Chocolate is produced from the seed of the cacao tree. The earliest documentation of its use is from around 1100 BC and it has been cultivated for, oh, EVER in Central and South Americas and Mexico. Early Mesoamericans made it into a beverage called xocolātl (Nahuatl for “bitter water") which was savory and flavored with chiles and cinnamon.
Because the cacao tree seeds are intensely bitter in taste, they have to be fermented to bring out their flavor. Once fermented, the cacao seeds are dried, cleaned, roasted, and de-shelled to make cacao nibs. The nibs are ground up to make what’s known as cocoa mass which is a rough form of pure chocolate.
The cocoa mass is also referred to as chocolate liquor because it has to be liquefied before being molded and mixed with other ingredients. And the chocolate liquor can be made into either cocoa solids or cocoa butter. Then all of your basic chocolates are a combination in varying proportions of the cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
CHOCOLATES
Baking Chocolate – also known as unsweetened or bitter chocolate is almost pure chocolate liquor but had just enough fat added in to make a solid substance. It has a deep, strong chocolate flavor. Not recommended for outright eating.
Dark Chocolate – also known as semisweet or bittersweet (depending on its color) is produced by adding fat and sugar to cocoa. It contains either no milk or much less milk than milk chocolate does. In Europe, dark chocolate is only considered such if it contains a minimum of 35% cocoa solids. Dark chocolate can be used for baking or consumption and is very popular these days because of its high antioxidant properties. If you haven’t tried Dark Chocolate Raisinets, do it now, it will change your life.
Milk Chocolate – is the most commonly consumed type of chocolate. It is dark chocolate (which has already been mixed with fat and sugar) to which some type of milk – milk powder, milky milk, or condensed milk – has been added.
Hershey Chocolate – is milk chocolate which has been processed using a by-all-accounts secret company method that adds that distinct and subtly tangy taste that has made it such an addictively popular product.
White Chocolate – is not technically a true chocolate but rather a confection that uses cocoa butter mixed with sugar and milk. Because it doesn't include cocoa solids, it is white or yellowy white rather than brown in color.
Cocoa Powder – is made by pulverizing chocolate liquor that is partially defatted and removing practically all the cocoa butter. The type most commonly found on grocery shelves is Dutch-processed cocoa powder. The Dutch-process incorporates additional alkali to neutralize the cacao’s natural acidity.
Cacao v. Cocoa – the basic difference is that cacao refers to the tree, pods and beans that produce chocolate while cocoa refers to the by-products made from the cacao beans. The terms tend to be used rather interchangeably by all but the chocolate conoscenti (and most likely by me too throughout this post).
RANDOM CHOCOFACTS
Cocoa solids contain an alkaloid called theobromine which is the substance that makes chocolate toxic to animals, in particular cats and dogs.
In early Mesoamerica, the Aztecs demanded tribute in the form of cacao beans from the areas they conquered who grew cacao. Chocolate played a special role in religious events; the cacao seeds were used as offerings to the gods and served chocolate drinks during sacred ceremonies.
In 16th century, chocolate was introduced to the European community. By the 18th century, chocolate was being prescribed by physicians as a cure-all and an aphrodisiac. I think they were seriously onto something (no wonder they called it the Age of Enlightenment).
Domingo Ghirardelli started out as a supply shop owner in California during the gold rush. He stocked chocolate delicacies in his store to take advantage of the fact that miners who struck it rich would want to spend it on luxuries like chocolate.
“Bridge Mix” is a mix of solid chocolates, chocolate-covered fruits, and chocolate-covered nuts first made popular 1920s when card parties were a common form of social gathering. Through the 1950s, the small pieces with their tempered chocolate coating made them the ideal snack food for card players who didn’t have to worry about getting sticky fingers while playing.
M&Ms were first introduced in WWII for military consumption. Their hard candy coating kept them from melting while soldiers enjoyed them in the fields. No muss, no fuss and easy to travel with. Forest Mars, Sr, patented the process for making the candy coating and the first five M&M colors were brown, red, yellow, green and violet.
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