If made thin, is not worth drinking; and that which is commonly sold is a compound of flour, or some farinaceous substance, and coarse sugar, with a very moderate quantity of real cocoa, and that of the most inferior quality, colored with Venetian red and brown ochre.

Chocolate forms the common breakfast throughout Spain, and is there made by merely chipping a portion of the cake into which it is formed from the cocoa, leaving the chips in water for a whole night to soften. It may then be slowly warmed, along with either water or milk, working it all the time with the mill, which is a small movable pole passed through the lid of a chocolate-pot, and furnished with a headpiece, in order to mix the chocolate equally, by turning the mill rapidly between the hands and without intermission, thus to prevent it from becoming clotty; care, however, should be taken not to let it boil; for, in that case, the vegetable oil which is contained in the nut will be extracted from it and appear on the surface. The flavor is better retained by making it in water than milk.

It is always made very thick, so that a small spoon will nearly stand upright in it, and nothing eaten with it but a rusk, or dry toast: after which there is usually taken a draught of cold spring water.

The usual mode of making it here is, to boil a pint of water and a pint of milk in the pot, put to it a part of a cake of chocolate cut into very small slices, mill it off the fire till quite melted, then put it on a gentle fire till it nearly boils, milling it all the time. Sweeten to taste.