This document discusses the history, production, and types of chocolate, highlighting its evolution from a bitter beverage in ancient Mesoamerica to a popular sweet treat worldwide. It details the cultivation of cocoa beans, the chocolate-making process, and the various types of chocolate available today as well as their health benefits and drawbacks. The document emphasizes chocolate's cultural significance and the technological advancements that have made it widely accessible.

1. CHOCOLATE
Sasikumar Natarajan
Educationalist & Hospitality Trainer

2. CHOCOLATE
Chocolate is a typically sweet, usually brown food preparation of Theobroma cacao seeds, roasted and ground.
It is made in the form of a liquid, paste, or in a block, or used as a flavouring ingredient in other foods.
Chocolate has become one of the most popular food types and flavours in the world, and a vast number of
foodstuffs involving chocolate have been created,
particular desserts including cakes, pudding, mousse, chocolate brownies, and chocolate chip cookies.
Many candies are filled with or coated with sweetened chocolate, and bars of solid chocolate and candy
bars coated in chocolate are eaten as snacks.
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3. HISTORY
Chocolate may be the “food of the gods,” but for most of its 4,000-year history, it was actually consumed as a bitter beverage rather than as a sweet edible
treat. Anthropologists have found evidence that chocolate was produced by pre-Olmec cultures living in present-day Mexico as early as 1900 B.C. The ancient
Mesoamericans who first cultivated cacao plants found in the tropical rainforests of Central America fermented, roasted and ground the cacao beans into a
paste that they mixed with water, vanilla, honey, chili peppers and other spices to brew a frothy chocolate drink.
Olmec, Mayan and Aztec civilizations found chocolate to be an invigorating drink, mood enhancer and aphrodisiac, which led them to believe that it possessed
mystical and spiritual qualities. The Mayans worshipped a god of cacao and reserved chocolate for rulers, warriors, priests and nobles at sacred ceremonies.
When the Aztecs began to dominate Mesoamerica in the 14th century, they craved cacao beans, which could not be grown in the dry highlands of central
Mexico that were the heart of their civilization. The Aztecs traded with the Mayans for cocao beans, which were so coveted that they were used as currency. (In
the 1500s, Aztecs could purchase a turkey hen for 100 beans.) By some accounts, the 16th-century Aztec emperor Montezuma drank three gallons of chocolate
a day to increase his libido.
In the 1500s, Spanish conquistadors such as Hernán Cortés who sought gold and silver in Mexico returned instead with chocolate. Although the Spanish
sweetened the bitter drink with cane sugar and cinnamon, one thing remained unchanged: chocolate was still a delectable symbol of luxury, wealth and power.
Chocolate was sipped by royal lips, and only Spanish elites could afford the expensive import.
Spain managed to keep chocolate a savory secret for nearly a century, but when the daughter of Spanish King Philip III wed French King Louis XIII in 1615, she
brought her love of chocolate with her to France. The popularity of chocolate quickly spread to other European courts, and aristocrats consumed it as a magic
elixir with salubrious benefits. To slake their growing thirst for chocolate, European powers established colonial plantations in equatorial regions around the
world to grow cacao and sugar. When diseases brought by the European explorers depleted the native Mesoamerican labor pool, African slaves were imported
to work on the plantations and maintain the production of chocolate.
Chocolate remained an aristocratic nectar until Dutch chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten in 1828 invented the cocoa press, which revolutionized
chocolate-making. The cocoa press could squeeze the fatty cocoa butter from roasted cacao beans, leaving behind a dry cake that could be pulverized into a fine
powder that could be mixed with liquids and other ingredients, poured into molds and solidified into edible, easily digestible chocolate. The innovation by van
Houten ushered in the modern era of chocolate by enabling it to be used as a confectionary ingredient, and the resulting drop in production costs made
chocolate affordable to the masses.
In 1847, British chocolate company J.S. Fry & Sons created the first solid edible chocolate bar from cocoa butter, cocoa powder and sugar. Rodolphe Lindt’s 1879
invention of the conching machine, which produced chocolate with a velvety texture and superior taste, and other advances allowed for the mass production of
smooth, creamy milk chocolate on factory assembly lines. You don’t need to have a sweet tooth to recognize the familiar names of the family-owned companies
such as Cadbury, Mars and Hershey that ushered in a chocolate boom in the late 1800s and early 1900s that has yet to abate. Today, the average American
consumes 12 lbs. of chocolate each year, and more than $75 billion worldwide is spent on chocolate annually.
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4. MANUFACTURE &
PROCESSING OF CHOCOLATE
1.Growing Cocoa Beans
Chocolate begins with cocoa beans, the fruit of the cacao tree (also called a
cocoa tree). Scientists know that the cacao tree originated somewhere in South
or Central America. Some say the first trees grew in the Amazon basin of Brazil,
while others place its origin in the Orinoco Valley of Venezuela. Wherever its
first home, we know the cacao tree is strictly a tropical plant thriving only in hot,
rainy climates. Cocoa can only be cultivated within 20 degrees north or south of
the equator.
Varieties of Cacao
There are two main species of cocoa: Criollo and Forastero. Criollo is sometimes
called the prince of cacaos because it is a very high-quality grade of cocoa with
exceptional flavour and aroma. Less than 15 percent of the world’s cocoa is
Criollo, grown mainly in Central America and the Caribbean. Forastero is a much
more plentiful variety of high-quality cocoa, representing most of the cocoa
grown in the world. Grown mainly in Brazil and Africa, it is hardier, more
productive (higher yielding) and easier to cultivate than Criollo and is used in just
about every blend of chocolate that is made. A third type of cocoa also deserves
mention. Trinitario, a hybrid or cross between strains of the other two types,
originated in Trinidad nearly 300 years ago. It possesses a good, aromatic flavour
and the trees are particularly suitable for cultivation.
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5. MANUFACTURE &
PROCESSING OF CHOCOLATE
2.The Cocoa Bean harvest
Cocoa pods are harvested by hand, one by one. Each pod is carefully cut from the
tree with a machete or sharp knife. Pods that grow on the tallest branches are
harvested with knives attached to long poles. After Picking The pods cut from the
trees are collected in piles in an open area not far from the cacao trees. Here the
woody pods are opened with one or two lengthwise taps from a well-wielded
machete.
Fermenting and Drying
Fermenting is a simple “yeasting” process in which the sugars contained in the
beans are converted to acid, primarily lactic and acetic acids. The fermentation
process takes from two-to-eight days, depending upon the cacao variety (Criollo
beans ferment more quickly than Forestero). The beans are placed in large shallow
wooden boxes or, on smaller farms, are left in piles and covered with banana
leaves.
The drying process takes several days. Farmers or workers turn the beans
frequently and use this opportunity to pick through them, removing foreign matter
and flat, broken or germinated beans. During drying, beans lose nearly all their
moisture and more than half their weight. When the beans are dried, they are
ready to be shipped to chocolate factories around the world.
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6. MANUFACTURE &
PROCESSING OF CHOCOLATE
3.From Bean To Chocolate
The manufacturing process requires much time and painstaking care. Making an individual-size
chocolate bar, for W instance, takes at least two-to-four days. The pressed cocoa cake that remains
after the cocoa butter is removed can be cooled, pulverized and sifted into cocoa powder. The powder
is packaged for sale in grocery stores and in large quantities for commercial use as a flavor ingredient
by dairies, bakeries and confectionery manufacturers.
Making Eating Chocolate
While cocoa butter is removed to make cocoa powder, it must be added to make chocolate. This holds
true of all eating chocolate, whether it is dark, bittersweet or milk chocolate. Besides enhancing flavor,
the added cocoa butter makes the chocolate more fluid. One example of eating chocolate is sweet
chocolate, a combination of unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter and perhaps a little vanilla.
Whatever ingredients are used, the mixture then travels through a series of heavy rollers set one atop
the other. These rollers press against the ingredients until the mixture is refined to a smooth paste
ready for “conching.”
Conching is a flavor development process which puts the chocolate through a “kneading” action. It
takes its name from the conch shell-like shape of the containers originally used for this process. The
“conches,” as the machines are known, are equipped with heavy rollers that plow back and forth
through the chocolate mass anywhere from a few hours to up to seven days. At this stage, flavourings
are added if called for in the recipe. Conching develops the complex flavours and makes the chocolate
velvety smooth. After conching, the mixture is “tempered” — a process of carefully cooling the
mixture while continually stirring it. Finally, the liquid chocolate is ready to be poured into moulds
shaped like the final product.
The liquid chocolate also is used to enrobe (coat on all sides) certain chocolate bars such as those with
whipped nougat centres and boxed chocolates which contain a variety of centres made from cream,
fruit, nuts, and other ingredients.
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7. TYPES OF CHOCOLATE
Unsweetened Chocolate
Pure chocolate without added sugar.
Also known as: bitter chocolate, baking chocolate, chocolate liquor, and pure chocolate.
Uses: Used almost exclusively for baking.
Bittersweet Chocolate
Legally, at least 35 percent pure chocolate with some small amount of sugar added.Also known as: dark chocolate, when it is a
European brand.
Characteristics: Usually darker and less sweet than semisweet. No legal specifications for the term so not always darker and less
sweet. Semisweet and bittersweet can be used in baking interchangeably, depending on personal preferences. Specific sweetness and
color intensity varies by manufacturer’s recipes and cacao bean sources.
Uses: Baking and eating.
Semisweet Chocolate
Legally, at least 35 percent pure chocolate with added cocoa butter and sugar.
Characteristics: The most versatile chocolate. Available in many forms (block, discs, squares, chips).
Uses: Baking and eating.
Milk Chocolate
Legally, milk chocolate is at least 10 percent pure chocolate with added cocoa butter and sugar.
Characteristics: Most milk chocolates contain less pure chocolate than semisweet or bittersweet chocolates.
Milder flavor than darker chocolates.
Sweet Baking Chocolate
Legally, sweet chocolate is at least 15 percent pure chocolate with added cocoa butter and sugar.
Taste: Sweeter than semisweet chocolate.
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8. TYPES OF CHOCOLATE
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Unsweetened cocoa powder is pure chocolate with most of the cocoa butter removed.Characteristics: Cocoa powders labeled “Dutch-
process” or “European-style” have been treated to neutralize the naturally occurring acids, giving them a mellower flavor and redder color.
White Chocolate
White chocolate is made by combining cocoa butter with sugar, milk solids, and flavoring, usually vanilla.Commonly called a chocolate, it’s
not a true one — legally.
Premelted Chocolate
Premelted chocolate is a semiliquid, unsweetened product made of cocoa powder and vegetable oil.Uses: Exclusively used for baking.
Candy Coating
Also known as: Compound chocolate coating, chocolate summer coating, confectioners’ coating chocolate, and chocolate-flavored coating.
A chocolate-like product with most of the cocoa butter removed and replaced with vegetable fat. It is easier to work with than chocolate for
dipping and molding since there is no need to take special steps with it to get a shine to it and it melts at a higher temperature.
Comes in assorted colors and flavors. Can be found in craft stores’ baking sections.
Mexican Chocolate
Mexican sweet chocolate has cinnamon and sugar added to the pure chocolate. Sometimes ground almonds may also be added.
It can be found in Mexican grocery stores, on the Web, and in specialty food stores.
Ibarra brand is one of the most popular brands in Mexico (and its packaging is gorgeous).
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9. TEMPERING OF CHOCOLATE
Tempering chocolate is an essential step for making smooth, glossy, evenly coloured coating for your dipped chocolates. Tempering prevents the
dull greyish colour and waxy texture that happens when the cocoa fat separates out. Tempered chocolate produces a crisp, satisfying snap when you
bite into it. (You do not need to temper chocolate that you bake with, such as when you make brownies.) The tempering process takes chocolate
through a temperature curve, a process which aligns the chocolate’s crystals to make it smooth, silky, and glossy.
Crystal Melting Temperature Notes
I 17°C (63°F) Soft, crumbly, melts too easily.
II 21°C (70°F) Soft, crumbly, melts too easily.
III 26°C (78°F) Firm, poor snap, melts too easily.
IV 28°C (82°F) Firm, good snap, melts too easily.
V 34°C (94°F) Glossy, firm, best snap, melts near body temperature (37°C).
VI 36°C (97°F) Hard, takes weeks to form.
For the best possible finished product, proper tempering is all about forming the most of the type V crystals. This will provide the best appearance
and mouth-feel and creates the most stable crystals so the texture and appearance will not degrade over time. To accomplish this, the temperature
is carefully manipulated during the crystallization.
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10. COCOA BUTTER, WHITE CHOCOLATE
AND ITS APPLICATIONS
Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, edible vegetable fat extracted from
the cocoa bean. It is used to make chocolate, as well as some ointments, toiletries,
and pharmaceuticals.Cocoa butter has a cocoa flavour and aroma. Its best-known attribute is its
melting point, which is just below human body temperature.
White chocolate is a chocolate derivative. It commonly consists of cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids
and is characterized by a pale yellow or ivory appearance. The melting point of cocoa butter, its
primary cocoa bean component, is high enough to keep white chocolate solid at room temperature.
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11. BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE
Chocolate may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
Chocolate may lower blood pressure
Chocolate can help improve your mood
Chocolate is high in antioxidants
Chocolate is full of nutrients
chocolate is full of nutrients, but again, the darker the chocolate, the healthier it is. take a look at some of the
nutrients:
• copper
• zinc
• magnesium
• iron
• phosphorous
Chocolate can protect the skin from the sun
Chocolate enhances brain function
Chocolate has anti-inflammatory effects
Chocolate may reduce the risk of diabetes
Chocolate can help with weight loss
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12. DISADVANTAGES OF CHOCOLATE
• Contains plenty of sugar
• Plenty of fats
• Chocolate is rich in calories
• Can lead to obesity
• Too much of it is harmful to our health
• People even get addicted to chocolate
• Some chocolates contain significant amounts of caffeine
• Some chocolates are much unhealthier than others
• You may experience sleeping problems
• Can be bad for your teeth
• Bad role model for your children
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SOURCE:
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THANK YOU
SASIKUMAR NATARAJAN
Sasikumar@harilini.com
.