Brown and deep. Tanned and devious. White and milky. The deliciousness of chocolate cannot be described in words! Have you ever wondered how chocolate is made? Chocolate can come in different sizes and shapes, colors and tastes, but the overall process to make each kind is the same.
It all began when someone a long time ago, discovered the Theobroma cacao tree. Theobroma cacao means “Food of the gods”, reflecting the respect shown by Aztecs’ and Mayans’. Though, no matter if you are talking about the bitter chocolate drink that Aztecs’ and Mayans’ favored or the sweet and crispy chocolate bars nowadays, it all originates from the same thing: the great and humble cacao bean.
Mainly found at Ivory Coast and Ghana, cacao trees divide into three types – the Forastero, the most common and robust variety with the least remarkable flavor; the Criollo, the most delicate and rare tree, with a heavily perfumed fruit; and the Trinitario, a hybrid between the Forastero and the Criollo that displays characteristics of both trees, having an average yield of moderately aromatic beans.
Harvesting
If you want to make chocolate, you need cacao seeds. The Cacao tree is the starting point for chocolate. Only when they are fully ripe will the leaves from this tree be used to make chocolate. Beans with low cocoa butter content and low sugar content are produced from unripened pods. The fermentation process, which is responsible for a large part of the distinctive cocoa aroma, relies on naturally occurring sugars in cocoa beans. After harvesting, the seeds are separated from the seed pods and pulps so that fermentation can take place.
Fermenting
When the beans are ready, fermenting can be started. The flavor of raw cocoa beans is harsh and unappealing. This bitterness is changed by fermentation, becoming a more complex forerunner to the well-known cocoa flavor.
The yeast and bacteria found naturally in cocoa beans are used to carry out the fermentation process. The beans are only left out in the heat and humidity for about seven days to ferment. The beans are promptly dried after fermentation to stop mold from growing.
Roasting
Fermented beans are completely cleaned and free of any sticks, stones, or other debris during fermentation and drying. The dry roast process is generally used to roast cocoa beans, which constantly stirs to achieve even heating. Since no additional oils or fats are needed during dry roasting, the flavor is allowed to remain unadulterated. The traditional chocolate flavor that we are all accustomed to is now complete.
Processing
After the roast, the bean’s hull is taken off, and the inner nib is then extracted. Then, the nibs are processed into a fine powder that contains both cocoa butter and solid cocoa. Usually, when grinding the nibs, the frictional heat causes the cocoa butter to liquefy. Cocoa liquor is the name for this fluid version of powdered cocoa nibs.
The cooled cocoa liquor is then poured into the molds, sold, and sent in these blocks. Unsweetened chocolate or bakers chocolate is the name for these blocks. As an alternative, cocoa liquor can be divided into cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
Blending
After processing, blending is a key stage to the process. There are countless goods made from cocoa that can be made by blending cocoa liquor, baking chocolate, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter.
Cocoa liquor is blended with additional cocoa butter (for smoothness and texture), sugar, milk, and occasionally vanilla, emulsifiers, or stabilizers to create the chocolate candy that we are all familiar with. Milk or dark chocolate can be made in varied degrees depending on the amounts of sugar, milk, and cocoa. Signature recipes are made by blending elements in a certain ratio, which specialist brands frequently hold jealously. With modes, you may also alter shape and size.
It all began when someone a long time ago, discovered the Theobroma cacao tree. Theobroma cacao means “Food of the gods”, reflecting the respect shown by Aztecs’ and Mayans’. Though, no matter if you are talking about the bitter chocolate drink that Aztecs’ and Mayans’ favored or the sweet and crispy chocolate bars nowadays, it all originates from the same thing: the great and humble cacao bean.
Mainly found at Ivory Coast and Ghana, cacao trees divide into three types – the Forastero, the most common and robust variety with the least remarkable flavor; the Criollo, the most delicate and rare tree, with a heavily perfumed fruit; and the Trinitario, a hybrid between the Forastero and the Criollo that displays characteristics of both trees, having an average yield of moderately aromatic beans.
Harvesting
If you want to make chocolate, you need cacao seeds. The Cacao tree is the starting point for chocolate. Only when they are fully ripe will the leaves from this tree be used to make chocolate. Beans with low cocoa butter content and low sugar content are produced from unripened pods. The fermentation process, which is responsible for a large part of the distinctive cocoa aroma, relies on naturally occurring sugars in cocoa beans. After harvesting, the seeds are separated from the seed pods and pulps so that fermentation can take place.
Fermenting
When the beans are ready, fermenting can be started. The flavor of raw cocoa beans is harsh and unappealing. This bitterness is changed by fermentation, becoming a more complex forerunner to the well-known cocoa flavor.
The yeast and bacteria found naturally in cocoa beans are used to carry out the fermentation process. The beans are only left out in the heat and humidity for about seven days to ferment. The beans are promptly dried after fermentation to stop mold from growing.
Roasting
Fermented beans are completely cleaned and free of any sticks, stones, or other debris during fermentation and drying. The dry roast process is generally used to roast cocoa beans, which constantly stirs to achieve even heating. Since no additional oils or fats are needed during dry roasting, the flavor is allowed to remain unadulterated. The traditional chocolate flavor that we are all accustomed to is now complete.
Processing
After the roast, the bean’s hull is taken off, and the inner nib is then extracted. Then, the nibs are processed into a fine powder that contains both cocoa butter and solid cocoa. Usually, when grinding the nibs, the frictional heat causes the cocoa butter to liquefy. Cocoa liquor is the name for this fluid version of powdered cocoa nibs.
The cooled cocoa liquor is then poured into the molds, sold, and sent in these blocks. Unsweetened chocolate or bakers chocolate is the name for these blocks. As an alternative, cocoa liquor can be divided into cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
Blending
After processing, blending is a key stage to the process. There are countless goods made from cocoa that can be made by blending cocoa liquor, baking chocolate, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter.
Cocoa liquor is blended with additional cocoa butter (for smoothness and texture), sugar, milk, and occasionally vanilla, emulsifiers, or stabilizers to create the chocolate candy that we are all familiar with. Milk or dark chocolate can be made in varied degrees depending on the amounts of sugar, milk, and cocoa. Signature recipes are made by blending elements in a certain ratio, which specialist brands frequently hold jealously. With modes, you may also alter shape and size.