"On no other occasion has nature concentrated in
so small a place[the cocoa bean] such an abundance of the most valuable
nourishment."
"Chocolate is.....a powerful restorative.... Let
men dose themselves with a good half-liter of amber colored chocolate....
and they will see a miracle."
"Chocolate is not only pleasant to taste, but also
it is a veritable balm of the mouth."
Chocolate is an obsession to many people and irresistible to many of
us. Chocolate comes in many forms, many tastes and everyone loves to take
a bite. It's special flavor can create delicious cakes, cookies, ice creams
and other desserts.
Where chocolate comes from?
Chocolate is made from the bean of a tree, Theobroma
cacao, means "food for the gods", native to the tropical
areas of Central and South America. Cocoa beans were believed to be originated
in Europe thousands of years ago. First Columbus introduced cocoa beans to
Spain. Later people started to taste bitter drink called
xocolatl(bitter water) made from cocoa butter.
This is how the use of cocoa beans started.
Then this drink took changes and people started drinking it with sugar and
spices. The method of pouring the drink from one vessel to another to create
the foam also became popular in Spain. Then Missionaries took this new drink
to South America, Italy and France. For two and half centuries, controversy
raged within catholic countries as to whether taking of the chocolate broke
the fast. Later they held it did not brake the fast, so drinking chocolate
continued. This is how Europe discovered Chocolate.
Drinking of chocolate became eating chocolate after 1828, when the Dutch
Chemist invented a press to extract cocoa butter from the bean leaving a
dry cake that could be ground into an almost fat-free cocoa powder, similar
to that of today.
How chocolate is is made?
Chocolate, like coffee, originates in a bean, the fruit of the cacao tree,
which grows in Africa, South America and the West Indies, and the beans vary
in quality and flavour.
 Chocolate
making process is a hard work. Turning cocoa beans into edible chocolate
is a long and complicated process. The beans are roasted to bring their flavor
and to remove protective shell and husk they are cracked and grounded.The
friction of grinding melts cocoa butter leaving a thick paste called chocolate
liquor. This liquor cooled and hardened, is unsweetened cooking chocolate.
If the liquor is then pressed, more cocoa butter will be released from it,
and then the remaining hard solid product is powdered, becomes cocoa. When
this unsweetened chocolate is combined with sugar, vanilla, spices and other
ingredients, the result, of course, is heavenly chocolate.
Milk chocolate, now made with dried milk, was first created in 1875 using
condensed milk in Switzerland. Until 1880 all eating chocolate had a grainy
rough texture. Then the Swiss manufacturer named Radolph Lindt found out
the method of making smooth chocolate. Since then smooth, creamy chocolate
became popular in the world.
Nutritional Value:
The effects of chocolate is long been debated. But different studied showed
that if consumed moderately it is good for health. A fine quality dark chocolate
has only a small amount of sugar and large amount of nutrients such as calcium,
potassium, niacin, riboflavin and vitamin A.
Storing:
Store chocolate tightly wrapped in foil or in it's original wrapping , in
a cool, dry, airy place, preferably at a constant temperature. Avoid storing
in refrigerator. Properly stored bitter or semisweet chocolate can be kept
well for over several years. Milk and white chocolate can be kept for one
year. Chocolates stored in a warm temperature for a long period may develop
a "bloom" of surface streaksand blotches; stored in damp cold temperatures
may develop grey-white patches. But this will not affect the flavor
and texture to great extent, so can be used for cooking.
Resources:
Godiva
Chocolate recipes - recipes from the famous chocolate manufacturer
Godiva
Hershey's
Kitchen - recipes from another popular chocolate manufacturing company
Hershey
How to melt chocolate - instructions with photos
Chocolate Recipes
- lots of recipes with searchable database
Chocolate
Truffle - many truffle recipes
How to make Chocolate Ganache
Health benefits
History
and facts
-by Poornima |
