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The better understanding of chocolate’s physical properties has resulted in additional steps in its processing. Two steps that were added along the way are tempering, which was invented in 1852, and conching. Modern refining has forever altered the textural expectations of the chocolate consumer by reducing the particle size of the cacao bits and sugar granules to under twenty-five microns, making them undetectable by human taste buds and therefore causing a smooth sensation on the tongue . The improved understanding of the physical properties of chocolate also led to the invention of the tempering process, which results in a final product that is hard, shiny, and has a characteristic snap upon setting. Additionally, the creation of condensed milk in 1853 by Gail Borden Jr. made the production of milk chocolate possible. Dutch processing was introduced to the chocolate world in 1828 by Coenraad van Houten. This helped to increase the variety of products available and to make the use of cocoa powder in cooking and baking more common.
Chocolate-Making Conch Hershey Foods Corporation c. 1920 Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Chocolate Making Conch
Chocolate Making Conch
The chocolate conche was designed by Rudolph Lindt in 1879 and originally resembled the shell of a conch, hence the name. The conching process greatly altered the overall textural experience of chocolate by evenly dispersing air and cocoa butter amongst the chocolate solids and reducing the amount of moisture found in the chocolate, which results in a free-flowing smooth final product unlike any before.
American Solidified Milk Advertisement
American Solidified Milk Advertisement
This 1858 advertisement for solidified milk from New York’s Dutchess County introduces it as being a convenient, nutritious, and lifesaving product that has an impressive list of applications. The introduction of powdered milk eventually led to the development of milk chocolate that could last long enough to be marketable, unlike the previously attempted version made using fresh milk.
“The Greatest Improvement of the Age!! For Families, especially Children and Invalids; for “Voyagers, Soldiers, and others living beyond the reach of Milk in its ordinary form. ” AMERICAN SOLIDIFIED MILK! CONCENTRATED (Dry) FROM PURE MILK, AT THE American Solidified Milk Manufactory, NEAR AMENIA, DUTCHESS CO. N. Y. […] WARRANTED TO KEEP FOR YEARS IN ANY CLIMATE, IF KEPT DRY. […] It is solidified on the best refined Sugar, and the use of it renders necessary so much less Sugar in making COFFEE, TEA and CHOCOLATE; ICE CREAM, BLANC-MANGE, CUSTARDS, PUDDINGS, CAKES, WINE-WHEY, MILK-PUNCH.”
Industries of War - Cocoa - Manufacture of Chocolate and Cocoa. Moulding and tempering ChocolateWar Department, Rockwood & Co., Brooklyn, New York 1918 National Archives at College Park
Tempering and Molding of Chocolate (1918)
Tempering and Molding of Chocolate (1918)
The improved understanding of the physical properties of chocolate resulted in the development of the tempering process, which causes chocolate’s characteristic hardness, shine, and snap upon setting. After its introduction in 1852, the process has been refined, allowing it to be used for large-scale production, such as in this chocolate manufacturing facility in Brooklyn, New York.
Hershey Hotel Luncheon Menu (1938)
Hershey Hotel Luncheon Menu (1938)
Chocolate manufacturers contributed more intellectual innovations than just those directly related to chocolate; they also impacted society in various ways. One of the lesser known contributions is the Hershey Industrial School, founded in 1909, which trained young orphaned boys to prepare them for future work and provide them with necessities and a general education.
Hotel Hershey, luncheon menu, 1938, The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park.
SourcesAfoakwa, Emmanuel Ohene. Chocolate Science and Technology. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.Allen, Willis H. “Brownie’s Food.” Recipe. Machias Cookbook. Machias, Maine, 1899, pp. 23.Coe, Michael D., and Sophie D. Coe. The True History of Chocolate. United Kingdom, Thames & Hudson, 2013.Greweling, Peter P. Chocolates & Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner. 2nd ed, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2013, pp. 31-32.Olson, James Stuart, and Abraham O Mendoza. American Economic History: A Dictionary and Chronology. Greenwood, 2015, pp. 71-72.Snyder, Rodney. et al. “From Stone Metates to Steel Mills: The Evolution of Chocolate Manufacturing” Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage, Wiley, 2009, pp. 611-623.Verna, Roberto. "The history and science of chocolate." Malaysian J Pathol, vol. 35, no. 2, 2013, pp. 111-121.Westbrook, Nicholas. “Chocolate at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1964” Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage, Wiley, 2009, pp. 199-207.
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