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Chocolate can be made in many different forms (candy bars, cocoa, cakes, cookies, coating for other candies and fruits) and is probably America's most popular candy. Chocolate is neatly wrapped as the result of a long, delicate and complicated refining process that begins with the theobroma cacao tree. Any delicious bar of fine chocolate begins with the cacao tree. The secret behind cocoa has been dated back to the ancient Maya period. To the people of Mesoamerica, chocolate was a privileged treat, in comparison to how we see it today.
The beverage served high importance during royal and religious events, as the meaning behind its name indicates; during that period of time, the seeds from the cacao pods where they get transformed into a paste to create a chocolate drink.
The paste is often mixed with chili peppers, water, and cornmeal, producing a spicy chocolate beverage” (Grivettiand Shapiro, 2009). “When the Aztecs took over part of Mesoamerica, not only were cacao seeds used to produce a favorable beverage, but they were also used as a form of currency exchange.
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The seeds had a high value as they were used as money to exchange goods amongst individuals.
As the popularity of the chocolate drink grew, the consuming population expanded to primary rulers, priests, honored merchants and even decorated soldiers” (Grivetti and Shapiro, 2009). Cocoa made its way to Europe from Central America through the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 1500s. After the realization of the value of cocoa beans, the Spanish people began to import the beans and initiated the addition of sugar to the beverage as a means of avoiding the bitter taste.
Spain was able to maintain the drink a secret from the rest of Europe for one hundred years.
Once the secret got out, the beverage was only consumed by the royal families as it was with the Mayans and the Aztecs - and wealthy people due to the expensive import of cacao bean. “Cocoa trees originated in South America's river valleys, and, by the seventh century A. D. , the Mayan Indians had brought them north into Mexico. In addition to the Mayans, many other Central American Indians, including the Aztecs and the Toltec’s, seem to have cultivated cocoa trees, and the words "chocolate" and "cocoa" both derive from the Aztec language.
When Cortez, Pizarro, and other Spanish explorers arrived in Central America in the fifteenth century, they noted that cocoa beans were used as currency and that the upper class of the native populations drank cacahuatl, a frothy beverage consisting of roasted cocoa beans blended with red pepper, vanilla, and water. Chocolate consumption soon extended to England, where the drink was served in "chocolate houses," upscale versions of the coffee houses that had sprung up in London during the 1600s.
In the mid-seventeenth century, milk chocolate was invented by an Englishman, Sir Hans Sloane, who had lived on the island of Jamaica for many years, observing the Jamaicans' extensive use of chocolate”("Chocolate," ) “Most of the fat calories that are in chocolate are from the cocoa butter although milk fat is present in milk chocolate and caramel candy. Milk is the important source of protein found in fudge, caramel, and milk chocolate” (Murano, 2003). The vegetable proteins found in cocoa, nuts, and soy ingredients are used to make certain chocolate products.
Figure 1. Production process steps of chocolate making (HawaiianVintage Chocolate, 2005) The Chocolate process begins with the harvest of the cacao pods. Because the pods grow in any location on the tree, most harvesting is harvest by hand. There are two important steps that have to be done before they can be shipped to the manufacturer. First, the pods have to be split open to reveal the cocoa beans inside that are surrounded by the fruity pulp of the pod. The beans and pulp are then scraped out of the pods and left to ferment in a basket for two to eight days.
This is an important step, as the fermentation process mellows the flavor of the beans and imparts the fruity taste with subtle chocolate flavor. Without fermentation, the beans would be to bitter to enjoy. After fermentation, the beans are spread in a single layer and left to dry completely, usually in direct sunlight. It is only done after the beans are fully fermented and dried that they are packed and shipped to the chocolate manufacturers around the world. After the beans arrive at the chocolate manufacturing facility, they have to be roasted to bring out the best chocolate flavor and color.
The time and temperature of the roasting depends on the type of beans and their relative moisture levels. After roasting, the beans are transferred to a winnower that removes the shells of the beans and leaves the “nibs” the essence of the cocoa beans that’s full of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The nibs are grounded to a thick, rich paste called chocolate liquor. This is the foundation for all chocolate products, and at last begins to resemble and smell like conventional chocolate. The liquor is pressed to remove the cocoa butter, which leaves a powdery disc known as “cocoa presscake.
” Presscake, when pulverized, becomes common cocoa powder. At this point, the chocolate process differs depending on the recipe and formulation of the manufacturer. If the chocolate is low quality, the pulverized presscake will be mixed with vegetable fats, sugar, and flavorings to become substandard chocolate. If the chocolate is going to be higher quality, cocoa butter will be re-added to the chocolate liquor, along with other ingredients like sugar, vanilla, and milk. White chocolate undergoes a similar process, except it does not contain chocolate liquor or cocoa powder.
The newly mixed chocolate travels through a series of rollers to smooth out the texture before traveling to the conching machine. “Conching is the final step in determining the ultimate flavor and texture of the chocolate. The conching machine is called that because the original machine design resembled seashells, kneads and massages the chocolate mixture for a period of time ranging from several hours to several days. The speed, temperature, and length of the conching process determines the final texture and flavor of the chocolate, as conching smooth the chocolate and mellows any remaining acidic tones” ("About.com;candy. ," 2007).
After conching, the chocolate is tempered in large machines that cool the chocolate to precise temperatures in order to produce shiny, smooth bars. Finally, the chocolate is poured in to a mold, and then wrapped and then they are ready for shipping to many eager consumers around the world. For the future production of cacao powder and all other cacao based products, a more efficient and economical based process would be favored; a process that takes the least amount of time and wastes only miniscule amounts of ingredients.
Recent advances over the past decade have been noted, including the Indonesian solar power generated processes for overcoming post-harvesting issues. Figure 2. Production processes ("Chocolate," ) The Solar Processing Centre was developed to operate the fermentation, drying, grading, and storage processes simultaneously all within one building (Sri Mulato et al . ,1999). The development of this plant has allowed for one hundred Indonesian cocoa farmers to exploit its benefits and produce up to 85 tons of dried cocoa beans yearly (Sri Mulato et al ,1999).
Furthermore, with advancements in technology and sequencing of the human genome, help is on the way. In 2008 the United States department Agriculture partnered with IBM and chocolate company MARS for a five year project with a goal to sequence and analyze the entire cocoa genome. The availability of such technology raises hopes of breeding a more disease resistant cocoa tree. After seeing some of the benefits of cocoa powder and the presence of flavor, some may wonder some techniques on how to preserve the flavor of the chocolate while cooking or baking.
From the Mayans, to the Aztecs, Spanish, French and the rest of the world, share the chocolate we consume today has a long history behind it. A lot of the advancements and adjustments that have been made over the long journey, but the popular ingredient has never been touched. Some modifications have been made, such as adding sugar, but the original product is still available. The fairly lengthy production process and many obstacles that must be overcome are worth it to the producers and consumers at the end of the day as chocolate is known as the symbol of love.
Millions of dollars are spent yearly on chocolate, in North America alone. To this day, natural cocoa has many health benefits as it did hundreds of years ago. Many mistake chocolate to be unhealthy, but in the right amount and within a healthy balanced diet, chocolate can be part of any healthy life styles. . Resource Page N/A. (n. d. ).
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