Different
stages of Chocolate
Chocolate most commonly comes in
dark, milk, and white varieties, with cocoa solids contributing
to the brown coloration
Main ingredient(s)
Chocolate
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Chocolate is a processed food produced
from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree.
Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central
America and Northern South America. Its earliest
documented use is around 1100 BC. The majority of the Mesoamerican people
made chocolate beverages, including the Aztecs, who made it into a
beverage known as xocolātl [ʃo'kolaːt͡ɬ],
a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water". The seeds of
the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to
develop the flavor.
After
fermentation, the beans are dried, then cleaned, and then roasted, and the
shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground to cocoa
mass, pure chocolate in rough form. Because this cocoa mass usually is
liquefied then molded with or without other ingredients, it is called chocolate
liquor. The liquor also may be processed into two components: cocoa
solids and cocoa butter. Unsweetened baking
chocolate (bitter chocolate) contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa
butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the
form of sweet chocolate, combining cocoa solids, cocoa butter or
other fat, and sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that
additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. White chocolate contains
cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids.
Cocoa solids
contain alkaloids such as theobromine, phenethylamine and caffeine
These have physiological effects on the body and are linked to serotoninlevels
in the brain. Some research found that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can
lower blood pressure. The presence of theobromine renders
chocolate toxic to some animals, especially dogs and cats.
Chocolate has
become one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world. Chocolate
chip cookies have become very common, and very popular, in most parts
of Europe and North America. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes
have become traditional on certain holidays. Chocolate is also used in cold and
hot beverages, to produce chocolate milk and hot
chocolate.
Cocoa mass was
used originally in Mesoamerica both as a beverage and as an
ingredient in foods. Chocolate played a special role in both Maya and Aztec royal
and religious events. Priests presented cacao seeds as offerings to the deities
and served chocolate drinks during sacred ceremonies. All of the areas that
were conquered by the Aztecs that grew cacao beans were ordered to pay them as
a tax, or as the Aztecs called it, a "tribute"
The
Europeans sweetened and fattened it by adding refined sugar
and milk, two ingredients unknown to the Mexicans. By contrast, the Europeans
never infused it into their general diet, but have compartmentalized its use to
sweets and desserts. In the 19th century, Briton John Cadbury developed
an emulsification process to make solid chocolate, creating the modern
chocolate bar. Although cocoa is originally from the Americas, today Western
Africa produces almost two-thirds of the world's cocoa, with Côte
d'Ivoire growing almost half of it.
Etymology
The word
"chocolate" entered the English language from Spanish.[5] How
the word came into Spanish is less certain, and there are competing
explanations. Perhaps the most cited explanation is that "chocolate"
comes from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, from
the word chocolātl, which many sources derived from xocolātl [ʃokolaːtɬ],
from xococ 'sour' or 'bitter', and ātl 'water'
or 'drink'. However, asWilliam Bright noted the word "chocolatl" does not
occur in central Mexican colonial sources, making this an
unlikely derivation. Santamaria gives a derivation from
the Yucatec Maya word "chokol" meaning 'hot', and
the Nahuatl "atl" meaning 'water'. Sophie and Michael D. Coe agree
with this etymology.
Pointing to
various sources dating from the time of the Spanish conquest, they
identify cacahuatl ("cacao water") as the original
Nahuatl word for the cold beverage consumed by the Aztecs. Noting that using a
word with caca in it to describe a thick brown beverage would
not have gone over well with most speakers of Spanish because "caca" means 'faeces' in
Spanish, the Coes suggest that the Spanish colonisers combined the
Nahuatl atl with the Yucatec Maya chocol, for,
unlike the Aztec, the Maya tended to drink chocolate heated. The Spanish
preferred the warm Mayan preparation of the beverage to the cold Aztec one, and
so the colonisers substituted chocol in place of the
culturally unacceptable caca.
More recently,
Dakin and Wichmann derive it from another Nahuatl term,
"chicolatl" from eastern Nahuatl, meaning "beaten drink".
They derive this term from the word for the frothing stick, "chicoli"
. However, the Coes write that xicalli referred to the gourd
out of which the beverage was consumed and that the use of a frothing stick
(known as a molinollo) was a product of creolisation between
the Spanish and Aztec; the original frothing method used by the indigenous
people was simply pouring the drink from a height into another vessel.
History
History of chocolate
Mesoamerica history
A Mayan chief forbids a person to touch a jar of chocolate
Chocolate has
been used as a drink for nearly all of its history. The earliest record of
using chocolate dates back before the Olmec. In November 2007,
archaeologists reported finding evidence of the oldest known cultivation and use
of cacao at a site in Puerto Escondido, Honduras, dating from about
1100 to 1400 BC. The residues found and the kind of vessel they were
found in indicate the initial use of cacao was not simply as a beverage, but
the white pulp around the cacao beans was likely used as a source of
fermentable sugars for an alcoholic drink. The Maya civilization grew
cacao trees in their backyards, and used the cacao seeds the trees
produced to make a frothy, bitter drink. Documents in Maya
hieroglyphs stated chocolate was used for ceremonial purposes, in
addition to everyday life. The chocolate residue found in an early ancient
Maya pot in Río Azul, Guatemala, suggests the Maya were
drinking chocolate around 400 AD.
The sweet
chocolate residue found in jars from the site of Puerto Escondido in
Honduras from around 1100 BC is the earliest found evidence of the use of cacao
to date.. An early Classic (460–480 AD) period Mayan tomb
from the site of Rio Azul, Guatemala, had vessels with the Maya glyph for
cacao on them with residue of a chocolate drink. The Maya are generally
given credit for creating the first modern chocolate beverage over 2,000 years
ago, despite the fact that the beverage would undergo many more changes in
Europe.
By the 15th
century, the Aztecs gained control of a large part of Mesoamerica,
and adopted cacao into their culture. They associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal,
the goddess of fertility, and often used chocolate beverages as sacred
offerings. The Aztec adaptation of the drink was a bitter, frothy, spicy
drink calledxocolatl, made much the same way as the Mayan chocolate
drinks. It was often seasoned with vanilla, chile pepper,
and achiote, and was believed to fight fatigue, which
is probably attributable to the theobromine content, a mood
enhancer. Because cacao would not grow in the dry central Mexican highlands and
had to be imported, chocolate was an important luxury good throughout the Aztec
empire, and cocoa beans were often used as currency. For example, the
Aztecs used a system in which one turkey cost one hundred cacao beans and one
fresh avocado was worth three beans. South American and
European cultures have used cocoa to treat diarrhea for hundreds of years. All
of the areas ruled by the Aztecs were ordered to pay a tax, leading those that
grew the beans to offer cacao seeds as tribute.
European adaptation
History of chocolate in Spain
Chocolate soon became a fashionable drink of the nobility
after the discovery of the Americas. The morning chocolateby Pietro
Longhi; Venice, 1775–1780.
The first
European contact with chocolate came when Montezuma (then tlatoani of Tenochtitlan)
introduced Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador,
to xocolatl in the 16th century. Antonio de Solís, Philip
IV's official Chronicler of the Indies, described Montezuma customarily
taking a chocolate beverage after meals, as part of a sumptuous daily ritual:
“
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He had Cups of Gold, and Salvers
of the same; and sometimes he drank out of Cocoas [i.e., coconut shells], and
natural Shells, very richly set with Jewels.[...] When he had done eating, he
usually took a Kind of Chocolate, made after the Manner of the Country, that
is, the Substance of the Nut beat up with the Mill till the Cup was filled
more with Froth than with Liquor; after which he used to smoak Tobacco
perfum'd with liquid Amber.
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”
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Jose
de Acosta, a Spanish Jesuit missionary
who lived in Peru and then Mexico in the later 16th century, wrote of it:
“
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Loathsome to such as are not
acquainted with it, having a scum or froth that is very unpleasant taste. Yet
it is a drink very much esteemed among the Indians, where with they feast
noble men who pass through their country. The Spaniards, both men and women
that are accustomed to the country are very greedy of this Chocolate. They
say they make diverse sorts of it, some hot, some cold, and some temperate,
and put therein much of that "chili"; yea, they make paste thereof,
the which they say is good for the stomach and against the catarrh
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”
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The first
recorded shipment of chocolate to Europe for commercial purposes was in a
shipment from Veracruz to Sevilla in 1585. It
was still served as a beverage, but the Europeans added cane sugar to
counteract the natural bitterness and removed the chili pepper while retaining
the vanilla, in addition they added cinnamon as well as other spices.
What the
Spaniards then called "chocolatl" was said to be a beverage
consisting of a chocolate base flavored with vanilla and other spices that was
served cold. Montezuma's court reportedly drank about 2,000 cups of xocolatl per
day, 50 of which were consumed by Montezuma himself.
Until the 16th
century, no European had ever heard of the popular drink from the Central and
South American peoples. It was not until the Spanish conquest of the
Aztecs that chocolate could be imported to Europe. In Spain, it quickly became
a court favorite. In a century it had spread and become popular throughout the
European continent. To keep up with the high demand for this new drink,
Spanish armies began enslaving Mesoamericans to produce cacao.. Even with
cacao harvesting becoming a regular business, only royalty and the
well-connected could afford to drink this expensive import. Before long, the Spanish began growing cacao
beans on plantations, and using an African workforce to help manage
them. The situation was different in England. Put simply, anyone with
money could buy it. The first chocolate house opened in London in 1657. In
1689, noted physician and collector Hans Sloane developed a
milk chocolate drink in Jamaica which was initially used
by apothecaries, but later sold to the Cadbury brothers
in 1897.
For hundreds of
years, the chocolate-making process remained unchanged. When the Industrial
Revolution arrived, many changes occurred that brought about the food
today in its modern form. A Dutch family's (van Houten) inventions made
mass production of shiny, tasty chocolate bars and related products possible.
In the 18th century, mechanical mills were created that squeezed out cocoa
butter, which in turn helped to create hard, durable chocolate. But, it
was not until the arrival of the Industrial Revolution that these mills were
put to bigger use. Not long after the revolution cooled down, companies began
advertising this new invention to sell many of the chocolate treats we see
today. When new machines were produced, people began experiencing and
consuming chocolate worldwide.
At the end of
the 18th century, the first form of solid chocolate was invented in Turin by
Doret. This chocolate was sold in large quantities from 1826 by Pierre
Paul Caffarel in Italy. In 1819, F. L. Cailler opened
the first Swiss chocolate factory. In 1828, Dutchman Coenraad
Johannes van Houten patented a method for extracting the fat from
cocoa beans and making powdered cocoa and cocoa butter.
Van Houten also developed the "so-called" Dutch process of
treating chocolate with alkali to remove the bitter taste.
This made it possible to form the modern chocolate bar. The German company
Jordan & Timaeus sold the first known chocolate bar made from cocoa, sugar
and goat's milk in 1839.[35] In England, the company, J. S. Fry & Sons discovered
a way to mix some of the cocoa butter back into the Dutchedchocolate,
and added sugar, creating a paste that could be moulded. This led to the first
British chocolate bar in 1847, followed in 1849 by the Cadbury brothers.
In 1865, an
unknown employee at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company discovered
the Broma process of separating cocoa butter from cocoa solids
(namely, that if chocolate is hung in a bag in a warm room, the butter will
drip out naturally over time).
Daniel
Peter, a Swiss candle
maker, joined his father-in-law's chocolate business. In 1867, he began
experimenting with milk as an ingredient. He brought his new product, milk
chocolate, to market in 1875. He was assisted in removing the water content
from the milk to prevent mildewing by a neighbour, a baby food manufacturer
named Henri Nestlé. Rodolphe Lindt invented the
process called conching, which involves heating and grinding the chocolate solids
very finely to ensure that the liquid is evenly blended. This enabled Milton
Hershey to make chocolate even more popular by mass-producing
affordable chocolate bars.
Types of chocolate
Disk of chocolate (about 4cm in diameter), as sold in
Central America, for making hot cocoa. Note that the chocolate pictured here is
soft, can easily be crumbled by hand, and already has sugar added.
Several types
of chocolate can be distinguished. Pure, unsweetened chocolate contains
primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the
chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate,
combining chocolate with sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that
additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. In the U.K. and Ireland
milk chocolate must contain a minimum of 20% total dry cocoa solids; in the
rest of the European Union the minimum is 25%. "White chocolate"
contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, but no cocoa solids. Chocolate
contains alkaloids such as theobromine andphenethylamine,
which have some physiological effects in humans, but the presence of
theobromine renders it toxic to some animals, such as dogs and cats. It
has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Dark chocolate has
been promoted for unproven health benefits, as it seems to possess
substantial amount ofantioxidants that reduce the formation
of free radicals.
White chocolate
is formed from a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter and milk solids. Although its
texture is similar to milk and dark chocolate, it does not contain any cocoa
solids. Because of this, many countries do not consider white chocolate as
chocolate at all. Although first introduced by Hebert Candies in
1955, Mars, Incorporated was the first to produce white
chocolate within the United States. Because it does not contain any cocoa
solids, white chocolate does not contain any theobromine, meaning it can be
consumed by animals. It is usually not used for cooking.
Dark chocolate
is produced by adding fat and sugar to the cacao mixture. The U.S. Food
and Drug Administration calls this "sweet chocolate", and
requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a
minimum of 35% cocoa solids.[36] Dark chocolate, with its high cocoa content, is a rich
source ofepicatechin and gallic acid, which are thought
to possess cardioprotective properties. Dark chocolate has also been said to
reduce the possibility of a heart attackwhen consumed regularly in
small amounts. Semisweet chocolate is a dark chocolate with a low sugar
content. Bittersweet chocolate is chocolate liquor to which some sugar
(typically a third), more cocoa butter, vanilla and sometimes lecithin have
been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate, but the
two are interchangeable in baking.
Unsweetened
chocolate is pure chocolate liquor, also known as bitter or baking
chocolate. It is unadulterated chocolate: the pure, ground, roasted chocolate
beans impart a strong, deep chocolate flavor.
Raw chocolate,
often referred to as raw cacao, is always dark and a minimum of 75% cacao.
Because the act of processing results in the loss of certain vitamins and
minerals (such as magnesium), some consider raw cacao to be a more nutritious
form of chocolate.
Some people who
purchase chocolate off the store shelf can be disappointed when they see
whitish spots on the dark chocolate part. This is called chocolate
bloomand is not an indication of chocolate gone bad. Instead, this is just
an indication that sugar and/or fat has separated due to poor storage.
Production
Children in cocoa production and Cocoa
production in Côte d'Ivoire
Chocolate is created from the cocoa bean. A
cacao tree with fruit pods in various stages of ripening
Roughly two-thirds
of the entire world's cocoa is produced in West Africa, with 43% sourced
from Côte d'Ivoire, where child labor is a common practice to obtain the
product. According to the World Cocoa Foundation, some 50 million people
around the world depend on cocoa as a source of livelihood. In the UK,
most chocolatiers purchase their chocolate from them, to melt, mold and package
to their own design.
Chocolate is
any product made primarily of cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Production
costs can be decreased by reducing cocoa solid content or by substituting cocoa
butter with another fat. Cocoa growers object to allowing the resulting food to
be called "chocolate", due to the risk of lower demand for their
crops. The sequencing in 2010 of genome of the cacao tree may allow yields
to be improved.
There are two
main jobs associated with creating chocolate candy, chocolate makers and
chocolatiers. Chocolate makers use harvested cacao beans and other ingredients
to produce couverture chocolate (covering). Chocolatiers use
the finished couverture to make chocolate candies (bars, truffles,
etc.).
Cacao varieties
Toasted cacao beans at a chocolate workshop at the La
Chonita Hacienda inTabasco, Mexico.
Chocolate is
made from cocoa beans, the dried and partially fermented seeds of
the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), a small (4–8 m (or
15–26 ft) tall) evergreen tree native to the deep
tropical region of the Americas. Recent genetic studies suggest that the most
common genotype of the plant originated in the Amazon
basin and was gradually transported by humans throughout South and
Central America. Early forms of another genotype have also been found in what
is nowVenezuela. The scientific name, Theobroma,
means "food of the deities". The fruit, called a
cacao pod, is ovoid, 15–30 cm (or 6–12 in) long and 8–10 cm
(3–4 in) wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about 500 g
(1 lb) when ripe.
Cacao
trees are small, understory trees
that need rich, well-drained soils. They naturally grow within 20 degrees of
either side of the equator because they need about 2000 millimeters of rainfall
a year, and temperatures in the range of 21 to 32 °C. Cacao trees cannot
tolerate a temperature lower than 15 °C (59 °F)
The three main
varieties of cacao beans used in chocolate are criollo,
forastero, and trinitario.
Representing
only five percent of all cocoa beans grown
criollo is the rarest and most expensive cocoa on the market, and
is native to Central America, theCaribbean islands and the northern
tier of South American states . There is some dispute about the genetic
purity of cocoas sold today as criollo, as most populations have been exposed
to the genetic influence of other varieties. Criollos are particularly
difficult to grow, as they are vulnerable to a variety of environmental threats
and produce low yields of cocoa per tree. The flavor of criollo is described as
delicate yet complex, low in classic chocolate flavor, but rich in "secondary"
notes of long duration
The most
commonly grown bean is forastero, a large group of wild and cultivated
cacaos, most likely native to the Amazon basin. The African cocoa
crop is entirely of the forastero variety. They are significantly hardier and
of higher yield than criollo. The source of most chocolate marketed forastero
cocoas are typically strong in classic "chocolate" flavor, but have a
short duration and are unsupported by secondary flavors, producing "quite
bland" chocolate.
Trinitario is a
natural hybrid of criollo and forastero. Trinitario originated in Trinidad after
an introduction of forastero to the local criollo crop. Nearly all cacao
produced over the past five decades is of the forastero or lower-grade
trinitario varieties.
Cacao
pods are harvested by cutting the
pods from the tree using a machete, or by knocking them off the
tree using a stick. The beans with their surrounding pulp are removed from the
pods and placed in piles or bins, allowing access to microorganisms so
that fermentation of the pectin-containing
material can begin. Yeastproduce ethanol, lactic
acid bacteria produce lactic acid and acetic
acid bacteria produce acetic acid. The fermentation
process, which takes up to seven days, also produces several flavor precursors,
eventually resulting in the familiar chocolate taste.
It is important
to harvest the pods when they are fully ripe because if the pod is unripe, the
beans will have a low cocoa butter content, or there will be insufficient
sugars in the white pulp for fermentation, resulting in a weak flavor. After
fermentation, the beans must be quickly dried to prevent mold growth. Climate
and weather permitting, this is done by spreading the beans out in the sun from
five to seven days.
The dried beans
are then transported to a chocolate manufacturing facility. The beans are
cleaned (removing twigs, stones, and other debris), roasted, and
graded. Next, the shell of each bean is removed to extract the nib. Finally,
the nibs are ground and liquefied, resulting in pure chocolate in fluid
form: chocolate liquor. The liquor can be further processed
into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Blending
Types of chocolate
Chocolate
liquor is blended with the cocoa butter in varying quantities to make different
types of chocolate or couvertures. The basic blends of ingredients for the
various types of chocolate (in order of highest quantity of cocoa liquor
first), are as follows:
Fountain chocolate is made with high levels of cocoa butter,
allowing it to flow gently over achocolate fountain to serve asdessert
fondue.
·
Dark chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter,
cocoa liquor, and (sometimes) vanilla
·
Milk chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter,
cocoa liquor, milk or milk powder, and vanilla
·
White chocolate: sugar, cocoa
butter, milk or milk powder, and vanilla
Usually,
an emulsifying agent, such as soy lecithin, is added,
though a few manufacturers prefer to exclude this ingredient for purity reasons
and to remain GMO-free, sometimes at the cost of a perfectly smooth
texture. Some manufacturers are now using PGPR, an artificial
emulsifier derived from castor oil that allows them to reduce the amount of
cocoa butter while maintaining the same mouthfeel.
The texture is
also heavily influenced by processing, specifically conching (see below). The
more expensive chocolate tends to be processed longer and thus have a smoother
texture and mouthfeel, regardless of whether emulsifying agents are added.
Different
manufacturers develop their own "signature" blends based on the above
formulas, but varying proportions of the different constituents are used. The
finest, plain dark chocolate couvertures contain at least 70% cocoa (both
solids and butter), whereas milk chocolate usually contains up to 50%.
High-quality white chocolate couvertures contain only about 35% cocoa.
Producers of
high quality, small batch chocolate argue that mass production produces bad
quality chocolate. Some mass-produced chocolate contains much less cocoa
(as low as 7% in many cases), and fats other than cocoa butter. Vegetable oils
and artificial vanilla flavor are often used in
cheaper chocolate to mask poorly fermented and/or roasted beans.
In 2007, the
Chocolate Manufacturers Association in the United States, whose members
include Hershey, Nestlé, and Archer Daniels
Midland, lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to
change the legal definition of chocolate to let them substitute partially
hydrogenated vegetable oils for cocoa butter, in addition to using
artificial sweeteners and milk substitutes. Currently, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not allow a product to be
referred to as "chocolate" if the product contains any of these
ingredients.
Conching
Conching
Chocolate melanger mixing raw ingredients
The penultimate
process is called conching. A conche is a container filled with
metal beads, which act as grinders. The refined and blended chocolate mass is
kept in a liquid state by frictional heat. Chocolate prior to conching has an
uneven and gritty texture. The conching process produces cocoa and sugar
particles smaller than the tongue can detect, hence the smooth feel in the
mouth. The length of the conching process determines the final smoothness and
quality of the chocolate. High-quality chocolate is conched for about
72 hours, lesser grades about four to six hours. After the process is
complete, the chocolate mass is stored in tanks heated to approximately
45–50 °C (113–122 °F) until final processing.
Tempering
The final
process is called tempering. Uncontrolled crystallization of cocoa
butter typically results in crystals of varying size, some or all large enough
to be clearly seen with the naked eye. This causes the surface of the chocolate
to appear mottled and matte, and causes the chocolate to crumble rather than
snap when broken. The uniform sheen and crisp bite of properly processed
chocolate are the result of consistently small cocoa butter crystals produced
by the tempering process.
The fats in cocoa
butter can crystallize in six different forms (polymorphous crystallization).
The primary purpose of tempering is to assure that only the best form is
present. The six different crystal forms have different properties.
Crystal
|
Melting temp.
|
Notes
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I
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17
°C (63 °F)
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Soft,
crumbly, melts too easily
|
II
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21
°C (70 °F)
|
Soft,
crumbly, melts too easily
|
III
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26
°C (79 °F)
|
Firm,
poor snap, melts too easily
|
IV
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28
°C (82 °F)
|
Firm,
good snap, melts too easily
|
V
|
34
°C (93 °F)
|
Glossy,
firm, best snap, melts near body temperature (37 °C)
|
VI
|
36
°C (97 °F)
|
Hard,
takes weeks to form
|
Molten chocolate and a piece of a chocolate bar
Making
chocolate considered "good" is about forming as many type V crystals
as possible. This provides the best appearance and texture and creates the most
stable crystals, so the texture and appearance will not degrade over time. To
accomplish this, the temperature is carefully manipulated during the
crystallization.
Generally, the
chocolate is first heated to 45 °C (113 °F) to melt all six
forms of crystals. Next, the chocolate is cooled to about 27
°C (81 °F), which will allow crystal types IV and V to form. At this
temperature, the chocolate is agitated to create many small crystal
"seeds" which will serve as nuclei to create small crystals in the
chocolate. The chocolate is then heated to about 31
°C (88 °F) to eliminate any type IV crystals, leaving just type
V. After this point, any excessive heating of the chocolate will destroy the
temper and this process will have to be repeated. However, there are other
methods of chocolate tempering used. The most common variant is introducing
already tempered, solid "seed" chocolate. The temper of chocolate can
be measured with a chocolate temper meter to ensure accuracy
and consistency. A sample cup is filled with the chocolate and placed in the
unit which then displays or prints the results.
Two classic
ways of manually tempering chocolate are:
·
Working the molten chocolate on a
heat-absorbing surface, such as a stone slab, until thickening indicates the
presence of sufficient crystal "seeds"; the chocolate is then gently
warmed to working temperature.
·
Stirring solid chocolate into molten
chocolate to "inoculate" the liquid chocolate with crystals (this
method uses the already formed crystals of the solid chocolate to
"seed" the molten chocolate).
Chocolate
tempering machines (or temperers) with computer controls can be used for
producing consistently tempered chocolate, particularly for large volume
applications.
Storage
Packaged chocolate in the Ghirardelli Chocolate
Company shop is stored in controlled conditions
Chocolate is
very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Ideal storage temperatures are
between 15 and 17 °C (59 and 63 °F), with a relative humidity of less
than 50%. Various types of "blooming" effects can occur if
chocolate is stored or served improperly. Fat bloom is caused by storage
temperature fluctuating or exceeding 24 C while sugar bloom is caused by
temperature below 15 C or excess humidity. To distinguish between different
types of bloom, one can rub the surface of the chocolate lightly, and if the
bloom disappears, it is fat bloom. One can get rid of bloom by re-tempering the
chocolate or using it for anything that requires melting the chocolate.
Chocolate is
generally stored away from other foods, as it can absorb different aromas.
Ideally, chocolates are packed or wrapped, and placed in proper storage with
the correct humidity and temperature. Additionally, chocolate is frequently
stored in a dark place or protected from light by wrapping paper.
If refrigerated
or frozen without containment, chocolate can absorb enough moisture to cause a
whitish discoloration, the result of fat or sugar crystals rising to the
surface. Moving chocolate from one temperature extreme to another, such as from
a refrigerator on a hot day, can result in an oily texture. Although visually
unappealing, chocolate suffering from bloom is perfectly safe for consumption.
Health effects
Health effects of chocolate and Theobromine
poisoning
Even though
chocolate is regularly eaten for pleasure, there are potential
health effects, both negative and positive. Cocoa or dark
chocolate may positively affect the circulatory system. Other
possible effects under basic research include anticancer, brain
stimulator, cough preventor and antidiarrhoeal activities.
There is some evidence that chocolate may be addictive, or at least
subject to craving; people who crave chocolate or obsessively consume it are
referred to as chocoholics. An aphrodisiac effect
is yet unproven. Although basic research has provided preliminary evidence
that polyphenols in chocolate might inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol, few
results from clinical trials are conclusive about such an
effect in humans.
On the other
hand, the unconstrained consumption of large quantities of any energy-rich
food, such as chocolate, without a corresponding increase in activity, is
thought to increase the risk of obesity. Raw chocolate is high
in cocoa butter, a fat which is removed during chocolate refining,
then added back in varying proportions during the manufacturing process.
Manufacturers may add other fats, sugars, and milk as well, all of which
increase the caloric content of chocolate.
Chocolate and
cocoa contain moderate to high amounts of oxalate which can
cause some health concerns particularly for individuals at risk for kidney
stones.
Chocolate
absorbs lead from the environment during production, and there is a slight
concern of mild lead poisoning for some types of chocolate. In
a study from Nigeria, the average lead concentration of cocoa beans was less
than 0.5 ng/g, among the lowest reported values for a natural food, with
lead concentrations ranging from 70–230 ng/g for raw and processed
cocoa. These measurements "are consistent with market-basket surveys
that have repeatedly listed lead concentrations in chocolate products among the
highest reported for all foods. One source of contamination of the finished
products is tentatively attributed to atmospheric emissions of leaded gasoline,
which is still being used in Nigeria. The figures are still comparatively
low when compared to 200,000 ng, which is the WHO tolerable daily limit
for lead consumption. Additionally, chocolate is toxic to
many animals because of insufficient capacity to metabolize theobromine
A BBC report
indicated that melting chocolate in one's mouth produced an increase in brain
activity and heart rate that was more intense than that
associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as
long after the activity had ended.
In later
research, chocolate has been linked with multiple health benefits and
liabilities. Research on elderly people showed chocolate might cause osteoporosis. However,
dark chocolate and cocoa butter have also been linked with multiple positive
effects. Several studies have suggested that eating chocolate can help reduce
the risk of certain cardiovascular problems and also
reduce blood pressurein both overweight and normal adults . One
study has shown that it will boost cognitive abilities. Finally,
studies have shown dark chocolate as part of a low-fat diet can lower cholesterol levels
in adults.
According to
one study, chocolate consumption correlates with lower Body Mass Index.
Labeling
Some
manufacturers provide the percentage of chocolate in a finished chocolate
confection as a label quoting percentage of "cocoa" or
"cacao". It should be noted that this refers to the combined
percentage of both cocoa solids and cocoa butter in
the bar, not just the percentage of cocoa solids.
Chocolates that
are organic or fair trade certified carry
labels accordingly.
In the United
States, some large chocolate manufacturers lobbied the federal government to
permit confections containing cheaper hydrogenated vegetable oil in
place of cocoa butter to be sold as "chocolate". In
June 2007, as a response to consumer concern after the proposed change, the FDA
reiterated "Cacao fat, as one of the signature characteristics of the
product, will remain a principal component of standardized chocolate.
Manufacturers
A Hershey chocolate bar. The Hershey
Company is one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world.
List of bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers
Many chocolate
manufacturers have created products from chocolate bars to fudge,
hoping to attract more consumers with each creation. Hershey and Mars have
become the largest manufacturers in the world. Other large manufacturers
include Nestlé, Kraft Foods and Lindt.
The
Hershey Company, known for their Hershey
bar, Hershey's Kisses and Reese's Peanut Butter
Cups, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Mars,
Incorporated, one of the largest privately owned U.S. corporations, is a
worldwide manufacturer of confectionery and other food products, with
US$21 billion in annual sales in 2006. Mars is known for Mars Bar, Milky
Way, M&M's, Twix and Snickers,
as well as other confectionery items, such Skittles.
Food
conglomerates Nestlé SA and Kraft Foods both have chocolate brands. Nestlé acquired Rowntree's in
1988 and now market chocolates under their own brand, including Smarties and Kit Kat; Kraft Foods through its 1990 acquisition of Jacobs Suchard, now
own Milka and Suchard. In February 2010,
Kraft also acquired British-based Cadbury plc, the world's largest
confectionery manufacturer.. Cadbury is well known for its Dairy
Milk range and Creme Egg; Fry's,
Trebor Basset, the fair-trade brand Green & Black's also
belong to the group.
The chocolate
industry, a steadily growing, $50 billion-a-year worldwide business centered on
the sale and consumption of chocolate, is prevalent on five out of seven
continents.. Big Chocolate, as it is also called, is essentially
an oligopoly between major international chocolate companies in Europe and the
U.S. These U.S. companies, such as Mars and Hershey’s alone, generate $13
billion a year in chocolate sales and account for two-thirds of U.S.
manufacturers. However, Europe accounts for 45% of the world's chocolate
revenue.
In popular culture
A box of assorted chocolates, often given as a gift.
Holidays
Chocolate is
one of the most popular holiday gifts. Gifts of chocolate molded into different
shapes have become traditional on certain holidays: chocolate bunnies and eggs are
popular on Easter, chocolate coins on Hanukkah, snowmen and other
holiday symbols on Christmas, and chocolate hearts or
chocolate in heart-shaped boxes on Valentine's Day.
The International
Chocolate Day is observed on 13 September.[104] On Valentine's Day, a box of chocolates is
traditional, usually presented with flowers and agreeting card. It may
be given on other holidays, and birthdays. At Easter, chocolate
eggs are traditional. This is a confection made primarily of chocolate, and can
either be solid, hollow, or filled with other sweets or fondant. Many
confectioners make holiday-specific chocolate candies, usually variants of
their standard fare. Hollow chocolate bunnies (Easter) and hollow Santa
Claus figures (Christmas) are two examples.
Books and film
Chocolate has
been the center of several successful book and film adaptations. In 1964, Roald
Dahl published a children's novel titled Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory. The novel centers on a poor boy named Charlie Bucket
who takes a tour through the greatest chocolate factory in the world, owned
by Willy Wonka. Two film adaptations of the novel were produced.
The first was Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, a
1971 film which later became a cult classic, and spawned the real
world Willy Wonka Candy Company, which produces chocolate products
to this day. Thirty-four years later, a second film adaptation was produced,
titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The 2005 film was
very well received by critics and was one of the highest grossing films
that year, earning over US$470,000,000 worldwide. Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory was also recognized at the 78th Academy
Awards, where it was nominated for Best Costume Design for
Gabriella Pesucci
Like
Water for Chocolate (Como
agua para chocolate), a 1989 love story by novelist Laura Esquivel,
was adapted to film in 1992. The plot incorporates magical realism with
Mexican cuisine, and the title is adouble entendre in its native
language, referring both to a recipe for hot chocolate and to
an idiom that is a metaphor for sexual arousal. The film earned
11 Ariel Awards from the Academia Mexicana de Artes y
Ciencias Cinematográficas, including Best Picture.
Chocolat, a 1999 novel by Joanne Harris, tells the story
of Vianne Rocher, a young mother, whose confections change the lives of the
townspeople. The 2000 film adaptation, Chocolat, also proved
successful, grossing over US$150,000,000 worldwide, and receiving Academy
Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best
Picture, Best Actress, and Best Original Score
