Wednesday, May 23, 2007
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Rachel, Sandy, Jason, Michael, Christi, Christian
Tasting chocolate is much like tasting fine wine -- there are subtleties of flavor and tones that you can train yourself to appreciate. Also like wine, professional chocolate tasters have developed a procedure for judging the qualities of a piece of chocolate.
Our Tasters
Rachel, Sandy, Jason, Michael, Christi, Christian
THE ART OF CHOCOLATE MAKING
The origin of the Cacao Tree
The cacao tree is a tropical evergreen plant and was christened Theobroma Cacao during the eighteenth century by the Swedish botanist, Linnaeus.
Theobroma Cacao means 'the food of the gods' from the Greek 'theos' meaning 'god' and 'broma' meaning 'food', reflecting the reverence chocolate has.
The Harvest
The tree bears fruit in the form of bright red, green, purple or yellow pods, that change colour as they ripen. The pods are harvested from May to December and are cut using long-handled, curved steel knives, because the trees are too frail to climb.
Fermentation
This is the first stage of flavour development. The beans and their surrounding layer of pulp are taken out of the pods and covered in banana leaves. After 3-9 days they have turned a dark brown colour and give off a wonderful cocoa smell. The beans are then dried and graded.
Roasting
The cocoa beans are then roasted, which further develops the flavours and aromas and enriches the colour.
Milder varieties of bean tend to be roasted at lower temperatures than stronger varieties.
Winnowing
The beans pass through a machine, which cracks them open and separates the husks from the 'nibs' (the centre of the bean).
Grinding & Mixing
The winnowed beans are ground, which refines the cocoa particles, releasing the cocoa butter and the cocoa mass (a liquid pulp). Both these, plus other basic ingredients such as sugar and milk powder, are mixed and kneaded. Further grinding between steel rollers reduces the particle size even more.
To ensure chocolate melts in the mouth and is of high quality, it should contain a high percentage of cocoa butter. Using pure cocoa butter causes chocolate to melt at body temperature, unlike chocolate made with a percentage of cheaper vegetable fat.
Conching
This refining process removes 'volatile' components (unwanted flavours and aromas). The liquid chocolate is constantly agitated and heat-treated, and flavours are added. By the end of this process the chocolate has developed it's full flavour and characteristic velvety smoothness.
Tempering
The liquid chocolate is cooled from 45*C to approximately 28*C, then heated again to 30*C. This is a critical stage which, when done correctly, delivers the perfect structure of cocoa butter crystals, resulting in chocolate having a high gloss finish and a sharp 'snap' when broken.
Blog Archive
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2007
(86)
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May
(21)
- Suchard Sensations Noir 86% cacao - Made in Belgium
- Cote d'Or Brut 86% cacao - Made in Belgium
- Payard Dark Chocolate 75% cocoa - Made in France
- BruCo Cannella 72% Ecuador cacao - Made in Italy
- DeBauve & Gallais 67% Santo Domingo cacao - Made i...
- Teuscher Chocolate 88% cocoa - Made in Switzerland
- Neuhaus 75% Sao Tome cacao - Made in Belgium
- Sarotti 75% Sao Thome cacao - Made in Germany
- Pralus 75% Sao Tome cocoa - Made in France
- Debauve&Gallais 70% Sao-Tome cacao - Made in Paris
- Tchibo Quevedo 71% Ecuador cacao - Made in Germany
- Droste Barettini 72% cocoa - Made in Holland
- Ghirardelli Twilight Delight 72% cacao - Made in C...
- Regal Dynasty 65% cocoa - Made in Poland
- Amedei Porcelana 70% cocoa - Made in Italy
- Amedei Chuao 70% Venezuela cocoa - Made in Italy
- Cote d'Or Noir de Noir 66% cacao - Made in Belgium
- Cafe-Tasse 77% cacao - Made in Belgium
- Vintage Plantations 75% cacao - Made in Ecuador
- Suisse Bittersweet 70% cacao - Made in Switzerland
- Kras 1911 60% cacao - Made in Croatia
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May
(21)
About Me
- Karen
- New York, NY, United States
RATING SYSTEM
1. INEDIBLE
2. APPALLING
3. UNAPPEALING
4. EHH
5. NEUTRAL
6. OK
7. GOOD
8. DELICIOUS
9. SUPERB
10. THE BEST
2. APPALLING
3. UNAPPEALING
4. EHH
5. NEUTRAL
6. OK
7. GOOD
8. DELICIOUS
9. SUPERB
10. THE BEST
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