three cans of hot cocoa couldn’t stay on the bonfire for continuous heating. Chen Zhou put them in the refrigerator for cooling.
This crude cocoa paste would solidify into a rough chocolate block after cooling, which could be eaten directly, although not as smooth as hot cocoa, it was more portable.
Of course, it could also be reheated and enjoyed in melted form, having essentially the same taste as hot cocoa.
...
On the night of the 5th, after eating chocolate, Chen Zhou stayed up until the early hours of the 6th, drying all the cocoa beans and putting them in a wooden box along with the crucible on top of the fire wall to prevent moisture.
Though utterly exhausted, his dreams that night were exceptionally sweet.
On the morning of the 6th, as he groggily woke up in bed, Chen Zhou suddenly remembered it was time to receive the forty-fifth mystery reward.
After hurriedly washing up and having breakfast, he called out to Lai Fu lying in the yard and headed straight for the beach.