Chocolate

Appears in

Published 1989

About

One of the greatest discoveries made on the American continent was the bean of the cacao tree—the source of chocolate. Smooth in texture, rich in taste, chocolate is loved by almost everyone—even the gods, as its scientific name Theobroma cacao attests (theobroma means “food of the gods” in Greek). Today, much of the world’s cocoa crop comes from Africa and Brazil.

Through a process of drying, roasting and grinding, cocoa beans are converted into a thick paste called chocolate liquor, composed of cocoa solids and a light yellow fat called cocoa butter. When the paste hardens, it is subjected to “conching”, in which a heavy roller compresses the chocolate, giving it a smooth texture and mellow flavor. The blend of beans, the method of roasting and conching, and the proportion of cocoa butter are all important factors affecting the final flavor of chocolate.