The making of chocolate
Cacao, common name of the Theobroma Cacao tree, is of the seed of that tree and
of other trees in the Theobroma genus of the family Sterculiaceae, which also
contains the cola. The Sterculiaceae are in the order Malvales. The Theobroma
Cacao tree is a native of Central and South America but is now grown around the
world near the equator. Theobroma cacao is a perennial tree that produces
several harvests every year. Theobroma cacao grows to a height of about 6 m
(about 20 feet) and has shiny leaves, as long as 30 cm (12 in), and small pink
flowers on the trunk and older branches. Only about 30 of the 6000 annual
blossoms eventually bear seeds. commonly called cocoa beans, the seeds are
surrounded by a yellow or reddish-brown pod about 28 cm (about 11 in) long.
Chocolate comes from the almond shaped beans that grow inside the pods. Cocoa
beans, as they are known in the United States, develop their distinctive
chocolate flavor, color, and aroma only after they have been fermented, dried,
and roasted.
Cocoa is common name for powder derived from the fruit seeds of the cacao tree
and for the beverage prepared by mixing the powder with milk. When cocoa is
prepared, most of the cocoa butter is removed in the manufacturing process.
After the fat is separated and the residue is ground, small percentages of
various substances may be added, such as starch to prevent caking, or potassium
bicarbonate to neutralize the natural acids and astringents and make the cocoa
easy to dissolve in liquids. Cocoa contains as much as 20 percent protein, 40
percent carbohydrate, and 40 percent fat. It is also mildly stimulating because
of the presence of theobromine, an alkaloid that is closely related to caffeine.
The processing of the cacao seeds, better known as cocoa beans, is complex. The
fruit is cured or fermented in a pulpy state for 3 to 9 days, during which the
heat kills the seeds and turns them brown. The enzymes activated by fermentation
impart the substances that will give the beans their chocolate flavor later
during roasting. The beans are then dried in the sun and cleaned in special
machines before they are roasted to bring out the chocolate flavor. They are
then shelled in a crushing machine and ground into chocolate. During the
grinding, the fat melts, producing a sticky liquid called chocolate liquor,
which is the primary ingredient in all forms of chocolate (except white). The
liquor is used to make chocolate candy or is filtered to remove the fat and then
cooled and ground to produce cocoa powder.
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