Want to learn how-to-make-chocolate?I have put together some information for you on how-to-make-chocolate. This will lead you on a journey from bean to bar. From it's beginnings, to being packaged and delivered. I hope that you find this to be informative and helpful in finding your answers on how-to-make-chocolate.
Where does chocolate come from?If you ask me, chocolate comes from heaven! That's because I enjoy it so much. Actually, chocolate is a product of the cacao tree. The scientific name for this tree is Theobroma Cacao. The name means "food of the gods". Cacao trees grow in tropical climates. Places like South America, Brazil, Venezuela, Central America, West Africa, and Southeast Asia. Cacao trees can grow basically anywhere that has wet, hot tropical weather. Each different region grows different varieties of cacao beans that produce different flavored beans. It's hard to believe that a little bean is the most important ingredient in how-to-make-chooclate.
The Three Classifications of Cacao Beans.Forastero: The pods from the forastero trees produce most of the cacao harvest. They supply more than 80 percent of the world's production. This bean posesses a strong aroma. Forastero is the most plentiful cacao. Criollo: The criollo tree produces beans that are lighter in color than the forastero. They are coveted for their spicy, intense flavor. The criollo is very delicate and less hearty than the other two species of cacao trees. Criollo beans are said to be the premium bean. The best of these beans are said to come from Venezuela. Trinitario: A cross-breed between criollo and forastero accidentally happened in Trinidad. The accidental cross-pollination produced the trinitario bean. They are aromatic and have good flavor. The cacao trees host an abundance of little insects called midges. They pollinate the flowers as they bloom. The flowers are necessary to the growth of the Theobroma tree. The Theobroma tree is unlike any tree I know because the flowers grow in it's bark all over it's trunk and branches. It also does not have a specific growing season. It grows and blooms all year long. Only a small percentage of the blooms produce fruit. When they do they produce large fruit pods.
Fruit PodsEach cacao tree produces fruit pods. The fruit pods hang from the trees branches and trunk and can be a variety of different colors. The colors range from a greenish red to a bright burnt orange. The fruit pods can be as large as a pineapple. Inside the pods are the cacao beans. They are cream colored and surrounded by a white flesh. Each pod holds between 20 and 40 cocoa beans. To make chocolate liquor which is the main ingredient in all chocolate products, it takes about 400 beans! Note: The cacao tree and it's fruit are both called cacao, the chocolate producing beans are called cocoa beans.
The cocoa bean.
On the chocolate farms, the farmers must gather the fruit pods. After they are harvested, they are broken open with a machete and the beans are removed. I have read on many occasions that a beverage is made from the white flesh of the pods. It is to resemble lemonade. After gathering the beans, they are laid on the ground, covered, and allowed to ferment. At about 120 degrees the beans germinate and the first flavor of chocolate develops. The beans then age until they become brown. When brown, they are uncovered and exposed to the sun to dry. When dry, the beans are shipped to chocolate factories all around the world. In the process of how-chocolate-is-made, this is just the beginning.
Roasting of the bean.Most chocolate factories roast their own beans. Roasting the beans adds to their flavor. After roasting, the hard outer shell becomes almost paper-like and is removed. This is done by slightly crushing the beans until they break into smaller pieces. Pieces inside of the shell are called nibs. Nibs play a crucial part in learning how-to-make-chocolate.
The manufacturing of chocolate.Cocoa butter comes from the nibs. Nibs are more than half cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is a natural fat that helps smooth the chocolate. As the nibs are ground, the cocoa butter is released. This is the next step in learning how-to-make-chocolate.
The nibs are ground into a different form called chocolate liquor. Though called chocolate liquor, it does not contain alcohol. Let me explain the term chocolate liquor. It was very confusing to me until I learned more about it.
Chocolate liquor is only liquid when it is melted. It is otherwise a solid and is commonly sold as unsweetened chocolate. Chocolate liquor can be broken down to various degrees and be used in confectionary and cosmetic industries.(Of course we love chocolate, why not smell like it?) Further broken, the form would be cocoa powder. Chocolate liquor is the foundation for most chocolate products. (Whew! That's alot of information!)
Back to manufacturing. Different manufacturers produce different types of chocolate. They add different ingredients such as sugar, and flavorings to the crushed nibs and create a paste. An emulsifying agent is added called lecithin to keep the chocolate mixture from separating. (Lecithin comes from soy-beans.) If the chocolate is to be high-quality, extra cocoa butter is added. Milk is added to create milk-chocolate. After all ingredients are added, they are then blended together in very large mixers to form a dough-like product. This then is put through very large rollers that crushes the chocolate into very fine flakes.
ConchingAfter all of this,the next step in learning how-to-make-chocolate is sending the ingredients to conches. These are large machines that constantly agitate and keep the chocolate in liquid form. This process is known as conching and can continue for several days. Conching decreases the bitterness and diminishes the particle size, giving the chocolate a smoother "mouth feel".
Tempering Chocolate.After conching, the chocolate is tempered. Tempering chocolate is necessary if the chocolate is to be used for molding, dipping, or coating. If you are going to use the chocolate for baking or as a candy filling you do not need to temper it. Why do I need to temper chocolate? Well, this process of heating and cooling the chocolate is a very important step in how-to-make-chocolate. Tempering creates small, stable crystals of cocoa butter. These crystals, if not tempered are what cause the surface of the chocolate to appear dull and grainy. The chocolate will also lose it's snap and be crumbly. Tempering melts, cools and reheats these crystals so that the chocolate can return to it's condition prior to melting. This will give your finished product a shiny, smooth and crisp appearance.
Packing and distribution.This is our final stage in how-to-make-chocolate.How-to-make-chocolate quiz: How many cacao beans does it take to produce chocolate liquor? Answer: 400 cacao beans.
Finally, after the chocolate has been deposited into molds, sent through cooling tunnels to harden, it is packaged and wrapped. It is then shipped to various distributors nationwide to be enjoyed by their customers. That's you and me! I have found new appreciation for chocolate now that I know it's journey from bean to bar. I hope that this article about how-to-make-chocolate has been beneficial to you.
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