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.