the world of chocolate

what is chocolate?

Chocolate or cocoa is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form for at least 5,300 years starting with the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in what is present-day Ecuador and later Mesoamerican civilizations also consumed chocolate beverages before being introduced to Europe in the 16th century.

where does the word "chocolate" come from?

The word "chocolate" comes from the Classical Nahuatl word xocolātl, meaning bitter (xoco) water (atl), and entered the English language via the Spanish chocolate.

a brief history of chocolate

The history of chocolate dates back over 5,000 years. The cacao tree is native to the tropics of the Americas. The cocoa bean was first domesticated at least 5,300 years ago in what is present-day southeast Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe Province) by the Mayo-Chinchipe culture, before being introduced in Mesoamerica.

Originally prepared as a drink, chocolate was served as a bitter liquid, mixed with spices or corn puree. In Mesoamerica, it was believed to be an aphrodisiac and to give the drinker strength. Today, such drinks are also known as "Chilate" and are made by locals in the south of Mexico and the north triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras).

After its arrival to Europe in the sixteenth century, sugar was added to it and it became popular throughout society, first among the ruling classes and then among the common people. In the 20th century, chocolate was considered essential in the rations of United States soldiers during war.

The cacao tree is native to the Amazon rainforest. The cocoa bean was first domesticated at least 5,300 years ago, in equatorial South America from the Santa Ana-La Florida (SALF) site in what is present-day southeast Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe Province) by the Mayo-Chinchipe culture, before being introduced in Mesoamerica. Cultivation, consumption, and cultural use of cacao were extensive in Mesoamerica.

When pollinated, the seed of the cacao tree eventually forms a kind of sheath, or ear, averaging 20" long, hanging from the tree trunk itself. Within the sheath are 30 to 40 brownish-red almond-shaped beans embedded in a sweet viscous pulp. While the beans themselves are bitter due to the alkaloids within them, the sweet pulp may have been the first element consumed by humans.

Cacao pods grow in a wide range of colors, from pale yellow to bright green, all the way to dark purple or crimson. The skin can also vary greatly - some are sculpted with craters or warts, while others are completely smooth. This wide range in type of pods is unique to cacaos in that their color and texture does not necessarily determine the ripeness or taste of the beans inside.

Evidence suggests that it may have been fermented and served as an alcoholic beverage as early as 1400 BC. Scientists have been able to confirm its presence in vessels throughout the region by evaluating the "chemical footprint" detectable in the micro samples of contents that remain. Ceramic vessels with residues from the preparation of chocolate beverages have been found at archaeological sites dating back to the Early Formative (1900–900 BC) period. For example, one such vessel found at an Olmec archaeological site on the Gulf Coast of Veracruz, Mexico dates chocolate's preparation by pre-Olmec peoples as early as 1750 BC. On the Pacific coast of Chiapas, Mexico, a Mokayanan archaeological site provides evidence of cacao beverages dating even earlier, to 1900 BC.

chocolate and the europeans

Until the 16th century, the cacao tree was wholly unknown to Europeans.

Christopher Columbus encountered the cacao bean on his fourth mission to the Americas on August 15, 1502, when he and his crew seized a large native canoe that proved to contain among other goods for trade, cacao beans.

His son Ferdinand commented that the natives greatly valued the beans, which he termed almonds, "for when they were brought on board ship together with their goods, I observed that when any of these almonds fell, they all stooped to pick it up, as if an eye had fallen."

But while Columbus took cacao beans with him back to Spain, it made no impact until Spanish friars introduced chocolate to the Spanish court.

After the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, chocolate was imported to Europe. In the beginning, Spaniards would use it as a medicine to treat illnesses such as abdominal pain because it had a bitterness to it. Once sweetened, it transformed. It quickly became a court favorite. It was still served as a beverage, but the addition of sugar or honey counteracted the natural bitterness.

The Spaniards initially intended to recreate the original taste of the Mesoamerican chocolate by adding similar spices, but this habit had faded away by the end of the eighteenth century. At first chocolate was largely a privilege of the rich while the lower class drank coffee, but once the steam engine was invented in the late 1700s, mass production became possible. Within about a hundred years, chocolate had established a foothold throughout Europe.

different types of chocolate

Several types of chocolate can be distinguished. Pure, unsweetened chocolate, often called "baking chocolate", contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, which combines chocolate with sugar.

The traditional types of chocolate are dark, milk and white. All of them contain cocoa butter, which is the ingredient defining the physical properties of chocolate (consistency and melting temperature). Plain (or dark) chocolate, as it name suggests, is a form of chocolate that is similar to pure cocoa liquor, although is usually made with a slightly higher proportion of cocoa butter. It is simply defined by its cocoa percentage. In milk chocolate, the non-fat cocoa solids are partly or mostly replaced by milk solids. In white chocolate, they are all replaced by milk solids, hence its ivory color.

Other forms of eating chocolate exist, these include raw chocolate (made with unroasted beans) and ruby chocolate. An additional popular form of eating chocolate, gianduja, is made by incorporating nut paste (typically hazelnut) to the chocolate paste.

other types of chocolate

Other types of chocolate are used in baking and confectionery. These include baking chocolate (often unsweetened), couverture chocolate (used for coating), compound chocolate (a lower-cost alternative) and modeling chocolate. Modeling chocolate is a chocolate paste made by melting chocolate and combining it with corn syrup, glucose syrup, or golden syrup.

white chocolate

White chocolate is a confectionery typically made of sugar, milk, and cocoa butter, but no cocoa solids. It is pale ivory in color, and lacks many of the compounds found in milk, dark, and other chocolates. It is solid at room temperature (25 °C (77 °F)) because the melting point of cocoa butter, the only white cocoa bean component, is 35 °C (95 °F).

Recipes from the past were labelled "white chocolate" in 1869, 1871, and 1872, but these differed from the current understanding of white chocolate. For example, Henry Blakely's 1871 recipe calls for "white sugar, rice flour, arrowroot powder, vanilla, cocoa butter, and gum arabic" boiled in water, which likely would produce a chewy confection.

White chocolate is essentially milk chocolate devoid of cocoa solids. Its base recipe, milk chocolate, was developed in 1875 by Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter.

the milky bar and white chocolate in the states

In 1936, Swiss company Nestlé introduced the first modern white chocolate tablet: Milkybar (or Galak), launched in Europe. Nestlé was a major player in the Swiss chocolate industry and owner of the Peter-Cailler-Kohler factory. Nestlé is generally credited for the first white chocolate bar, although earlier forms of white chocolate had probably been made before 1936. Making white chocolate was a way to use milk powder and cocoa butter, which were then produced in excess.

White chocolate was first introduced to the United States in 1946 by Frederick E. Hebert of Hebert Candies in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, near Worcester, after he had tasted "white coat" candies while traveling in Europe.

From about 1948 until the 1990s, Nestlé also produced a white chocolate bar with almond pieces, Alpine White, for markets in the United States and Canada. Other chocolate manufacturers developed their own formulas, such as that developed by Kuno Baedeker for the Merckens Chocolate Company in 1945. As white chocolate became mainstream, white versions of popular chocolate bars appeared, for instance Toblerone in 1973 and Hershey's Kisses in 1993.

As of 2022, white chocolate accounts for about 10 percent of the overall chocolate market.

microbiAL FERMENTATION OF CHOCOLATE

The beans (which are sterile within their pods) and their surrounding pulp are removed from the pods and placed in piles or bins to ferment. Micro-organisms, present naturally in the environment, ferment the pectin-containing material. Yeasts produce ethanol, lactic acid bacteria produce lactic acid, and acetic acid bacteria produce acetic acid. In some cocoa-producing regions an association between filamentous fungi and bacteria (called "cocobiota") acts to produce metabolites beneficial to human health when consumed. The fermentation process, which takes up to seven days, also produces several flavor precursors, that eventually provide the chocolate taste.

After fermentation, the beans must be 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. In some growing regions (for example, Tobago), the dried beans are then polished for sale by "dancing the cocoa": spreading the beans onto a floor, adding oil or water, and shuffling the beans against each other using bare feet.

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. The nibs are ground and liquefied, resulting in pure chocolate liquor. The liquor can be further processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

moist incubation

In this alternative process, the beans are dried without fermentation. The nibs are then removed and hydrated in an acidic solution. They are heated for 72 hours and dried again. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry showed that the incubated chocolate had higher levels of Strecker aldehydes, and lower levels of pyrazines.

how do we melt chocolate?

The art of melting chocolate can be a tricky thing. The last thing you would want to do is throw chocolate into a pan and just turn on the stove. If you have ever melted chocolate directly in the microwave or saucepan, then you know how quickly the chocolate can become a mess. Chocolate heated directly on the pan will burn, melt unevenly, and create uneven lumps instead of the luscious melted chocolate you’re going for.

One simple method to melt chocolate is to use a double boiler, which involves a few steps. And even if you are a beginner, using a double boiler is arguably the best and easiest way you could learn to melt chocolate.

You need two things to get a glossy and smooth melted chocolate, perfect for your recipe –quality chocolate and proper heating. You need to heat the chocolate evenly by applying the heat indirectly to avoid burning the chocolate. Proper heating will also help you achieve chocolate that is easy to pour, making your cooking mess-free.

what is a bain-marie?

A double boiler, or bain-marie, is a piece of equipment for heating ingredients and foods by applying indirect heat. Simply put, it is a saucepan stacked on top of another. The lower pan holds water while the upper pan holds the ingredient or food. When heat is applied, the water in the lower pan simmers or boils and the steam generated gently heats the upper pan, creating a heated bath.

Make sure that the bowl is big enough to cover the whole surface of the saucepan. A stainless steel or glass bowl works perfectly. Just note that with different materials, the transfer of heat may not be the same. Stainless steel heats up quicker, so you’ll need to mix the chocolate more often to prevent burning.

what is tempering chocolate?

Proper “tempering”—heating and cooling chocolate to stabilize it for making candies and confections—gives chocolate a smooth and glossy finish, keeps it from easily melting on your fingers, and allows it to set up beautifully for dipped and chocolate-covered treats.

tips for melting chocolate

To make sure your melted chocolate comes out perfect, take a look at these simple yet important tips for using your double boiler.

Don't melt chocolate on the stove directly, otherwise the chocolate will quickly burn.

Ensure the bottom of the bowl is dry before placing it in the saucepan.

Make sure the bowl you use fits well to seal the pan and that the bowl avoids touching the simmering water in the pan.

Do not add water to the chocolate, and ensure the water doesn’t get into the bowl of chocolate as this can cause the chocolate to seize. Have a kitchen cloth or towel ready to absorb water on the bottom of the bowl as you remove it from the pan.

Only use low to medium heat. Excess heat could ruin the melting process and increase the risk of burning.

Keep stirring your chocolate as it's melting to avoid burnt bits at the bottom of the bowl.

Add a small amount of vegetable oil after the chocolate is melted thoroughly to give your melted chocolate a nice gloss and smooth texture.

If you're melting a large amount of chocolate, do it in batches. That way, each batch of chocolate will melt perfectly.

how do we store chocolate?

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%. 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. Various types of "blooming" effects can occur if chocolate is stored or served improperly.

Chocolate bloom is caused by storage temperature fluctuating or exceeding 24 °C (75 °F), while sugar bloom is caused by temperature below 15 °C (59 °F) 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. Moving chocolate between temperature extremes, can result in an oily texture. Although visually unappealing, chocolate suffering from bloom is safe for consumption and taste is unaffected. Bloom can be reversed by retempering the chocolate or using it for any use 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. The glossy shine, snap, aroma, texture, and taste of the chocolate can show the quality and if it was stored well.

chocolate nutrition information

One hundred grams of milk chocolate supplies 540 calories. It is 59% carbohydrates (52% as sugar and 3% as dietary fiber), 30% fat and 8% protein (table). Approximately 65% of the fat in milk chocolate is saturated, mainly palmitic acid and stearic acid, while the predominant unsaturated fat is oleic acid (table).

100-grams of milk chocolate is an excellent source (over 19% of the Daily Value, DV) of riboflavin, vitamin B12 and the dietary minerals, manganese, phosphorus and zinc. Chocolate is a good source (10–19% DV) of calcium, magnesium and iron.

videos on chocolate

How Miami’s Chocolate Master Creates the Perfect Bar of Chocolate — Handmade

On this episode of ‘Handmade,’ master chocolate maker Carolina Quijano walks us through her chocolate-making process, from hand selecting the best cocoa beans in the world to the roasting process to grinding, sifting, molding, and more. The result is pure and delicious chocolate from her shop Exquisito Chocolates in Miami.

A Beginner's Guide to Bean-to-Bar Chocolate

Tamara and Dylan of Manoa Chocolate take us on a journey to Hawaii to learn about Bean-to-Bar chocolate. We cover each step of the intricate process, from the cacao farm to the chocolate factory.

Originally produced in 2020 by Mānoa Chocolate and Craft Chocolate TV.

Chocolate Factory Formula for Success | Ep.68 | Craft Chocolate

The beginnings of Manoa Chocolate were rough. 14 hour days, running out of money, endless equipment issues, crazy inefficiencies, and more. We learned as we went, and year after year we managed to survive, grow, and eventually thrive. Now, over a decade in, we're able to look back at those first years and know what we should have done differently. In this episode Dylan lays out a formula for success that we believe should be followed for a craft chocolate endeavor. We hope you learn from our mistakes and grow a chocolate company with less stress and more fun!

Trying Every Type Of Chocolate | The Big Guide | Epicurious

There are over 15 types of chocolate and pro chef Adrienne Cheatham is back to break down when and how to use each one. From cacao beans and nibs to Mexican table chocolate and the best choice for cookies, learn how to get the most out of the complex world of chocolate in the kitchen.

in conclusion

Chocolate, prevalent throughout the world, is a steadily growing, US$50 billion-a-year worldwide business. Europe accounts for 45% of the world's chocolate revenue, and the US spent $20 billion in 2013. Big Chocolate is the grouping of major international chocolate companies in Europe and the U.S. U.S. companies Mars and Hershey's alone generated $13 billion a year in chocolate sales and account for two-thirds of U.S. production in 2004. Despite the expanding reach of the chocolate industry internationally, cocoa farmers and labourers in the Ivory Coast are often unaware of the uses of the beans; the high cost of chocolate products in the Ivory Coast makes them inaccessible to the majority of the population, who do not know what chocolate tastes like.

Chocolate manufacturers produce a range of products from chocolate bars to fudge. Large manufacturers of chocolate products include Cadbury (the world's largest confectionery manufacturer), Ferrero, Guylian, The Hershey Company, Lindt & Sprüngli, Mars, Incorporated, Milka, Neuhaus and Suchard.

Food conglomerates Nestlé SA and Kraft Foods both have chocolate brands. Nestlé acquired Rowntree's in 1988 and now markets chocolates under their brand, including Smarties (a chocolate candy) and Kit Kat (a chocolate bar); Kraft Foods through its 1990 acquisition of Jacobs Suchard, now owns Milka and Suchard. In February 2010, Kraft also acquired British-based Cadbury; Fry's, Trebor Basset and the fair trade brand Green & Black's also belongs to the group.

Chocolate is associated with festivals such as Easter, when moulded chocolate rabbits and eggs are traditionally given in Christian communities, and Hanukkah, when chocolate coins are given in Jewish communities. Chocolate hearts and chocolate in heart-shaped boxes are popular on Valentine's Day and are often presented along with flowers and a greeting card. In 1868, Cadbury created a decorated box of chocolates in the shape of a heart for Valentine's Day. Boxes of filled chocolates quickly became associated with the holiday. Chocolate is an acceptable gift on other holidays and on occasions such as birthdays.

Many confectioners make holiday-specific chocolate candies. Chocolate Easter eggs or rabbits and Santa Claus figures are two examples. Such confections can be solid, hollow, or filled with sweets or fondant.

Page updated

Report abuse