I currently don't know the extent of my blog's readership, but I do know it is not much. I think I have 1, maybe 2 people reading. The fact that I am one of those people does not bother me. So, I was surprised when Pierpaolo Ruta himself (one of the guys running the Bonajuto Old Pastry in Modica, Italy) contacted me. Shouldn't be a surprise I suppose, considering my linking to his site and all . . .

Anyway, he wrote me a nice email, expressing his regret about my lack of love for the particular chocolate of theirs which I reviewed here. He said that chocolate there in Modica "is a food to eat with bread [or] in a liquid way." English is not his first language apparently, but he was kind enough to send more information about their chocolate - its history, the methods used to make it, etc. There is a description of how their process is nearly identical to that used anciently by the Aztecs, and that their chocolate is "to be eaten in squares or melted in a cup." I tried the former but not the latter. Perhaps if I were to melt it, or use it in a hot chocolate recipe, I might like it more. All I can say is eating it as-is was, again, not pleasant. The flavor and texture were not to my liking, and blame it all on my being used to refined and processed chocolate!

I am grateful Pierpaolo cared enough to write me. I mentioned in the comments section of my last review that I will soon be posting a review on another one of their chocolates, which I really like (it is mixed with chili pepper!). He should like what I have to say about it . . .