UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV

CHOCOLATE
The food of Gods

Student: Petrescu Eveline Coordinator: Asist.univ.drd. Neacu Nicoleta Andreea Faculty: Economic science and Business administration Series: Business administration Year: 2nd Group: 8812

Chocolate

CONTENTS
1. Definition4 2. Etymology...4 3. History of chocolate.4 4. How chocolate is made? .7 5. Types of chocolate.12 6. The world`s chocolate producers.14 7. Health and chocolate16

Page 2

Chocolate

Why did I choose this topic?

From the vital piece of energy given by a chocolate bar in the break of a sports activity to the most exquisite fine dark chocolate topping on a gourmet desert, chocolate is always present in our lives. But what are the tiny bits and pieces that hold together this incredible invention? What changes and development have the chocolate industry taken throughout the years? All these and many more were in my mind when choosing this topic. I hope I managed to capture and expose a relevant glimpse of what chocolate means in todays world.

Page 3

Chocolate

1. Definition
Chocolate is a product based on cocoa solid and/or cocoa fat. The amount and types of cocoa solids and fat that the term implies is a matter of controversy. Manufacturers have an incentive to use the term for variations that are cheaper to produce, containing less cocoa and cocoa substitutes, although these variations might not taste as good.

2. Etymology
The word chocolate was first used in Spanish language, around 1520. How the word come into Spanish is less certain, but the most cited explanation is that chocolate comes from Nahualt, the language of Aztecs. xocolatl which is the nahuatl word, comes possibly from xocolia to make bitter plus alt which means water.

3. History of chocolate
The words cacao and chocolate come from our ancient neighbors in Central America, who first sampled its joys. Cacao trees, which originated in the Amazon region, grew wild in the rainforests of ancient Mexico. They were cultivated by the native Olmecs and the Mayas who followed them. While the sweet white fruit of the cacao pod was initially sought by the Amazonian natives, they ultimately found that grinding and mixing the seeds with water produced an even greater treat. Mankind has been enjoying chocolate for millennia: We know that more than 2500 years the Maya were making the cacao beverage; and perhaps as early as 1200 B.C.E. the Olmec were doing so. The Maya believed that the cacao tree its fruit were a gift of the gods; the tree was worshipped as a symbol of fertility and life. Elaborately decorated drinking vessels almost 2000 years old have been found illustrating chocolate ceremoniesand still containing traces of chocolate. Note the reference to drinking vessels: Chocolate has been a beverage for most of its history, as youll discover shortly. Cacao beans were so precious, they were used as currency: a turkey cost 200 beans, a tomato, 3 beans. Called xocoatl by the Mayas and cacahuatl by the Aztecs, chocolate was a ritual beverage on the Yucatan, reserved for the nobility, priests, high officials, warriors and rich traders, who believed it to have restorative and aphrodisiac powers. The Aztec developed a taste for chocolate after trading with their Mayan neighbors to the south. Montezuma used it as a medicinal revitalizer, believing it nourished strength, stimulated potency and fertility, and abetted longevity.
[1] [2] [3]

Online Etymology Dictionary Cocoa and Chocolate Their history from plantation to consumer Arthur H. Knapp INDIAN GIVERS How the Indians of the Americans transformed the world Jack Weatherford Page 4

Chocolate
Hardly the sweet treat we know today, xocoatl was served as a cold, unsweetened drinkbeans crushed into a paste and whipped until foamy with pepper, vanilla, chili pepper, cinnamon, musk and cornmeal. Still, it was fatty and bitter; the foam was considered to be the best part. Christopher Columbus and his officers, offered the elixir as a great honor, found the bitter concoction unpalatable and couldnt even choke it down. H e had no idea the locals were offering him their most valuable goods for trade. Thinking the product abominable, he brought only a few beans back to Spain. Seventeen years later, Hernan Corts understood its value, and promoted plantations run by Europeans. Todays descendants of the Maya and Aztec still prepare cacao and corn-based drinks that are similar to those enjoyed by their ancestors. The Spanish knew how to cook. They sweetened the chocolate beverage, first with honey and then with cane sugar. They replaced the Aztec spices with anise seed and orange blossom water, plus almonds or hazelnuts. They added cinnamon, cloves, egg yolks and Madeira. They used boiling water instead of cold water to create a hot drink. They served it with a side of fried bread. And chocolate was a huge hit, drunk night and day instead of water or wine. Chocolate was so popular that the government decided to keep it as a pleasure of the rich and powerful by imposing very high taxes. They also kept a monopoly by prohibiting export (although by 1615 it had managed to migrate to France and Italy). In England, tea from China, coffee from Africa via the Middle East trade routes, and chocolate from South America arrived in seventeenth century Europe at roughly the same time, but chocolate remained costly and out of reach long after coffee and tea became affordable indulgences. No wonder it took almost 150 years from the first arrival of the beans for the beverage to be transformed into a solid food. In until 1674 chocolate was made into both pudding and pastilles. Londons first chocolate shop (for drinking and socializing, like a tea salon) opened in 1657. Finally, chocolate could be experienced by people other than nobles. With the industrial revolution of the latter 18th and early 19th centuries, chocolate became more accessible to everyman. The invention of labor-saving machines meant faster, cheaper production; there were inexpensive transportation and lower taxes. One labor-saver ground cacao nibs into paste. In Dorchester, Massachusetts, an Irish importer of cacao beans, John Hannon, and American, Dr. James Baker, built one of the first chocolate manufacturing plants to produce cakes of ground cacao bean paste for drinking chocolate. The first commercial eating chocolate was made and sold in blocks by Franois-Louis Cailler in 1819. But solid chocolate was not yet the smooth, velvety confection that we know today. It had a rough flavor, although people developed a taste for it. It took more than 25 years for Dutch chemist Coenrad Van Houten and others to solve that problem. In 1828 Van Houten received a patent for his method of pressing about half the cocoa butter out of ground cacao nibs with hydraulic pressure, creating hard cakes called dutch cocoa which wer e pulverized into cocoa powder. By adding alkali to reduce the acidity, he removed the roughness of natural chocolate. Cocoa powder enabled the quick preparation of beverages and easy combination with other ingredients. Van Houten mixed the cocoa butter with sugar and cocoa powder to create the first
chocolate candies.

[1]

Cocoa and Chocolate Their history from plantation to consumer Arthur H. Knapp
Page 5

Chocolate
The first chocolate bars date to 1847 to Joseph Fry & Son in Bristol, England. In 1789, Fry had purchased a Watts steam engine to grind cacao; but it wasnt until 58 years later that his great-grandson thought to see what happened if he mixed some of the pressed cocoa butter back along with some sugar back into the dutch cocoa cakes. He pressed the mixture into a mold, and the chocolate barthen called eating chocolate to distinguish it from drinking chocolate was born. Continued industrial inventions enabled an expansion in efficient production of chocolate bars, which increased their availability and variety (including the inspired addition of nuts). Cocoa powder enabled the addition of chocolate to recipes: In 1866 chocolate cream desserts and cookies appeared in British shops. Milk chocolate was invented in 1875 by Daniel Peter of Vevey, Switzerland, who finally solved the problem that had vexed many by mixing chocolate with powdered milk instead of whole milk or cream. By the 20th century, chocolatiers had mastered the transformation of chocolate into the sophisticated repertoire we enjoy today. The first filled chocolates were created by Schaud Fils in Montreaux, Switzerland in 1913. The first white chocolate was manufactured by Nestl in the 1930s. Truffles, bonbons with fillings, ganache (mixed cream and chocolate), chocolate bars in myriad varieties, chocolate-covered specialties from glazed fruit to coffee beans, molded and sculpted chocolates of every description, filled the chocolate shops of the world. With the complexity of flavors and aromas in fine chocolates (as many as 400 different aromas and flavors have been identified), chocolate connoisseurship now can be equated to wine connoisseurship on several levels. As with vineyards, the soil and microclimate of each plantation or growing area provide distinct flavors and aromas, which also are impacted by the harvests particular weather conditions. In 1984 the first chocolate bars to designate the region of origin of the bean were introduced. Now the best bars of some fine manufacturers are designated by their specific plantations (pure origin); and some are even designated by their harvest years. As Americans have developed their preferences for wine beyond red and white , so too are chocolate lovers educating themselves beyond dark and milk. The century ended with the celebration of nouvelle chocola tes. Chocolatiers have provided chocolate-lovers with combinations beyond the traditional additions of fruits and nuts. Now, there you can have both couverture and fillings infused with international flavors like wasabi, saffron, lavender, anise, paprika, curry, peppercorns and Ancho chiliproving that everything old is new again.

[1]

Cocoa and Chocolate Their history from plantation to consumer Arthur H. Knapp
Page 6

Chocolate

4. How chocolate is made?

Unlike grinding a roasted coffee bean and brewing it into a cup of coffee, theres a lot that goes into making a chocolate bar. It can take five days of work from the time the bean arrives at the production facility until the average chocolate bar is ready for your consumption. Valrhona spends five days just conching its grand cru chocolates, eliminating the impurities and creating a silky-smooth mouthfeel. In the chocolate manufacturing process, chocolate liquor is mixed with cocoa butter and sugar to create a bar. In the case of milk chocolate, fresh, sweetened condensed or powdered whole milk is added, depending on the individual manufacturers formula and manufacturing methods. Growing The Beans - A consistent high temperature, plentiful rainfall, the right soil nutrients, and manylarge shade trees to protect them from the sun and the wind (known as mother trees) are required to nurture delicate, sensitive cacao trees. Cacao trees grow worldwide in the warm and wet tropical belt that stretches 20 degrees above and below the equator. About 80% of the world cacao harvest is grown in 1- to 2-hectare estates: Its not big agribusiness, but small farm production. The cacao tree takes 4 to 5 years to produce its first crop but needs 10 years to produce really good fruit. The trees can reach 30 to 45 feet in height but are usually cut to 18 to 20 feet to make harvesting easier. The trees produce fruit twice a year, which is generally harvested before and after the rainy season. The fruit itself is sweet and tart, in the manner of passionfruit. The beans are innocuous, and give no indication that, after many processing steps, they will produce something as wonderful as chocolate. Harvesting - Cacao can be harvested throughout the year, but its main seasons are November to January and May to July. The football-shaped pods, also called cabosses are handharvested by machete. It impossible to use machines for harvesting, because of the varying sizes of the fruit and because of potential damage to the tree, which is continuously producing new flowers and fruit. The pods are cut from the trees and sliced open manually using machetes. The whitish beans (the seeds of the fruit) which are surrounded by milky, sticky, sweet tasting pulp (the fruit) are removed. When ripe, each pod contains 30 to 40 seeds. Fermentation - Fermentation of the beans takes place according to different methods in different countries: wrapped under large banana (plantain) leaves, in baskets, in wooden boxes or in cylinders stored away from light. It is during fermentation that the cacao beans start to develop the typical cacao flavors. Fermentation is a reaction between yeast and the sticky pulp. The fermentation process lasts from 3 days for some Criollo varietals to 6 or 7 days for other varietals. Fermentation reduces the bitter taste, gives the brown color to the bean and breaks down the remaining pulp. Once the yeast has done its work the result is a sweeter, more chocolately flavor. Drying - Next, the fermented beans are spread out in the sun to dry, often on bamboo mats, and are turned often to make sure that they dry evenly and do not stick together. Drying can take place for 5 to 12 days, depending on the humidity, during which time the moisture content of the bean is substantially reduced.
[1]

The great book of chocolate- David Lebovitz Page 7

Chocolate
Drying can be done by the sun or by artificial techniques. Sunlight drying, which is used for better beans, takes several days but produces better results. Growers of bulk beans use hot air or heat from burning wood to dry the beans. This is fast, but imparts an undesirable, somewhat smoky permanent flavor. Once dry, the beans are hand-sorted, graded and packed into jute bags weighing about 138 pounds (62.54 kg). These dry beans are referred to as raw cacao. The bagged beans are stored in warehouses prior to being transported for sale at the nearest port or other trading point. The beans are inspected, and then selected by the buyer or agent of the chocolate producer and are shipped to a chocolate manufacturing facility or warehouse anywhere in the world. Cleaning - When the beans arrive at the factory, they are first inspected and approved by Quality Control. Then they are then sorted by country of origin and type of bean, and cleaned and roasted before they are made into chocolate. When the beans have been received at the processing location, they are inspected and thoroughly cleaned of all extraneous matter as well as any broken beans. The cleaning process involves blowers, which remove items that are lighter or heavier than cocoa beans, and sieves that eliminate items that are too small or too big. A special machine uses air suction, magnetic separators and brushes to remove foreign matter such as jute fibers from the bags; sticks, stones and sand; metal and fragments from closures used in bagging and tagging. Roasting - Once the beans are cleaned, they are ready to begin their transformation into chocolate. Next they will be roasted in large, rotating roasting ovens, just like coffee beans. A rotating drum tosses the beans about so they will roast evenly. The producer has the option of roasting them before the shell is removed, or of removing the shell first. In general, chocolate manufacturers prefer to roast the beans before shelling them, while cocoa processors favor roasting the shelled nib; it retains more cocoa butter since cocoa butte r cant migrate from the bean into the shell during the roasting process (chocolate manufacturers can always add in more cocoa butter later in the manufacturing process). Roasting the entire bean in its shell allows for more variety in the degree of roast and development of flavor (i.e., the producer can choose a light roast or a dark roast depending on the desired flavor outcome), but requires beans of a uniform size. The beans are roasted at a wide range of temperatures and timeswe have seen ranges given from less than 200 to 300F and from 10 minutes to 2 hours, although this will varies widely based on the producers and the type of beans. Chocolatier Jacques Torres, for example, roasts his beans at 160F for 30 minutes. The roasting is necessary for the development of the cacao flavor and aroma. It is a very critical process that must be closely monitored. If the beans are roasted at a low temperature and for a brief time, it will preserve the fruitiness of the cacao bean youll notice a red fruit quality in the chocolate flavor. If the beans are treated to a darker roast higher temperatures and for a longer timenuttier flavors will develop. It is a preference of the producer, as well as the characteristic of the bean, that dictates the roast. Each type of bean is roasted separately. After the beans are roasted, a machine called a cooler rotates the beans and circulates air to cool the hot roasted beans. Roasting develops the color and is the second stage in the development of the chocolate flavor that began during the fermentation on the estates. Its food chemistry at its finest: the aroma of roasted cacao is made of a combination of some compounds resulting from fermentation and not involved in roasting, some compounds resulting from fermentation and increased by roasting, and some new compounds which are developed during roasting.
Page 8

Chocolate
Winnowing - Winnowing means shelling, and prior to the Industrial Revolution, this was a manual process (in many third world counties, grain is still winnowed by hand). After the beans have been roasted and cooled, their shells are thin and brittle. They move to a machine called the winnower, which cracks open the shells. Air blows away the cracked outer shell and the husk, and sorts the remaining nibs by size. The nib is the heart of the bean (also called the kernel or the meat), from which the chocolate is made. Nibs (photo above) contain about 400 different chemical compounds responsible for the flavor of the final chocolate product. Modern factories no longer use old-fashioned equipment like the antique at the right, which still gets the job done for the Grenada Chocolate Company. Grinding / Mlangeur - There are usually two stages of grinding in the manufacture of fine chocolate. In the first stage, the nibs (photo above) are ground into a thick paste similar to fresh-ground peanut butter, called the chocolate liquor . The latter is a confusing name to anyone outside the industry, as it is neither liquid nor contains any alcohol. To add to the confusion, chocolate liquor is also called cocoa or cacao liquor, chocolate mass, cocoa mass, cocoa solid, or pt de cacao (cocoa paste or chocolate paste). In the United States Food Standards of Identity, it is known simply as chocolate. Once further refined, it also is called unsweetened baking chocolate. Chocolate liquor is the main ingredient in chocolate. Since cacao beans are more than half fat, the chocolate liquor is made up of rich cocoa butter (53% to 60% depending on the varietal) with fine cocoa particles suspended in it. The heat and friction generated by the grinding metal plates causes the cocoa butter in the nib to melt into a fluid mass (photo at right), hence the name chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor is not yet officially chocolate, but it smells like it! For eating chocolate, the appropriate amount of sugar is added (except for 100% cacao bars). The size of the particles in the chocolate mass is now about 100 microns. To avoid a grainy taste in the finished chocolate, another grinding takes place to reduce the particle size to about 18 microns (the tongue can sense grains of 18 microns or larger). Chocolate liquor destined to be made into chocolate candy and confections then goes to be blended (Step 10). That which will be made into cocoa powder goes to Pressing. Pressing (For Cocoa Powder) - If cocoa powder is being made, the chocolate liquor is further processed into press cake or pressed cake, and cocoa butter. The chocolate liquor or mass is put into hydraulic presses and extremely high pressure, 6000 pounds per square inch, is applied to drain off the clear, golden liquid cocoa butter. The press cake that is left is cooled, pulverized and sifted into cocoa powder. Blending or Mlangeur - At this stage the chocolate liquor and other ingredients are kneaded together according to the kind and quality of the chocolate being made. Most chocolate is a blend of beans, selected to achieve a specific consistent taste from year to year. As with any agricultural product, the flavor of the product will vary from crop to crop according to the growing conditions. And, different varieties of beans from different growing regions have different qualities and flavors. Thus, unless a single origin chocolate is being produced to highlight a specific theory, the beans are sorted and blended to produce a distinctive flavor. Large commercial producers like Hershey and Nestl use up to 12 different varieties of beans from all over the world to achieve a consistency of flavor.
[1]

The great book of chocolate- David Lebovitz Page 9

Chocolate
At this stage of production, different types of beans are blended in different proportions according to particular recipes. These are secret recipes, the manufacturers proprietary formulas. Each producer desires to create a distinctive product that no competitor can copy. The exact proportions may be proprietary, along with the sources and proportions of the beans*, but everyone knows what goes into the recipe: For milk chocolate, cocoa butter and chocolate liquor are combined in varying proportions; sugar and full cream milk (generally condensed milk) are added. Dark chocolate uses the same process but without milk. White chocolate is made with cocoa butter, milk and sugar and does not contain chocolate liquor. The ingredients can be churned together for hours; the resulting is dried to form a crumb which is ground with more cocoa butter in the next phase. Refining or Fine Grinding - The second grinding produces a liquid, batter-like chocolate, but it is still gritty (hence, crumb). The goal of refining is to make the thick chocolate crumb into a silky chocolate. It travels through a series of five heavy steel refining rollers set at different intervals and different speeds. The gaps between the final rollers are so small that the chocolate components are ground into a thick fluid mass which is then run off. This step reduces the particle size to of the cocoa mass to 25 to 30 microns, both in the chocolate liquor and the sugar. In some cases, extra cocoa butter is added to the chocolate liquor for a smoother, more voluptuous mouth feel. The smoother the chocolate desired, the more rolling! Conching - Now the chocolate is beaten and refined by rollers to give it a finished, smooth, silky texture. But it must be kneaded and churned one more time this time in the conching machine. Conching is a process which removes moisture and acidity from the chocolate, eliminates undesirable odors, fully evolves the desirable flavors and aromas and further smoothes the particles. During conching, the cocoa mass is poured into a stirring and milling machine. It is rolled, turned and aired at a temperature of about 180F. The rollers can produce different degrees of agitation and aeration in order to develop and modify the chocolate flavors. In fact, while roasting and blending of the different beans are part of the house recipe, conching is another part of the top secret of each chocolate makers. The temperature, mixing regimes and length of conching vary according to formulas that create different outcomes in the chocolate. During the conching process, friction between the sugar and the cacao particles occurs. This causes further polishing of the cacao particles, contributing to the smooth taste of the finished chocolate. Extra cocoa butter is sometimes added to give the chocolate a better mouthfeel. Soy lecithin is also added to stabilize the chocolate, vanilla is added, and milk (if milk chocolate). The chocolate can now be cooled and tempered. Generally speaking, the longer chocolate is conched, the smoother it will be, assuming the same machine. The process may last for a few hours to three full days, and in the case of coatings, up to six days. The time depends on the bean and the preference of the producer Valrhonas grand cru chocolates, Carabe, Jivara Lait, Guanaja and Manjari, are conched for about 5 days! However, a key differentiator is the age of the conch. New machines conch much

Page 10

Chocolate
faster than older machines. So, you cant compare apples to oranges, e.g., how long one company conches its chocolate compared to another. The term conching refers to the shell-like paddles that were originally used (today they are generally rollers, as shown in the photo). The technique was invented* in 1879 in Switzerland by Rodolphe Lindt to make chocolate more blendable and smooth. Fine chocolate should melt in your mouth without any grainy feeling on the tongue. Tempering - Theres one more critical step le ft before chocolate for consumption can be made: the chocolate must be tempered. Chocolate is not shiny and smooth by nature. Without tempering, large crystals would form; the chocolate would have a gritty texture and a dull appearance and/or the cocoa butter would separate out (as cream separates from milk) creating a greyish-white bloom on the surface. After the conching and before being molded into bars or made into filled chocolates, the chocolate paste must be tempered, a delicate process that involves slowly heating and cooling the chocolate repeatedly to temperatures between 105F and 85F. This stabilizes the product and achieves the smooth, shiny texture, pleasant mouthfeel and a sharp snap when a piece is broken off. This is a complicated procedu re because the various fats in cocoa butter have different melting and congealing points. Chocolate that isnt properly tempered will turn grey and crumbly as it hardens. Well-tempered chocolate melts better in the mouth and has a long shelf life. If not tempered properly the finished chocolate will be dull and streaky with a tendency to bloom. In an industrial situation, this is done in large tempering machines. In an artisans shop, it is done by hand: the classic tempering method is to melt the chocolate until it is lump-free. Then 1/3 of the chocolate is poured onto a marble slab, spread and worked back and forth with a metal spatula until it becomes thick and reaches a temperature of about 80F. This chocolate is then added back to the remaining 2/3 of the melted chocolate and stirred. Molding - There are different methods for producing chocolates: enrobing, hollow figure, layer-and-cutting and molding. Molding is the simples: solid shapes like bars and hearts are poured into molds, as shown at the right. The enrobing process (photo below) is the oldest method for producing chocolates: pre-shaped chocolates centers (caramel, creme, croquant, marzipan, nougat, nuts et al) can be hand-dipped by artisan chocolatiers and further ornamented with fruit pieces, nuts, candied violets, cocoa butter transfer designs or other flourishes on top. In larger operations, the centers are placed on a moving wire mesh belt which takes them to a coating machine. A shower of chocolate falls down to cover the centers in chocolate. The hollow figure process is used for hollow chocolates (like Easter bunnies) and for chocolates with liquid and semi-liquid fillings. Liquid chocolate couverture is poured into molds; the molds are then rotated so that the excess chocolate can drain away. The thin chocolate layer that sticks to the mold is solidified by cooling. A filling is then dispensed into the mold and covered with another thin layer of chocolate mass. The layer-and-cut procedure is used for chocolates consisting of various layers such as marzipan, nougat, croquant or fruits. The solid or semi-solid masses are laid on top of another, and after cooling cut into bite-sized pieces, that are often partially or entirely covered with chocolate.
[1]

The great book of chocolate- David Lebovitz Page 11

Chocolate
Packaging the Chocolate - The finished chocolates solidify in a cooling tunnel. In a large operation, a conveyor belt transports the chocolates to the packing machines or packing lines; the entire manufacturing process occurs without a human hand touching the chocolates. In an artisanal chocolate shop, everything is touched by the chocolatier; bars are wrapped with small mechanical wrapping machines; filled chocolates are hand-placed onto trays or into boxed assortments. Now that you know all of the work that goes into making your chocolate bar or box of chocolates, take good are of it. Think back to Step 12: tempering chocolate is very sensitive to temperature extremes. If youre not going to eat the chocolate within a few days, it should be stored at a temperature between 54F and 65F with a relative humidity between 55% and 60%. The ideal place that meets these requirements is a wine refrigerator! Chocolate melts at about 98F, which is body temperature and why chocolate simply melts in your mouth. Its also why one shouldnt keep chocolate in the sunlight, in a hot room, near a stove et al. With overnight shipping and gel packs, its easy (if not inexpensive) to ship chocolate during the summer months. We order it all the time and it arrives in pristine condition (as does ice cream!). Dark chocolate bars can be kept for two years or more if stored properly: well wrapped in foil in a cool, dark, dry place. Milk and white chocolate have a more limited storage time, but will stay fresh for a year or more under these conditions. Filled chocolates, chocolates with nuts and other additives have less of a shelf life because the additives will break down or go rancid. Commercial companies will use preservatives to extend the shelf-life, but most fine chocolates are made preservative-free. A box of fine filled chocolates or truffles should be consumed within two weeks, the sooner the better. The fine fillings, creams, and purees with which they are made deteriorate quickly: to enjoy them they should be eaten soon after they are made. If you have a question about the shelf-life, call the chocolatier.

5. Types of chocolate
Different types of chocolate are primarily determined by their levels of cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar or milk products. You will find that most chocolate, especially the dark ones, have a cocoa liquor percentage listed. The higher the percentage the more bitter and intense the flavor. Each manufacturer develops their own special blend giving each brand their own identity. The lifelong quest for chocolate lovers is to research the world of chocolate to find their favorite types of chocolate taste testing for a chocoholic is never a problem. Couverture chocolate - This is the premium form of chocolate. It is made from the finest ingredients and used by professional chocolate makers and bakers. It has a high percentage of cocoa butter which gives the finished product a high gloss. It is more expensive than the other forms of chocolate and requires more skill to use. It must be tempered to show off its premium qualities. Dark, milk and white couverture are available in block and button form.
[1]

Chocolate Desserts- Pierre Herm

Page 12

Chocolate
Dark, Bittersweet and Semisweet chocolate - These types of chocolate all fall into the same category with their differences determined by the cocoa liquor and sugar levels. They are interchangeable in baking and really it is your taste preference that determines your choice.

The higher the cocoa liquor percentage on the packaging the more bitter and intense in flavor the chocolate will be. The cocoa liquor content can vary between 35 90 percent. Due to its intense flavor and dark color dark chocolate is the recommended chocolate in baking. As the name suggests bittersweet chocolate is less sweet than semisweet chocolate. The confusion comes when you compare brands as there is no clear definition of what level of cocoa liquor determines if a chocolate is bitter or semi sweet. What is important is that dark, bitter and semi are interchangeable so you now have the perfect excuse to try them all to find your favorite! Milk chocolate - As the name suggests this chocolate has the addition of milk solids in the form of powdered or condensed milk. The milk solids content should be a minimum of 12 percent. The cocoa liquor is lower and therefore the sugar content higher. The differences in its composition to dark chocolate means that milk chocolate is sweeter, paler in color and has a less intense flavor. Milk chocolate is the most popular eating chocolate. Milk chocolate contains cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, powdered or condensed milk and vanilla.It can also contain an emulsifying agent usually lecithin. White chocolate - The first thing that everyone says about white chocolate is that it is not actually chocolate. This is technically correct but everyone knows it as chocolate. White chocolate does not contain cocoa liquor this ingredient is what determines a type of chocolate. Instead it contains cocoa butter, sugar, powdered or condensed milk and vanilla. It can also contain an emulsifying agent usually lecithin. White chocolate is sweet with a smooth creamy texture and its flavor relies on the quantity and quality of cocoa butter used. White chocolate must be handled with care and does not withstand heating as well as other chocolate. Compound chocolate - Sometimes known as cooking chocolate. Again the cocoa liquor content varies greatly in the dark and milk varieties. The substitution of some of the cocoa butter with cheaper vegetables means that the intensity of the chocolate flavor is reduced. Most professionals would not even consider using these types of chocolate in their baking. I think however that if you find a good quality cooking chocolate its positives out way the negatives. Compound chocolate is less expensive, easy to work with and does not need tempering. The key is to find a variety that is labeled cooking chocolate and not just cheap compound chocolate. More taste testing Im afraid until you find the perfect one! Chocolate chips are designed specifically to hold their shaped during baking. These types of chocolate make them ideal for chocolate chip cookies, brownies and muffins. Buy the best quality you can. Flavor is important here as you will bite into the chocolate pieces.

[1]

Chocolate Desserts- Pierre Herm

Page 13

Chocolate
A successful chocolate chip cookie is measured on the taste of its chocolate chips not just how many it has. Chocolate chips can also be known as chocolate bits. Chocolate chips should not be used to replace other forms of chocolate in recipes. Chopped chocolate however can be used to replace chocolate chips. Chocolate melts - They are a compound chocolate that comes in dark, milk and white. They are chocolate buttons that are easily melted and are good for dipping and piping. The vegetable oil content is higher which makes this chocolate easy to handle. The flavor of this chocolate is not of a high standard but serves a purpose. Chocolate melts do vary in quality so it is important to find the best you can. Confectionery coating would be a similar product. Cocoa powder - Cocoa powder is cocoa liquor with most of the cocoa butter extracted. The cocoa liquor is roasted/heated then compressed to remove the cocoa butter. How long the liquor is compressed determines the fat content of the cocoa powder. There are two basic types of cocoa powder natural and Dutch-process. Neither one is better than the other they are just different in color and taste. Commercially cocoa powder is sold as either alkalised or non-alkalised with a fat content of 10-12 percent or 20-22 percent. Natural cocoa powder is the more common of the two. It is lighter in colour, more bitter (acidic) and has a deeper chocolate flavor. It is also known as non-alkalised. Dutch-process cocoa powder is treated with an alkali during processing to reduce the acidity. This results in a cocoa powder with a darker color, less bitter and milder taste. The word Dutch has nothing to do with the cocoa powders origins but in fact after the origin of the man that invented it. Cocoa powder is the most economical way of adding the flavor of chocolate to your baking. Cocoa powder should always be sifted before adding to a recipe as it is always lumpy.

6. The world`s chocolate producers

Chocolate is manufactured in the majority of countries on earth. Good chocolate is produced in many places, but not all countries are able to enjoy the sweet taste of chocolate equally. There is a profound dichotomy between those nations that extract the raw materials and those who indulge in the finished product. As it is shown in the maps available, all but one of the top twenty countries that consume chocolate are considered 'well-developed' or 'advanced'. Brazil is the only country involved on the list that actually considers chocolate to be a natural resource.

[1]
[2]

Chocolate Desserts- Pierre Herm Top chocolate manufacturers in the world Natali Lekka, www.suite101.com

Page 14

Chocolate
The reality exists that the processing and consumption of chocolate products is Western World dominated. 70% of the worldwide profit from chocolate sales is concentrated in these countries. 80% of the world chocolate market is accounted for by just six transnational companies, including Nestle, Mars and Cadbury. Europeans alone consume around 40% of the world's cocoa per year, 85% of which is imported from West Africa. There have recently been efforts to initiate a fair-trade movement, which would encourage the purchase of cocoa from developing country producers at a fair price. However, tariff escalation continues to me a major problem, which acts to drive chocolate consumers and cocoa exporters further apart. Top chocolate manufacturers in the world 1. Mars Inc. is ranked as the 6th largest privately held company in the US by Forbes and was founded by Frank Mars in Washington in 1911. In 1923, Milky Way was introduced, its best-selling candy bar, whilst the Mars Bar was launched in the UK, in 1932. Its famous chocolate products include: Mars, M&Ms, Milky Way, Bounty, Snickers, Twix, Dove, Galaxy, Skittles. 2. Cadbury plc is a British confectionary and beverage company. It was founded by John Cadbury in Birmingham, in 1824 and today, it has its headquarters in Uxbridge, UK. The firm was known as Cadbury Schweppes from 1969 until 2008. Its famous chocolate products include Cadbury, Frys, Green & Blacks, Boost, Brunch Bar, Crispy Crunch, Crunchie, etc. Today Cadbury belongs to Kraft Foods. 3. Nestl SA was founded by Henri Nestl in Vevey, Switzerland, in 1866. Its famous chocolate products include Aero, 100 Grand Bar, Kit Kat, Nestl Crunch and Rolo. 4. Ferrero SpA is an Italian chocolate manufacturer founded by Pietro Ferrero, in 1946 and based in Pino Torinese, in Italy. Today, it has got its headquarters in Alba, Piemonte. Its famous chocolate products include: Ferrero Rocher, Pocket Coffee, Mon Chri, Giotto, Confetteria Raffaello, Kinder Surprise, Fiesta Ferrero, and the Kinder Chocolate series. 5. The Hershey Company was founded in 1894 by Milton Snavely Hershey, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where it still has its headquarters. Milton Hershey began planting cocoa trees in his hometown Derry Church, in Pennsylvania, in 1903, and the job has taken off since then. The Hersheys Chocolate Bars are among its famous chocolate products. 6. Kraft Foods Inc was founded in Chicago, in 1903 by Canadian-born James L. Kraft, of German origin. Today, the company is headquartered in Chicago and has its European headquarters just outside Zurich, Switzerland. Although, chocolate doesnt exactly come to mind with Kraft , the company is in fact the colossus behind Milka, Oreo, Nabisco, Jacobs, LU. Kraft Foods bought Cadbury on February 2, 2010. 7. Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd. was founded in Tokyo, in 1916 where it still has its headquarters. Its famous products include Hello Panda and Yan Yan. Today, Meiji Seika Kaisha is listed on the 1st section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

[1]

Top chocolate manufacturers in the world Natali Lekka, www.suite101.com Page 15

Chocolate
8. Lindt & Sprngli AG is more commonly known as Lindt. It was founded by David Sprngli- Schwarz and his son Rudolf Sprngli- Ammann in Zurich, in 1845. Today, it has its headquarters in Kilchberg, Switzerland. Johann Rudolf, son of Rudolf Sprngli acquired Rodolphe Lindts chocolate factory in 1899 and the business thus changed its name to incorporate both family names. Lindor is a famous chocolate type produced by Lindt. 9. Barry Callebaut is the result of a merger that took place in 1996 between the Belgian Callebaut and the French Cacao Barry. Cacao Barry was founded by Charles Barry in 1842 and Callebaut by Eugenius Callebaut in 1850. Callebaut began as a brewery which started producing chocolate bars in 1911. In 2005, Barry Callebaut introduced ACTICOA, a healthy chocolate which contains higher levels of polyphenol antioxidants than any other chocolate. 10. Ezaki Glico Co. was founded by Toshikazu Ezaki in Osaka, Japan, in 1929. Many chocolate products have come out of this company: Pretz, Pocky, Bisco, Kiss- mint, Papico, etc.

7. Health and chocolate

Traditionally chocolate is not thought of as healthy -- after all it is mostly (cocoa) fat and sugar. In recent years however this idea has been challenged by numerous studies examining the health effects of chocolate. As chocolate is a complex substance, its constituents can affect the body in many different ways: Flavonoids such as epicatechin have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, since they act as anti-oxidants and thus reduce cholesterol levels. They are also responsible for the health benefits attributed to the consumption of tea and red wine. However, only in dark chocolate (> 70% cocoa content) flavonoids are present in sufficient quantities for these effects to be felt. There is also some evidence that flavonoids may reduce the risk of cancer. Another study pointed to a reduction of blood pressure, but only when consuming 100g of chocolate per day -- amounts which are likely to cause other problems outweighing the benefits! Stearic Acid is a saturated fat, and makes up one third of the fat in chocolate. Unlike other saturated fats however, stearic acid appears to not increase cholesterol. A further third of chocolate fat comes in the form of a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, which also does not increase cholesterol. Thus the fat in chocolate is not as harmful as one might think. Theobromine is the defining chemical component of cocoa, which gives it its bitterness. It is a stimulant, but not as strong as caffeine. Caffeine is also present in chocolate, but one would have to eat a couple of 100g bars of very dark chocolate to get anywhere near the amount of caffeine present in one cup of coffee.

[1] [2]

Top chocolate manufacturers in the world Natali Lekka, www.suite101.com "Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate" - DeNoon, Daniel J Page 16

Chocolate
Tryptophan is an amino acid from which the body makes serotonin, a messenger in the brain. High levels of serotonin are usually associated with an elevated mood. However it is not clear whether the amounts of tryptophan present in chocolate can really be said to cause a measurable change in mood. Phenylethylamine is an amphetamine, and is responsible for chocolate's reputation as an aphrodisiac. As with tryptophan however, it is not certain whether the levels of phenylethylamine are sufficient for a definite physiological effect. Anandamide is a cannabinoid -- it targets the same regions of the brain as cannabis. The quantities involved however, are once again very small, so that one is much more likely to be sick than high after consuming enough chocolate for anandamide to have an effect! Sugar is the other main ingredient of non-milk chocolate besides cocoa. Hence a 70% bar can be thought of as 30% sugar. Sugar does not have many health benefits, and indeed was subject of a report commissioned, among others, by the World Health Organization in 2003 which recommended a low intake of sugar. The adverse effects of sugar are damage to the teeth and high calorie content. Popularly, chocolate has also been linked to acne and hyperactivity. In both cases however, there is little scientific evidence to support these beliefs. The connection between chocolate and acne might partially be explained by an observed correlation between acne and milk consumption, making it possible that milk chocolate might cause acne. If chocolate is consumed in moderation -- perhaps 10 or 20g a day -- the beneficial compounds such as flavonoids outweigh the negative effects of the sugar and fat. This holds particularly for dark chocolate. Describing chocolate as a ``health food'' would go too far, but it certainly deserves a better reputation than it has had in the past.

[1]

"Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate" - DeNoon, Daniel J Page 17