From cocoa to chocolate

Transcription

1 From cocoa to chocolate Transforming cocoa beans into chocolate is a complex process, in which ingredients, time and temperature play a crucial role. By varying these three parameters, we are able to produce a variety of unique recipes. The cocoa tree only grows in the tropical heat of the equatorial forest. The shadow of tallgrowing plants protects the young tree against the burning sun or strong wind. After five years, it is strong enough to survive. And that s, where it all starts. Learn more on the following pages. Cocoa cultivation The cocoa tree Theobroma Cacao grows in the warm and humid equatorial belt within 10 N and 10 S of the equator. Although the origins of the tree are disputed, it can be traced to the tropical regions of Venezuela, Honduras and Mexico. Some believe that it originally grew in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, others in Mexico. Scientific proof indicates more and more that the real cradle of cocoa and chocolate lies in the Ulúa valley

2 in Honduras. Today though, cocoa is cultivated globally, albeit in a narrow belt around the equator: in carefully grown plantations in the tropical rainforests of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The largest cocoa producing countries are Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia. Today, Africa is the main overall cocoa supplier, with 75% of the world s cocoa crop. For the small farms in the many ten thousands of African villages, cocoa cultivation represents an important source of income. The perfect environment for the cocoa tree Theobroma Cacao is found in the tropical heat of the equatorial forest. Young cocoa trees only thrive in tropical temperatures within the protective shadow of tall-growing plants such as banana plants or palm trees. Both the burning sun and the strong winds are merciless enemies of this fragile tree. From around the fifth or sixth year of their lives, the trees begin to bear pods and start to play their full economic role in the many plantations. This is limited to 25 years, after which it is time to replace them with younger trees.

3 There are three different species of cocoa tree. The descendants that we see in the plantations today are usually cultivated or coincidental hybrids thereof, each with their own particular characteristics: x x x Criollo, also known as the prince among cocoa trees, produces pods with a very thin peel. The cocoa itself has a very pale color and a unique refined aroma. This variety produces small harvests and is also very fragile. Forastero is a stronger type of tree that is easier to cultivate and produces larger yields. The cocoa pods have a thicker peel and a coarser, stronger aroma. Cocoa from the Forastero beans is often called bulk cocoa because it gives chocolate a typical recognizable basic aroma. This cocoa therefore forms the basic ingredient in most chocolates and can often account for 80% of the cocoa mixture. Trinitario is a cross of both types of trees and has characteristics of both of the former: it has a strong but relatively refined aroma and, moreover, is very easy to cultivate. The cocoa tree flowers in two cycles of 6 months the whole year round. Thousands of white (female) and pink (male) five-petalled and minuscule flowers adorn the stem and branches. Only a few will be fertilized, naturally or by hand, and no more than forty will develop into cocoa pods. These resemble elongated, green melons.

4 After 6 months the cocoa pods are full-grown and have changed color from green to yellow-orange. With great care, not damaging the branches, the pods are harvested by the plantation workers. The cocoa pods ripen for a few days after the harvest. The outer peel is opened using long knives and a very precise cutting movement, without touching the beans. This takes place twice a year. In most African countries such as Ivory Coast, the main harvest lasts from October to March and the interim harvest from May to August. The pulp containing the precious cocoa beans is then removed from the pods and collected in large baskets. The beans are then, depending on the type, left to ferment for five to seven days. This takes place on the ground or in trays where the beans are covered with banana leaves. Fermentation is important since this process naturally removes any of the remaining fruit pulp that sticks naturally to the beans. The beans change color from beige to purple and develop their aroma.

5 After fermentation they are spread out and left to dry in the sun for about six days. The beans are turned regularly so that they retain just a fraction of their moisture content (± 3%). Drying is essential, both for stopping the fermentation process and for storage. When the beans are dry, the cocoa farmers bring their precious harvest to a collection center where the beans are graded. From each farmer s harvest a sample of 100 beans is cut open, the contents of the beans are graded and his batch is allotted a quality code. After weighing and packing of the beans into bales of kg, the jute sacks are sealed, the source and quality of the beans assured.

6 Thousands of sacks of cocoa are taken from the collection center to huge warehouses, their origins all registered. After a second quality control the sacks await shipment to the Callebaut factory The beans packed in sacs or by container set off to the port, to be shipped to their new destination. From the bean to liquor Jute sacks, filled with cocoa beans, arrive from the equatorial regions of Africa, America and Asia. Samples are taken from every delivery of cocoa and these are analyzed to check their composition and particular characteristics.

7 Cocoa beans from different sources are mixed according to the recipes. The blend of cocoa beans from the different regions will always determine the characteristic flavor of each chocolate. African beans for instance are known for their body, the basic aroma that they give to chocolate. American and Asian beans give the chocolate a more refined aroma. The cocoa beans are first cleaned of any stones, dirt and sand and quickly dried under heaters. This makes it easier to crush the beans and to remove the shell around them. Only the pieces of kernel or nibs remain. The cocoa nibs are then roasted, which develops their characteristic aromas.

8 The nibs are put into grinders so that they can first be ground coarsely, then to a super fine cocoa liquor. The heat exuded by this process ensures that the cocoa butter present in the liquor melts, rendering the cocoa liquor liquid. The cocoa liquor is now ready for use as an ingredient of chocolate. It can also be further processed into cocoa powder and cocoa butter. From liquor to powder Cocoa liquor can be processed further. It is made up of two different components cocoa butter and cocoa powder that are both essential for several different applications.

9 These two components can only be separated by pressing the liquid cocoa liquor through a very fine sieve. In fact, it is poured into cylindrical tubes and compressed under high pressure. The cocoa butter that is fine enough to pass through a microscopically fine sieve is collected separately while the cocoa solids remain pressed together in the cylinder and resembles a flattened cake. At the end of the pressing procedure, this cake is removed and ground further in different stages into a very fine cocoa powder. From liquor to chocolate Cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, powdered milk and vanilla are the raw materials with which we make all of the different types of chocolate:

10 Dark chocolate is made with cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and sugar. For milk chocolate, milk powder is added. And for white chocolate cocoa butter sugar and milk powder are used (no cocoa liquor, which explains the ivory color of white chocolate.) To all types, natural Bourbon vanilla is added to enhance the taste. The ingredients are first weighed very precisely for the particular type of chocolate that is about to be produced. These ingredients are mixed together and then blended into homogeneous chocolate dough.

11 This mixture is then pressed between rollers to form a fine powder. This will give the finished chocolate a smooth texture and a homogenous flavor. The average size of the particles in this chocolate powder is smaller than the distance between the taste buds on your tongue - so small you will never physically feel them. This guarantees a smooth chocolate, free from any grainy texture. This chocolate powder is kneaded for hours in the conches until the aromas have fully developed. Conches are large tanks with a powerful stirring apparatus inside that slowly kneads the mixture. Due to the friction caused by the stirring, heat develops. This heat melts the powder into a homogeneous paste and makes the unpleasant, acid aromas evaporate.

12 At the end of the conching process, cocoa butter (all our chocolates are made with 100% cocoa butter) and soya lecithin are added to make the chocolate liquid. Soya lecithin ensures the stabilization of the liquidity and the emulsification of the chocolate. The liquidity (viscosity) of the chocolate is measured after this. Some applications require a thick, paste-like kind of chocolate, other types of applications require very runny, liquid chocolate. The liquid chocolate is now stored in large heated tanks so that it can be further processed in blocks or callets. Chocolate taking shape

13 The liquid chocolate is processed further into blocks callets or other solid shapes. To do so, the liquid chocolate must first be tempered so it can eventually harden. Tempering ensures the formation of the right cocoa butter crystals so that the chocolate will harden into shiny, hard and solid shapes. Only when it has been tempered, the chocolate can be poured into molds or deposited as callets and finally cooled. During cooling the chocolate becomes hard and shiny so that it comes out of the molds in perfect shape and can be packed.