Koko Samoa

Ingredients

Koko

• 60 gkoko Samoa, the local paste of roasted ground cocoa beans, sold in balls or logs, coarsely broken or grated
• 1 litrewater
• 60–90 gsugar, to taste
• 1 pinchsalt

Optional, the way it is often made at home

• 2 tbspraw short-grain rice, rinsed, for body
• 100 mlcoconut cream, or 100 ml evaporated milk
• 1strip orange or lime peel

Directions

1. Know what the paste is: Samoan cocoa beans are fermented in heaps for about a week, sun-dried on tarpaulins, roasted whole in a pan until they crack and smell of chocolate, hand-peeled, then ground to a thick dark paste that sets hard as it cools. That paste, with nothing added, is koko Samoa.
2. Grate or chop 60 g of the paste. It should be dark reddish brown, greasy to the touch and smell of roasted nuts and tobacco.
3. If using rice, put it in the pot with the litre of water and simmer 10 minutes until the grains are soft; this is a common village trick that gives the drink body and a little cloudiness.
4. Add the grated koko to the pot, whisking as it melts. The cocoa butter will rise and float in visible amber slicks on the surface. This is correct and is what separates koko Samoa from cocoa powder drinks.
5. Bring to a bare simmer and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring often. Do not boil hard: a rolling boil scorches the cocoa solids on the pot base and turns the whole thing bitter.
6. Add the salt and sugar and taste. It should be bittersweet and assertive, not sweet like hot chocolate, with a definite grainy grip on the tongue.
7. Stir in the coconut cream or evaporated milk if using and heat 2 minutes more without boiling.
8. Pour from a height into thick mugs so the fat emulsifies and a little foam forms, and serve very hot with panipopo, the sweet coconut buns, or plain bread for dipping at breakfast.

Technique

• The grain is the point. Koko Samoa is stone-ground or hand-ground and never conched, so it is deliberately gritty; a smooth silky drink means you have made European hot chocolate instead.
• The floating cocoa butter should be stirred back in with each pour, not skimmed off. Samoans consider that fat the best part of the cup.
• Never use Dutch-processed cocoa powder in place of the paste. It has been alkalised and defatted and gives none of the roasted, slightly smoky, fruity character of Samoan Trinitario beans.
• Cocoa is a major smallholder crop in Samoa and the paste is sold at Fugalei market in balls wrapped in leaf or plastic; it keeps for months at room temperature.

Substitutions

• Cannot get koko Samoa? Use 60 g of 100 percent cocoa liquor or unsweetened baking chocolate, plus 1 tsp of instant coffee to fake the roast character; the texture will be smoother than it should be.
• Coconut cream can replace all the water for a very rich festive version, though it is then closer to a dessert.
• Evaporated milk is the everyday Samoan choice over fresh milk, and it is what most households actually use.

Variations

• Koko alaisa, a thicker breakfast porridge of the same cocoa cooked with far more rice until spoonable.
• A version scented with a strip of lime leaf or orange peel dropped in for the last 5 minutes.
• Koko esi, the same drink cooked with ripe papaya, made in some villages.

History

Cocoa was planted commercially during the German colonial administration before 1914; beans are still roasted and hand-rolled into cocoa balls at home.

Frequently asked questions

What is Koko Samoa?

Koko Samoa is a drink from Samoa: rustic hot cocoa brewed from roasted local beans, grainy and bittersweet. Cocoa was planted commercially during the German colonial administration before 1914; beans are still roasted and hand-rolled into cocoa balls at home.

How long does Koko Samoa take to make?

Koko Samoa takes 10 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 mugs. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Koko Samoa?

Yes, within limits. Cannot get koko Samoa? Use 60 g of 100 percent cocoa liquor or unsweetened baking chocolate, plus 1 tsp of instant coffee to fake the roast character; the texture will be smoother than it should be. Coconut cream can replace all the water for a very rich festive version, though it is then closer to a dessert. Evaporated milk is the everyday Samoan choice over fresh milk, and it is what most households actually use.

What is the most important thing to get right in Koko Samoa?

Bring to a bare simmer and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring often. Do not boil hard: a rolling boil scorches the cocoa solids on the pot base and turns the whole thing bitter.