Chocolate is a high-calorie, easy-to-absorb food made from cocoa beans and other natural edible cocoa butter and cocoa powder as the main raw materials, plus sugar, glycerin, margarine and other ingredients. Chocolate can generally be divided into three kinds: dark chocolate, white chocolate and milk chocolate.
In Europe, the history of chocolate consumption can be traced back to 300 AD, while in China, chocolate as a food has been available since the Tang Dynasty.
From the 1980s to the 1990s, chocolate items were sold in supermarkets all over the world, with cocoa butter as the main flavor and sweetness as a supplement. However, with the improvement of people's living standard, health consciousness and the increase of demand for food culture, the chocolate sold in the market now is no longer the single type of pure dark and pure milk.
Overview:
Chocolate is a high-calorie food made from cocoa beans and cocoa butter, with cocoa butter and cocoa powder as the main ingredients. It is a sweet food that can be eaten directly, and it is made by dissolving cocoa powder in milk or juice and adding sugar. Because cocoa powder contains cocoa butter, chocolate has a unique flavor and deliciousness. Chocolate is rich in nutrients, and it is not only a delicious casual food, but also a healthy food. Pure chocolate uses cocoa butter and cocoa oil as the main ingredients; milk chocolate uses sugar as the main ingredient; and mixed chocolate uses milk and cocoa butter as the main ingredients.
History and development
Cocoa occupies a very important place in the history of human civilization, with the ancient Egyptians using the fruit to make mummies. It was only in the 3rd century B.C. that the cocoa tree was recognized by the ancient Romans and began to be cultivated artificially. In the 8th century A.D., the cacao tree was introduced to the Tuscan region of southern Italy.
In the 14th century, chocolate was introduced from Italy to France and developed rapidly, and then became popular in England, Germany, the United States and other countries.
Varieties and production processes
The main production processes of chocolate varieties are as follows
1.Melting and forming method: dissolve cocoa butter in water, then add other raw materials and mix to make chocolate paste, after stirring well, it can be added into the mold for forming.
2. Molding method: The raw chocolate paste is pressed and formed in the mold, then cooled and cut.
3. Emulsification molding method: The solid raw materials are mixed with grease thoroughly and injected into the mold to emulsify it to form a solid. It is a processing method operating at room temperature. In the production, this method is used to make the grease in chocolate combined with other substances and make it evenly distributed in the whole product.
4. Rheology molding method: Mixing solid raw materials with emulsifier to emulsify, then injecting into the mold after cooling and then solidifying and molding, it is to make the chocolate paste into a block product with certain flowing ability.
Flavors and their characteristics
The flavor of chocolate is composed of a variety of substances, mainly due to the aromatic compounds contained in cocoa beans and other raw materials. These aromatic compounds are generally colorless, but their composition and content vary depending on the variety. There are many varieties of cocoa beans, but each one has a unique flavor. The origin, variety, production age and processing method of cocoa beans will affect their flavor, and some have a special smell, such as Arabica cocoa beans have a pungent smell. Processing methods can also affect the flavor, such as hot steam or cold extrusion method of chocolate production, the flavor is not as strong as the ordinary hot pressing method.
Quality requirements and quality standards
Appearance: golden yellow, round shape, bright surface, no obvious cracks, no foreign matter, impurities.
Tissue state: uniform particle size, golden color.
Nutrient composition: 14~18g of fat (content not more than 30%), 2.2~2.6g of protein (content not more than 10%) per 100g. The fatty acids contained in the fat should be unsaturated fatty acids.
Taste and quality: with a unique cocoa flavor and sweet aroma, no off-flavor. Cocoa powder content should be more than 10%.