Just like Indians, Italians take their food very seriously! And bolognese sauce is one of Italy’s most loved recipes. However, did you know some Italians add a surprising twist to it? A viral video claimed that the secret to making the “best bolognese” is adding some dark chocolate to it. To check if this was true, digital creator Matteo Salvatori asked his mother, and here’s what she has to say!
Should You Add Dark Chocolate To Bolognese Sauce?
Digital creator duo Emiliano and Matteo (@lionfieldmusic) have gained popularity for busting myths and claims about Italian culture and cuisine. They often call out the exaggerated or fake versions of “Italian traditions” that circulate online in their hilarious ways. Recently, Matteo Salvatori came across a viral video that said that the best way to make the perfect bolognese sauce is by adding a piece of dark chocolate to it.
He clearly thought that the claim was untrue and went to his mother to dispel this viral claim. To his surprise, however, his Italian mother revealed that indeed many Italians add dark chocolate to bolognese sauce as it helps reduce the acidity of the dish.
In the video, he asks his mother in Italian, “Did you ever add a piece of chocolate to pasta sauce?” She replies, “No, never to pasta sauce. But you can add it to the bolognese sauce.”
Clearly surprised, he asked again if one can add dark chocolate to bolognese sauce, and she explained, “You can add a piece of dark chocolate to make it less acidic. You can do it.”
The Internet Is Shook Too!
Just like Matteo, many people on the internet were shocked by his Italian hack of adding dark chocolate to bolognese sauce. Many, however, shared that this is an age-old hack, and even people in Mexico follow this trick in their food.
One comment read, “Mexicans add cocoa to chilli to enhance flavour.”
“Learned this from a friend’s Nonna and haven’t looked back,” another user commented.
Another user approved and commented, “Yes, yes, absolutely! I learnt this tip from a Neapolitan online (he was born and raised and still living there). When browning the meat for a ragù, you add a teaspoon of dark cocoa powder. It makes the meat caramelise perfectly and get all that delicious browning. It also doesn’t affect the flavour of the sauce at all. DEFINITELY APPROVED.”
A chef in the comments section added, “It adds a bit of roundness as well as breaking up the acidity.”
Some agreed with this simply because mamas know best and commented, “It’s approved, if it’s mom-approved.”
One hilarious comment read, “The most Italian thing about this was that she differentiates between pasta sauce and bolognese sauce like, no, you wouldn’t put chocolate and pasta sauce, but you can put it in bolognese sauce.”
Also Read: Butter, Ghee, Chocolates, Cold Drinks: What Got Cheaper & Costlier After GST Rate Revision
Well, we can’t say if all Italians do this or not, but if mama says this is how it’s done, then we can’t argue with that!
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/lionfieldmusic
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