The birth of chocolate -- bean to chocolate bar
the cocoa-bean--the heart of the sweetest delicacy in the world--is bitter.This is why up to the
18th century some native tribes ate only the sweetish flesh of the cocoa fruitThey reaarded the
precious bean as waste or used it, as was the case among the Aztecs as a form of currency.The cocoa tree can flourish only in the hottest regions of the world.The main fruit seasons are in May and in October/November. and it is usually at these times that the crop is harvested.
The harvest of cocoa
Immediately after harvesting,the fruit is treated to prevent it fromrotting.At fermentation sites either in the jungle or atcollecting pointsthe fruit is opened.
Fermentation
The fermentation process is decisive in the production of high qualityrawcocoa.The technique varies depending on the growing region.
Drying
After fermentation,the raw cocoa still contains far too much water; in fact about 60%.Most of this has to be removed.What could be more natural than to spread the beans out to dry on the sun-soaked ground or on mats? After a week or so,all but a small percentage of the water has evaporated.
Storage
After arriving in Switzerland,the imported raw cocoa is subject to a strict quality control. If the result of
the test is satisfactory the rawcocoa-particularly in larger chocolate factories-is first stored before
undergoing further processing.
Cleaning
Before the real processing beginsthe raw cocoa is thoroughly cleaned by passing through sievesand by brushing.Finally,the last vestiges of wood, jute fibressand and even the finest dust are extracted by powerful vacuum equipment.
Roasting
The subsequent roasting process is primarily designed to develop the aroma.The entire roasting
process,during which the air in the nearly 10 feet high furnaces reaches a temperature of 130°Cis
carried out automatically.
Crushing and shelling
The roasted beans are now broken into medium sized pieces in the crushing machine
Blending
Before grindingthe crushed beans are weighed and blended according to special recipes. The secret of every chocolate factory lies in the special mixing ratios which it has developed for different types of cocoa
Grinding
The crushed cocoa beanswhich are still fairly coarse are now preqround by special milling equipment and then fed on to rollers where they are ground into a fine pasteThe heat generated by the resulting pressure and friction causes the cocoa butter(approximately 50% of the bean)contained in the beans to melt,producing a thick,liquidmixture.This is dark brown in colour with a characteristicstrong odour. Durina coolina it aradually sets:this is the cocoa pasteAt this point the production process divides into two paths, but which soon join again.A part of the cocoa paste is taken to largepresseswhich extract the cocoa butter.The other part passes through various blending and refining processes, during which some of the cocoa butter is added to it.The two paths have rejoined.
Cocoa Butter
The cocoa butter has important functions.It not only forms part of every recipebut it also later gives the chocolate its fine structure,beautiful lustre and delicate,attractive glaze.
After the cocoa butter has left the presscocoa cakes are left which still contain a 10 to 20% proportion of fat depending on the intensity of compression.These cakes are crushed againground to powder and finely sifted in several stages and we obtain a dark,strongly aromatic powder which is excellent for the preparation of delicious drinks-cocoa.Cocoa paste,cocoa buttersugar and milk are the four basic ingredients for making chocolate.By blending them in accordance with specific recipes the three types of chocolate are obtained which form the basis of ever product assortmentnamely
·Plain chocolatecocoa paste+cocoabutter+sugar
.Milk chocolate: cocoa paste+cocoa butter+sugar+milk
.White chocolate:cocoa butter+sugar+milk
Kneading
In the case of milk chocolate for examplethe cocoa pastecocoa butterpowdered or condensed milk. sugar and flavouring-maybe vanilla- go into the mixer,where they are pulverized and kneaded.
Rolling
Depending on the design of therollinqmills,three or five vertically mounted steel rollers rotate in
opposite directions. Under heavy pressure they pulverize the tiny particles of cocoa and sugar down to a size of approx. 30 microns.(One micron is a thousandth part of a millimetre.)
Conching
But still the chocolate paste is not smooth enough to satisfy our palates.But within two or three days all that will haye been putriaht For durina this period the chocolate paste will be refined to such an extent
in the conches that it will flatter even the most discriminating palateConches(from the Spanish word meaning a shell) is the name given to the troughs in which 100 to 1000 kilograms of chocolate paste at a time can be heated up to 80°C andwhile being constantly stirredis given a velvet smoothness by the addition of certain amounts of cocoa butter and of the very valuable lecithinA kind of aeration of the liauid chocolate paste then takes place in the conches: its bitter taste aradually disappears and the flavour is fully developed.The chocolate no longer seems sandy,but dissolves meltingly on the tongue It has attained the outstanding puritywhich gives it its reputation.
Tempering
Before the formina process.the chocolate paste must be heated to50°C and then cooled to a snecific temperature a litte over 30°Cdependingonthe product.
Relate chocolate machine