* ALL ABOUT CHOCOLATE *

History

For over 3000 years, Chocolate like gold, has had a universal appeal

2000 BC, Amazon: Cocoa, from which chocolate is created, is said to have originated in the Amazon at least 4,000 years ago.

Sixth Century AD Chocolate, derived from the seed of the cocoa tree, was used by the Maya Culture, as early as the Sixth Century AD. Maya called the cocoa tree cacahuaquchtl? "tree," and the word chocolate comes from the Maya word xocoatl which means bitter water.

300 AD, Maya Culture: To the Mayas, cocoa pods symbolized life and fertility... nothing could be more important! Stones from their palaces and temples revealed many carved pictures of cocoa pods.

600 AD, Maya Culture: Moving from Central America to the northern portions of South America, the Mayan territory stretched from the Yucatán Peninsula to the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. In the Yucatán, the Mayas cultivated the earliest know cocoa plantations. The cocoa pod was often represented in religious rituals, and the texts their literature refer to cocoa as the god's food 1200, Aztec Culture: The Aztecs attributed the creation of the cocoa plant to their god Quetzalcoatl who, descended from heaven on a beam of a morning star carrying a cocoa tree stolen from paradise. In both the Mayan and Aztec cultures cocoa was the basis for a thick, cold, unsweetened drink called xocoatl?believed to be a health elixir. Since sugar was unknown to the Aztecs, different spices were used to add flavor, even hot chili peppers and corn meal were used!

Aztecs believed that wisdom and power came from eating the fruit of the cocoa tree, and also that it had nourishing, fortifying, and even aphrodisiac qualities. The Aztec emperor, Montezuma drank thick chocolate dyed red. The drink was so prestigious that it was served in golden goblets that were thrown away after only one use. He liked it so much that he was purported to drink 50 goblets every day!

The cocoa beans were used for currency?records show that 400 cocoa beans equaled one Zontli, while 8000 beans equaled one Xiquipilli. When the Aztecs conquered tribes, they demanded their payment in cocoa! By subjugating the Chimimeken and the Mayas, the Aztecs strengthened their supremacy in Mexico. Records dating from 1200 show details of cocoa deliveries, imposed on all conquered tribes.

1492, Columbus Returns in Triumph From America: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were presented with many strange and wonderful things?the few dark brown beans that looked like almonds didn't get a lot of attention.

1502, Columbus landed in Nicaragua: On his fourth voyage to America, Columbus landed in what is now called Nicaragua. He was the first European to discover cocoa beans being used as currency, and to make a drink, as in the Aztec culture. Columbus, who was still searching for the route to India, still did not see the potential cocoa market that had fallen into his lap.

1513, A Slave is Bought for Beans: Hernando de Oviedo y Valdez, who went to America in 1513 as a member of Pedrarias Avila's expedition, reports that he bought a slave for 100 cocoa beans. According to Hernando de Oviedo y Valdez 10 cocoa beans bought the services of a prostitute, and 4 cocoa beans got you a rabbit for dinner.

At this time, the name of the drink changed to Chocolatl from the Mayan word xocoatl [chocolate] and the Aztec word for water, or warm liquid.

1519, Hernando Cortez Begin a Plantation: Hernando Cortez, who conquered part of Mexico in 1519, had a vision of converting these beans to golden doubloons. While he was fascinated with Aztec's bitter, spicy beverage [he didn't like the cocoa drink], he was much intrigued by the beans?value as currency. Later, Cortez established a cocoa plantation in the name of Spain?henceforth, "money" will be cultivated! It was the birth of what was to be a very profitable business.

1528, Chocolate Arrives in Spain: Cortès presented the Spanish King, Charles V with cocoa beans from the New World and the necessary tools for its preparation. And no doubt Cortès taught him how to make Chocolatl.

Cortez Inspires a Major Breakthrough: Cortez postulated that if this bitter beverage were blended with sugar, it could become quite a delicacy. The Spaniards mixed the beans with sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. The results were tantalizing, coveted, fashionable, and reserved or the Spanish nobility which created a demand for the fruits of his Spanish plantations. Chocolate was a secret that Spain managed to keep from the rest of the world for almost 100 years!

It is no secret that Chocolate has enjoyed a reputation as an aphrodisiac ever since Conquistadores first became aware of the "pagan" ways of the Aztecs [who regarded chocolate as a medicine, but probably not as an aphrodisiac.

1544, Dominican Friars Get into the Swing: Dominican friars bring a delegation of Mayans to meet Philip. Spanish monks, who had been consigned to process the cocoa beans, finally let the secret out. It did not take long before chocolate was acclaimed throughout Europe as a delicious, health-giving food.

The beans were still used as currency. Two hundred beans bought a turkey cock. One hundred beans was the daily wage of porter, and would buy a hen turkey or a rabbit (the price has really escalated in 30 years! Three beans could be traded for a turkey egg, a new avocado, or a fish wrapped in maize husks. One bean bought a ripe avocado, tomato, or a tamale.

1569, The Roman Church Takes a Serious Look at Chocolate: Pope Pius V, who did not like chocolate, declared that drinking chocolate on Friday did not break The Fast.

1579, English Buccaneers Burn Currency: After taking a Spanish ship loaded with cocoa beans, English Buccaneers set it on fire thinking the beans were sheep dung.

1585, Chocolate Goes to Market: The first shipment of beans intended for the market makes it to Spain.

1587, Another Ship Goes Down: When the British captured a Spanish vessel loaded with cocoa beans, the cargo was destroyed as useless.

1609, Chocolate is Lauded in Literature: The first book devoted entirely to chocolate, "Libro en el cual se trata del chocolate," came from Mexico.

1615, Chocolate Comes With the Dowery: Ann of Austria, daughter of Philip II from Spain, introduced the beverage to her new husband, Louis the XIII, and his French court, too.

1625, Cocoa Beans are Currency in Spain too: 200 small cocoa beans were valued at 1 Spanish real, or 4 cents.

1643, The French Court Embraces Chocolate: When the Spanish Princess Maria Theresa was betrothed to Louis XIV of France, she gave her fiancé an engagement gift of chocolate, packaged in an elegantly ornate chest.

Chocolate was extremely popular with Louis XIV and the members of his Court at Versailles. Louis XIV, The Sun King, reigned for over 74 years [1643 to 1715] and is considered to be one of the greatest absolute monarchs. His foresight lead him to appoint Sieur David illou to manufacture and sell chocolate, which not only created a new income stream, but also it is said to have inspired erotic pleasures. It was well known that in Louis?72^nd year he was making love to his wife twice a day?Chocolate?

Chocolate Mania in Paris: The chocolate craze which now included candy took hold in Paris and then conquered the rest of France.

Chocolate's reputation as an aphrodisiac flourished in the French courts. Art and literature was thick with erotic imagery inspired by chocolate. And the Marquis de Sade, became proficient in using chocolate to disguise poisons! Casanova was reputed for using chocolate with champagne to seduce the ladies.

Madame de Pompadour was advised to use chocolate with ambergris to stimulate her desire for Louis XV?but to no avail. Madame du Barry, reputed to be nymphomaniacal, encouraged her lovers to drink chocolate in order to keep up with her.

1657, Even London Succumbs: London's first chocolate shop is opened by a Frenchman. London Chocolate Houses became the trendy meeting places where the elite London society savored their new luxury. The first chocolate house opened in London advertising "this excellent West India drink."

1662, Rome Takes Another Look: As chocolate became exceptionally fashionable,The Church of Rome took a second look at this bewitching beverage. The judgment: "Liquidum non frangit jejunum," reiterated that a chocolate drink did not break the fast. But eating chocolate confections didn´t pass muster, until Easter. Is this where the Easter Bunny makes an entrance?

1670, One Man Takes a Stand: Helmsman Pedro Bravo do los Camerinos decides that he has had enough of Christian voyages of exploration and settles in the Philippines, where he spends the rest of his life planting cocoa, thus laying the foundations for one of the great plantations of that time.

1671, All Troubles Have a Silver Lining: Sometimes people just don't see it's this time creativity prevailed! As the story goes, a bowlful of almonds is dropped, and the angry chef tries to "box the ears" of his kitchen boy?but instead he spills a pan full of hot, burnt sugar over the almonds. Meanwhile the renowned gourmet, Duke of Plesslis-Praslin, is waiting for his dessert!

His personal chef turns anger in to creative energy, and serves the Duke almonds coated of cooled burnt sugar. The Duke is not only delighted?he is also inspired to give his name to this nouveau sweet. Today we call this confection "praline," but there is no doubt of the origin!

1674, A Trendy Coffee House Takes Chocolate To New Horizons: An Avant Guard, London Coffee House called At the Coffee Mill and Tobacco Roll, goes down in the annals of history for serving chocolate in cakes, and also in rolls? in the Spanish style.

1677, Brazil Gets into The Market: By Royal Decree, November 1, 1677, Brazil (later to achieve an important position in the world market) establishes its first cocoa plantations in the State of Par.

1697, The mayor of Zurich, visits Brussels: Heinrich Escher, mayor of Zurich, drinks chocolate in Brussels and introduces the awe-inspiring concoction to his friends at home? nothing he has ever tasted is even slightly like this brew! 1704, The Germans Impose a Tax on Chocolate: Chocolate makes its appearance in Ger many, and Frederick I of Prussia reacts by imposing a tax. Anyone wishing to pay homage to its pleasures has to pay two thalers for a permit.

1711, Chocolate Migrates to Vienna: Emperor Charles VI transfers his court from Madrid to Vienna and along with his Court, comes chocolate.

1720, Coffee Houses Propagate Trendy Chocolate: Italian Chocolatiers from Florence and Venus, now well versed in the art of making chocolate, are welcomed to France, Germany and Switzerland.

1730, Hand Methods of Manufacture Gave Way to Mass Production: The transition was hastened by the advent of a perfected steam engine, which mechanized the cocoa grinding process. By 1730, chocolate had dropped in price from three dollars or more per pound to within financial reach of all.

1747, Frederick III of Prussia forbids hawking: Especially the hawking of chocolate! In fact, Frederick prohibited chocolate in his realm. In where Chocolate flourished, It's high price ensured that only the wealthy could indulge.

1755, America Discovers Chocolate: Diligently forging the concept of Democracy, Americans take time out to discovers Chocolate.

1765, First Chocolate Factory In the USA: The production of chocolate proceeded at a faster pace than anywhere else in the world. It was in pre-Revolutionary New England.

1780, Spain Was First: The first machine-made chocolate is produced in Barcelona.

1792, A Factory Opens in Berlin: In Germany, the Josty brothers from Grisons open a confectioner's shop and make a hit selling Swiss Chocolate?and they open a chocolate factory in Berlin.

1797, Don´t Leave Home Without Chocolate: As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe tours Switzerland, he insists on having Chocolate available at all times?and a chocolate pot.

1800, Chocolate is an Industry: Antoine Brutus Menier built the first industrial manufacturing facility for chocolate.

1810, Venezuela's Dominates the Industry:. A survey shows that Venezuela produces half of the world's chocolate. And 1/3 is consumed by the Spaniards.

1819,The Swiss Invest in a Chocolate Factory: In a former mill near Vevey, Francois-Louis Cailler, who had learned the secrets of the chocolate trade in Italy founds his first factory. As cocoa plantations spread to the tropics in both hemispheres by the 19th century, the increased production lowered the price of the cocoa beans and chocolate became a popular and affordable beverage. 1822, The Cocoa Tree becomes an Ornamental Plant: off the west coast of Africa on the Principe Island in the Gulf of Guinea, Ferreira Gomes (from Portugal) introduces the cocoa tree as an ornamental plant.

1828, The Cocoa Press is Invented: The Press lead to reduced prices and helped to improve the quality of the beverage by squeezing out part of the cocoa butter. Drinking chocolate had a smooth consistency and a more pleasing taste.

1830, The Drink Became a Confection: Solid eating chocolate was developed by J. S. Fry and Sons, a British chocolate maker.

1847, An English Company Introduced Fondant Chocolate: This smooth and velvety chocolate almost completely replaced the old coarse grained chocolate.

1849, Cadbury Brothers Exhibited Chocolate: The exhibition was at Bingley Hall at Birmingham, England.

1851, Marks a First for Americans: Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert orchestrated The Exposition in London. It was the first time citizens of the United States were introduced to bonbons, chocolate creams, hard candies (called "boiled sweets"), and caramels.

1853, Heavy Import Duties Are Reduced: Once English duties made Chocolate a luxury for the wealthy, now the doors were open, allowing a number of cocoa and drinking chocolate manufacturers to get into the business

1857, Ghana Develops into an Important Producer: A Portuguese Baron of Agua Iz, takes the cultivation of cocoa from Principe Island to a neighboring island, Sao Thome, and then to the African continent. Members of the Basle Mission in Ghana encourage the growth of this emerging crop, and small to medium farmers turn Ghana into one of the most important producers.

1875, Milk Chocolate Comes of Age: After eight years of experimentation, Daniel Peter from Switzerland puts the first milk chocolate on the market.

1879, Chocolate Literally Melts in Your Mouth: Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland, invented "conching", a means of heating and rolling chocolate to refine it. After chocolate has been conched for 72 hours and has more cocoa butter added to it, chocolate becomes "fondant" and it melts in your mouth!

1900, Switzerland Takes the Leadership Role: Spain, where chocolate was first introduced to Europeans, falls far behind. Germany consumes the most per head, followed by the United States, France and Great Britain.

1910, The Swiss Reputation for Wonderful Chocolate is Undisputed: Bolstered by an unbroken series of medals at international exhibitions, Swiss Chocolate, like bratwurst, rosti and fondue, is elevated to a national dish.

1913, A new Star is Born: Jules Sechaud of Montreux of Switzerland introduced the process for filling chocolates. 1923, The CMA was Established: The Chocolate Manufacturers Association of the United States of America (CMA) was organized in.

1925, Cocoa is Big Business: The New York Cocoa Exchange, located at the World Trade Center, was begun so that buyers and sellers could get together for transactions.

1938, World War II: The U.S. government recognized chocolate's role in the Allied Armed Forces. It allocated valuable shipping space for the importation of cocoa beans which would give many weary soldiers the strength to carry. Today, the U.S. Army D-rations include three 4-ounce chocolate bars. Chocolate has even been taken into space as part of the diet of U.S. astronauts.

You may read that chocolate is an aphrodisiac based on studies from reputable universities. Scientists have isolated phenylethylamine (PEA) which is a stimulant found in chocolate, and also in the brain. A miniscule amount of PEA is released at moments of emotional euphoria, raising blood pressure and heart rate. There is no evidence that PEA found in foods increases PEA in the brain. And by the way, cheddar cheese, salami and pickled herring all contain more PEA than Chocolate, so join our International Cheese of the Month Club too!

Glossary

Alkalized Cocoa Powder: Dutch process powders which have been treated with alkali. They range from very light reddish-brown to dark reddish-brown in color, and mild cocoa flavor to strong cocoa flavor.

Amenolado: Amenolado cocoa is the only variety of forastero cacao that is delicate and mild-flavored... most are harsh and bitter. It's derived from the Arriba bean.

Arriba: The name for a variety of forastero cacao beans cultivated in Ecuador which produce a delicate, mild-flavored cocoa, considered to be one of the world's best.

Bahia: A province in eastern Brazil that gives its name to a hybrid of the forastero cacao bean. Bahia beans have a strong flavor and are usually blended with other beans.

Bain Marie: The French term for water bath. A bain marie is the equivalent to a double boiler. It melts chocolate gently over warm water so it will not burn.

Baking Bitter: Non-alcoholic unsweetened chocolate liquor in solid form used as a baking ingredient.

Baking Chocolate: This chocolate is pure, unsweetened, sometimes bitter chocolate liquor, pressed from the cacao bean. Baking chocolate usually has lecithin added, which acts as an emulsifier, and vanilla, for flavoring.

Balao Malacha: Another hybrid of the forastero cacaco bean cultivated in Ecuador. Balao malacha beans are always blended with other beans... their flavor is not desirable when unblended.

Ballotin: The French word for a small, elegant box of chocolates designed to prevent the chocolates from damaging each other. In 1912 Louise Agostini, wife of the grandson of the founder of Neuhaus Chocolates created the ballotin.

Bittersweet Chocolate: First chocolate liquor is pressed from the cacao bean during processing, then cocoa butter, a small amount of sugar, vanilla, and usually lecithin are added. Bittersweet chocolate has a deep, strong, tangy and slightly sweet flavor. It is used for making all types of desserts, pastries, and confections. Some like to eat it as is. Bittersweet chocolate is also made as couverture (coating) chocolate. Because it has more cocoa butter than regular chocolate, and is used by professionals to produce thin outer coatings on cakes, truffles.and other confections. Couverture chocolate must be tempered to stabilize the cocoa butter.

Cacahuatl: The Aztec word for cacao bean ... the word chocolate is a derivative.

Cacao: The tropical evergreen tree and its dried and partially fermented beans that are processed to make chocolate, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter.

Cacao Mothers: Tall trees grown on plantations next to cacao trees to shade them from the sun. These trees are banana, rubber, or coconut palms depending on the location of the plantation.

Cacao Walks: Large groves or orchards of cacao trees.

Caraque: A name given by the Spanish to the criollo variety of cacao bean when it was first brought to Europe.

Chocolate Bloom: When the cacao butter in chocolate separates out from the other ingredients, floats to the top, and crystallizes, it appears as white dots and streaks, or as a dull, gray film on the chocolate. This is only a cosmetic effect and does not mean that the chocolate is spoiled. The cacao butter will blend in when the chocolate is melted. This condition is also called fat bloom.

Chocolate Liquor: A bitter liquid or paste produced when cacao beans are roasted and ground, and usually used as a baking ingredient. The chocolate liquor is cooled and molded into blocks (unsweetened baking chocolate). The liquor and blocks contain roughly 53% cacao butter.

Chocolate Modeling Paste: Chocolate modeling paste can be made with dark, white, or milk chocolate by mixing it with corn syrup. It's pliable and has a malleable texture, similar to marzipan.. Ribbons, ruffles, flowers, leaves, and stems can be cut and fashioned from thinly rolled out chocolate modeling paste to decorate desserts, pastries, and other confections.

Chocolate Thermometer: This specially designed thermometer is a critical tool when you are tempering chocolate since extreme accuracy is necessary. The slim, glass mercury thermometer has distinct markings and reads in 1-degree graduations in the range of 40degrees Fahrenheit to 130degrees Fahrenheit.

Chocolatier: This word may be used to describe several different functions. A person who makes chocolates by hand in small batches is called a Chocolatier. A Chocolatier may be employed to evaluate beans and/or supervise the blending and roasting. In large companies, there may be as many as twenty. Chocolatiers will generally adjust blends, roasting times and other factors to create a final product that is consistent with prior products.

Chocovic: Located in Barcelona, Spain, Chocovic makes a line of three dark couverture varieties, that are unsual since they are each made from single origin fine grade cacao beans, labeled "Origen Unico." This means that the beans are all one variety (not blended) and that they are all grown in the same area.

Chuao: Is the name of an isolated plantation located in Venezuela which dates back to the seventeenth century. They grow one of the world's most highly prized, flavorful varieties of the criollo cacao bean. These beans are rare and are usually blended with other beans before they are shipped to the market.

Cocoa: After some or most of the fat has been removed with a hydraulic press, the remaining solid materials which include the flavoring and coloring components of chocolate liquor.

Cacao Beans: The source of all chocolate... cacao beans are found in the pods of the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao, an evergreen typically grown within 20° of the equator.

Cacao Butter: The natural, cream-colored vegetable fat extracted from cacao beans by using a hydraulic press to extract it from chocolate liquor. Cacao butter adds smoothness and flavor and is the main ingredient in white chocolate.

Cocoa Cake: Also called presscake, cocoa cake is a fairly dry, solid cake, which is what is left over after hydraulic presses extract the cacao butter from chocolate liquor. Cocoa cakes are crushed, ground, and sifted to produce cocoa powder.

Cocoa Dance: In Trinidad and some regions of South America the women shuffle through the cacao beans when they are spread out to dry. By continually turning them, this ritual ensures the beans will dry evenly, it removes extra particles, and also polishes the beans. The cocoa dance is performed twice a year after the cacao beans are harvested.

Cocoa Powder: Once cacao beans are fermented, dried, roasted and cracked, the nibs (center of the cocoa bean) are ground to extract about half the cacao butter, leaving a dark brown paste called chocolate liquor. After drying again, the hardened mass (press cake) is ground into unsweetened cocoa powder which may be natural or Dutch processed. It's available in different fat levels and a range of tastes include, mild to strong, and unsweetened, and it's used for baking, reduced fat and calorie recipes, and ice cream flavoring.

Conching: The conching machines knead the chocolate paste during controlled temperatures. This process develops flavors and changes the texture. It's the last and most important refining process, which allows the separate flavors of the individual ingredients to combine. Conches [the paddles of the early machines resembled conch shells] are equipped with heavy rollers that plow back and forth through the chocolate paste, anywhere from a few hours to several days. Contemporary technologies can grind the chocolate particles extremely fine, which can reduce conching times. Swiss and Belgian chocolates, are conched as much as 96 hours. Some chocolates are not conched at all, or for only 4 to 12 hours. For more information, see "Making Chocolate From Magic Beans."

Compound or Confectioners Coating: A coating material similar to, but it is not chocolate. It is created with domestic or imported fats, not cacao butter.

Couverture: A term describing professional quality coating chocolate that is extremely glossy. It usually contains a minimum of 32% cocoa butter, which enables it to form a much thinner shell than ordinary confectionary coating. Couverture is usually only found in specialty candy making shops. You often find it as the chocolate that surrounds chocolate covered fruits, or as the shell of fancy filled chocolates.

Crystallization: Sugar crystals are formed during the process of cooking sugar when the particles stick together because the liquid they are mixed with is saturated to its fullest point and cannot absorb any more sugar. Whether fudge has a grainy or smooth texture is determined by controlling the sugar crystallization. If the mixture is stirred while warm, large crystals form and produce a grainy texture. If it is stirred when cool, small crystals form, resulting in a smooth texture. Sugar crystallization also occurs when moisture accumulates on the surface of chocolate and the sugar is drawn up. This condition is called sugar bloom, which is visible as white streaks and dots and grainy texture. It is not the same as chocolate bloom.

Cupuacu: Its Latin name is Theobroma grandiflorum (it's related to cacao), and is native to the Amazon rain forest of Brazil. A cupuacu pod is about the size and shape of a football, with skin like a kiwi fruit. The seeds are buried in the moist pulp of the fruit inside the pods. The seeds are dried, then processed like cacao beans to producer a light-colored chocolate that has a mellow, mild bittersweet flavor with fruity undertones. Cocoa butter is present in cupuacu as it is in chocolate. Cupuacu is processed into both powder and bars and is used in the same way as cocoa powder and chocolate.

Cuvee: A blend of different types of cacao beans. Devil's Food: A chocolate flavored product that derives most of its flavor from cocoa butter rather than chocolate.

Dutch Processed: An alkaline treatment of the nib prior to grinding, or the liquor prior to pressing. This process darkens the resultant chocolate liquor or cacao and modifies the chocolate flavor, helping to neutralize cacao's natural acidity.

Dutching: A treatment of the chocolate product with alkali.

Enrobe: The process of coating candies and confections with chocolate in a specially designed machine.

Enrober: A machine, which receives lines of assorted centers (nuts, nougats, fruit or whatever desired filling) and showers them with a waterfall of liquid chocolate. Other confectionery machines create a hallow-molded shell of chocolate, which is then filled with a soft or liquid center before the bottom is sealed with chocolate.

Fondant Chocolate: Fondant chocolate has become the standard for modern, high-quality chocolate because it is extremely smooth and palatable. The invention of the conching machine by Rodolphe Lindt in 1879 and his experiments of adding cocoa butter to chocolate liquor created chocolate with a velvety smooth, fluid texture that has no trace of bitterness.

Forastero: One of the three main types of cacao beans used to make chocolate, forastero beans originated in the upper Amazon. Forastero cacao is hearty and produces high yields, which account for approximately 90 percent of the world's crop. Forastero cacao is widely grown in Africa, the West Indies, and Central and South America. Because its flavor is strong and bitter it is most often blended with other beans. As with the other two main types of cacao beans, forastero beans have several hybrids and varieties, many of which are named by their places of origin.

Ganache: Ganache is made with varying proportions of chocolate and cream... more chocolate than cream yields a firm ganache, whereas more cream than chocolate makes a softer more velvety mixture. Ganache has many uses... centers for truffles, fillings for cakes and tarts, and in its liquid state it is poured over cakes and pastries for a glaze. Ganache can be flavored with liqueurs and extracts, or combined with soft, beaten butter to create ganache beurre.

Ganache Beurre: Also called ganache soufflé, is made by adding butter to ganache and beating until light and fluffy. It is used to fill and frost cakes, and as a filling for tarts and other pastries.

Gianduia: Gianduia was originally created in Turin, the Piedmont region of Italy, and the home of famous Italian hazelnuts. It is a commercially blended mixture of roasted hazelnuts and/or almonds, and chocolate and has a velvety smooth texture. Although milk chocolate is most commonly used today, it was originally made with cocoa powder. It is also occasionally made with dark chocolate.

Once tasted, Gianduia is impossible to forget... its flavor is so subtle that it is impossible to pick out the separate ingredients. Use it to flavor a wide variety of desserts, pastries, and confections, including ice cream. The name Gianduia is given to a group of candies and confections made with a combination of hazelnuts and chocolate.

Guayaquil: Guayaquil beans have a sweet flavor that blends well with other beans. They are a variety of the trinitario cacao beans grown in western Ecuador.

Ibarra Chocolate: A brand of Mexican sweet chocolate used primarily for making hot chocolate. The chocolate is sold in the form of 3-inch round tablets that are packaged in octagon-shaped, cylindrical, bright yellow and red cardboard boxes. Ibarra chocolate is available in the imported food section in many supermarkets and specialty food shops.

Liquid Chocolate: It is made with vegetable oil rather than cacao butter, it doesn't deliver either the same texture or flavor as regular unsweetened chocolate. It was developed for baking, is unsweetened, comes in individual 1 ounce packages and requires no melting.

Magra: A hand tool used by inspectors on plantations in Africa to open cacao pods lengthwise so the cacao beans can be classified into various grades by their appearance. The magra has a blade that is suspended in a frame, which drops swiftly to open the pods.

Maragnan: Maragnan beans, variety of the forastero cacao bean, have a strong flavor that is favored for blending with other beans. The are grown in Brazil.

Maya: The pre-Columbian people who planted and cultivated the first cacao plantations in the Yucatan region of Mexico about 600 A.D. These plantations made them wealthy and established them as significant traders.

Metate: The concave curved stone slab used by the Aztecs to grind shelled cacao beans to paste. The same method was used in Europe until the late nineteenth century.

Milk Chocolate: Cacao butter, milk, sweeteners and flavorings that are added to chocolate liquor. Milk chocolate lends itself to good use for garnishes and candy coatings. All milk chocolate made in the U.S. must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor and 12% whole milk.

Mocha: A scrumptious flavor made by combining chocolate and coffee that is used extensively in desserts, pastries, and confections.

Mole Poblano: A classic Mexican dish composed of turkey in a spicy, savory chocolate sauce. It is reputed to have been invented by the nuns of Puebla near Mexico City.

Molinillo: Also called molinet, this wooden tool was developed by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. When the French created chocolate pots in the seventeenth century, their lids were made with a center hole to hold a molinillo to stir the chocolate. At one end it is fat and round with several deep carved grooves. To use a molinet you twist it in your hands in a back-and-forth motion to beat the chocolate drink and make it frothy.

Naccional: This cacao bean is also called arriba, the name for a variety of forastero cacao bean cultivated in Ecuador. It produces a light, delicate, and flavorful cocoa, considered to be as good as the world's best.

Natural Process: Non-alkalized chocolate liquor or cocoa processed without an alkaline treatment.

Nibs: The inner almond shaped seed of the cacao bean. The nibs are exposed after the outer shells of the cacao bean have been removed. Nibs are roasted, then ground to produce chocolate liquor, from which all chocolate products are made.

Non-Alkalized Cocoa Powders: Natural process powders, manufactured without the use of alkali, ususally yellowish-brown color; fruity, acidy flavor.

Para: A variety of forastero cacao bean cultivated in the Brazilian state of the same name.

Patisfrance: A brand of premium quality chocolate and couverture used by professionals.

Press Cake: Product that remains after most of the cocoa butter has been pressed from the chocolate liquor. Press cake is pulverized to make cocoa powder.

Quetzalcoatl: The mythical plumed serpent god worshiped by the Aztecs. Quetzalcoatl provided his people with cacao, which they considered to be divine. He was supposed to return to earth in the year "one reed" and bring the treasures of paradise. When Cortes landed in the sixteenth century, in the year "one-reed," he was mistakenly thought to be Quetzalcoatl and warmly welcomed by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler. This ultimately led to the enslavement and destruction of the Aztec people by the Spanish.

Quick Tempering: A method of stabilizing the cocoa butter in chocolate so the chocolate has a shiny, even appearance and smooth texture. Finely chop the chocolate to be tempered and melt two thirds of it in the top of a double boiler over low heat. Stir often with a rubber spatula so it melts evenly. Remove the top pan from the water and wipe very dry. Stir in the remaining third finely chopped chocolate in two or three stages until smooth. To check for the right temperature, place a dab under your lower lip. It should feel comfortable.

Rehrucken Mold: The specially designed tinned-steel or aluminum baking pan created to shape the classic Austrian "mock saddle of venison" cake. It looks like a long loaf pan that is curved in a half-moon shape and has deep, evenly spaced grooves across the width. Some versions of the pan also have a groove down the center to represent the bone of the saddle of venison. The cake is recognized by its classic curved, ridged shape, which it takes from the pan. A typical Rehrucken Mold measures between 10 and 15 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, and 22.5 inches deep.

Schlag: The German word for whipped cream, which is the traditional accompaniment to many chocolate pastries and desserts.

Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet: chocolate liquor with additional sweeteners and cacao butter. It is also known as dark chocolate. According to United States standards, it must contain at least 35% chocolate liquor. Its fat content averages 27%.

Snap: A technical term that describes one of the characteristics of well-tempered chocolate. It should break cleanly and crisply, with a sharp snap and should not be crumbly or soft.

Sugar Bloom: A white crust of sugar crystals that forms when moisture accumulates on the surface of chocolate and chocolate candies. The moisture draws the sugar to the surface where it dissolves. This is visible as white streaks and dots and causes a grainy texture. Storing loosely wrapped chocolate and candies in the refrigerator where they are exposed to too much moisture causes sugar bloom. It is not the same as chocolate bloom, which occurs when the cacao butter in the chocolate rises to the surface.

Sweet Chocolate: Contains more sweeteners than semi-sweet chocolate and at least 15% chocolate liquor. Sweet chocolate is used mostly for decorating and garnishing. The fat content is similar to semi-sweet chocolate.

Tempering: A process that sets cacao butter at its most stable point. Cacao butter has four different types of crystals and each has a different melting point. Tempering chocolate captures the beta crystal, the most stable of the four. Because chocolate has these different melting points it is unstable and causes the cocoa butter to easily rise to the surface of chocolate. This creates a condition called chocolate bloom, which results in unsightly white and gray streaks and dots, a grainy texture, and makes unmolding difficult.

When chocolate is tempered it has a shiny, even appearance and smooth texture. It breaks with a sharp snap, sets up rapidly, and releases easily from molds. All chocolate comes from the manufacturer tempered, but when it is melted it loses the temper and must be tempered again for dipping and molding. To temper chocolate, it is heated so it melts completely, stirred to cool to approximately 78 degrees Fahrenheit, then heated again to an exact temperature, depending on the type of chocolate it is... dark, milk, or white. Tempering is accomplished through different methods and by machine.

Theobroma Grandiflorum: A species of the genus Theobroma, grown in the Amazon rain forest in Brazil, also called cupuacu. The product of this fruit is a light colored chocolate that has delicate, mild bittersweet flavor, with fruity undertones.

ChocolateTorrone: Torrone is an Italian confection made with honey, egg whites, toasted almonds, pistachios, and other nuts, such as hazelnuts. Chocolate torrone can be made by adding chocolate, and chocolate-dipped torrone is often available.

Torta Barozzi: A dense, moist, fuggy, flourless chocolate cake that is a specialty of the town of Vignola near Modena, Italy. According to legend during the Renaissance, Pastry Chef Eugenio Gollini invented Torta Barozzi in 1897 to celebrate the birthday of the architect Jacopo Barozzi. A native of Vignola, Barozzi created the concept of a spiral staircase. It is said that Gollini's descendants still make the cake today, but have taken the family vow to never disclose the recipe. Although the ingredients are printed on the box, the proportions and the ways in which they are combined are not. The cake contains peanuts, a very unusual ingredient for Italy, but the family offers no explanation for how they became part of the cake.

Torta Gianduia: Three layers of rich gianduia cake, filled and frosted with a creamy gianduia ganache cream... and of course the cake is decorated with ground and toasted hazelnuts! An Italian delight renowned throughout the Piedmont region, where hazelnuts are grown.

Trembleuse: A special cup for chocolate drinks, created in the early eighteenth century to prevent the beverage from spilling. At that time chocolate was so expensive, only the privileged could indulge. The trebleuse is placed in a holder, in the center of a saucer that keeps it erect and steady.

Trichocolate Terrine: A cold molded dessert in three layers, each flavored separately with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. It can be made of a creamy, velvety mousse, ice cream, or custard, and is generally molded in a glass loaf pan. When it is unmolded and sliced across the width, the three distinct chocolate layers show. Trichocolate Terrine is usually served with a fruit or custard sauce.

Trinitario: One of the three main types of cacao beans used to make chocolate, trinitario beans are a cross between criollo and forastero beans. They are cultivated primarily in Central and South America and Indonesia. Trinitario beans produce flavorful, high-fat cocoa. Some are sweet some strongly flavored, while others have an acid edge. The particular flavor characteristics are determined by the soil where the beans are grown. As with the other two main types of cacao beans, trinitario beans have several hybrids and varieties, many of which are named by their places of origin.

Tumbadores: The men who harvest the pods for crushing, roasting, and pressing.

Vanilla Bean: The most moist and flavorful beans come from the plants that are grown in tropical the climates of Tahiti and Madagascar. Vanilla beans have been used as a flavoring for hundreds of years, and it seems so fitting that such an extraordinarily pleasing flavor would come from the fruit of a climbing Orchid Vine!

Vanilla which is native to southern Mexico was used by the Aztecs to flavor chocolate, as it is often used today. To use the bean for flavoring, it is split open and steeped in liquid. The tiny black grains that fill the inside of the bean contain the potent Vanilla that is released during the steeping.

Vanilla beans will dry out if exposed to air, so keep them wrapped in plastic in a tightly covered dark container and in a cool, dry place. They will stay plump and flexible for several months. The beans will scent sugar, teas, coffees, or other foods when mixed and left to mature, or simmer them with other spices when you are expecting company... your home will be especially welcoming!

Vanilla Extract: Produced by steeping vanilla beans in an alcohol and water solution, pure vanilla is concentrated and therefore, only a small amount is needed for flavoring. Vanilla is an expensive flavoring to produce, which has led to the proliferation of synthetically produced vanilla.

Vanillin: A substitute for natural vanilla produced synthetically as a byproduct of the paper industry and treated with chemicals. Vanillin is used to flavor some chocolate and candies. Synthetic vanillin is easily detected because it tastes artificial.

Viscosity: A measure of the coating thickness of melted chocolate, which determines its ability to coat or enrobe confections. Melted chocolate has varying degrees of viscosity depending on its types (dark, milk, or white) and whether or not it is couverture, which contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than regular chocolate.

White Chocolate: Contains cacao butter but does not contain nonfat cacao solids. Mostly used as a coating, it contains sugar, cacao butter, milk solids and flavorings such as vanilla. White chocolate is the most fragile form of chocolate. Imitation white chocolate is made with vegetable oil rather than cocoa butter.

White's: One of the famous early chocolate houses in London, established in the late seventeenth century. These establishments were gathering places, similar to coffeehouses. Many supporters and members of the Whig party, writers, and gamblers frequented White's. In 1787 White's ceased to exist because it had become a gambling club and been forced to move many times. Finally it had no location.

Wilbur Chocolate Company: An American manufacturer of chocolate and compound coatings and cocoa powders for the candy manufacturing, bakery, and dairy industries, based in Pennsylvania. Wilbur was founded in 1865 and has been through several mergers with other companies and company name changes throughout the years.

Winnowing: The process of removing the outer husk of the cacao bean to release the inner nibs during the manufacturing of chocolate.

Xocoatl: The Aztec word for bitter water, a drink made from cacao beans, from which the world chocolate derives.

Making Chocolate From Magic Beans!

Cocoa beans are stored in silos or warehouses in their original sacks. Imported raw cocoa is subject to a strict quality control. Laboratory technicians ensure that the beans are healthy, perfectly fermented and dried, and have suffered no damage during transport. Silos, measuring from 40 to 120 feet in height can store up to 1000 tons or more. The raw cocoa is sucked up by powerful vacuums and fed into the silos.

The storage area must be isolated from the rest of the building to protect the sensitive beans from strong odors that might be absorbed. Good air circulation and a cool temperature are important, and the humidity regularly checked. You must be able to identify the beans according to their particular type and origin in order to control the flavor by blending beans for roasting.

The first step is cleaning. The cocoa beans are passed through a machine that removes dried cocoa pulp, pieces of pod and other extraneous material. The beans are carefully weighed and blended according to specifications. Finally, the last vestiges of wood, jute fibres, sand and even the finest dust are extracted by powerful vacuum equipment. The separated cocoa bean husks are passed on to the chemical industry which extracts valuable compounds.

The next is roasting. To bring out the characteristic chocolate aroma, the beans are roasted in large rotary cylinders. Depending upon the variety of the beans and the desired end result, the roasting lasts from 30 minutes to two hours at temperatures of 250 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. As the beans turn over and over, their moisture content drops, their color changes to a rich brown, and the characteristic aroma of chocolate becomes evident. Although all steps are important, proper roasting is one of the keys to good flavor.

Shells are removed. The cocoa beans are cooled quickly and their thin shells, which have become brittle by roasting, are removed. A giant winnowing machine that passes the beans between serrated cones so they are cracked rather than crushed. In the process, a series of mechanical sieves separate the broken pieces into large and small grains while fans blow away the thin, light shell from the meat or "nibs." Here's where the first secrets of the chocolate manufacturer come in. The nibs are blended, combining as many as 8-10 varieties. It is control of these subtle mixtures that maintains a constant quality and brings out the flavor of each particular variety of chocolate.

Nibs are ground. The nibs, which contain about 53 % cocoa butter, pass through refining mills and are ground between large grinding stones or heavy steel discs creating a cocoa paste. The paste is subjected to hydraulic pressure, and the cocoa butter flowing out is a pure and valuable fat with a marked aroma; after filtering and purifying it looks very much like ordinary butter.

The cocoa butter has important functions. It not only forms part of every recipe, but it also later gives the chocolate its fine structure, beautiful lustre and delicate, attractive glaze. The heat generated by grinding causes the cocoa butter or fat to melt and form a fine paste or liquid known as chocolate "liquor When the liquid is poured into molds and allowed to solidify, the resulting cakes are unsweetened or bitter chocolate.

Cocoa is first separated from cocoa butter. Up to this point, the manufacturing of cocoa and chocolate is identical. The by-product of cocoa, cocoa butter, is the essential component of chocolate... about 25 % of the weight of most chocolate bars.

To make cocoa powder chocolate liquor is pumped into hydraulic presses weighing up to 25 tons, and when the pressure is applied, 80% cocoa butter is removed. The fat drains away through metallic screens as a yellow liquid, and then is collected for use in chocolate manufacturing. Cocoa butter, unique among vegetable fats, is a solid at normal room temperature and melts at 89 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit... just below body temperature. With proper storage conditions, cocoa butter can be kept for years without spoiling.

The "cake" which is left may eventually be made into cocoa powder by being further crushed, milled and finely sifted. Three or five vertically mounted steel rollers rotate in opposite directions. Under heavy pressure they pulverise the tiny particles of cocoa and sugar down to a size of approx. 30 microns. (One micron is a thousandth part of a millimetre!)

Most manufacturers add non-fat milk, flavors, sugar and other ingredients. The resulting product will contain between 10 and 22% cocoa butter. In the "Dutch" process, cocoa is treated with an alkali and develops a slightly milder flavor, and has a darker appearance. The alkali acts as a processing agent rather than as a flavor ingredient. To make chocolate other ingredients are added to Chocolate Liquor. Milk chocolate is made by adding milk, sugar, cocoa butter and otheringredients to the bitter chocolate liquor. At this point, Chocolate is prepared in according to individual recipes. The blending of the various types of cocoa pastes and other ingredients determine the ultimate taste. The ingredients go into a mixer with rotating, kneading arms until the result is a homogeneous, paste-like mixture with a pleasant taste, but it still feels gritty to the palate.

The conching machines knead the chocolate paste during controlled temperatures. This process develops flavors and changes the texture. It's the last and most important refining process, which allows the separate flavors of the individual ingredients to combine. Conches [the paddles of the early machines resembled conch shells] are equipped with heavy rollers that plow back and forth through the chocolate paste, anywhere from a few hours to several days. Contemporary technologies can grind the chocolate particles extremely fine, which can reduce conching times. Swiss and Belgian chocolates, are conched as much as 96 hours. Some chocolates are not conched at all, or for only 4 to 12 hours.

Under regulated speeds and temperatures, these rollers can produce different degrees of agitation and aeration to create distinct chocolate flavors. The process can eliminate any remaining bitterness by aerating the chocolate and expelling volatile acids. Additional cocoa butter and lecithin are added which help to achieve the characteristic velvet smoothness. And as the ultimate homogeneity of the ingredients is developed, a soft film of cocoa butter begins to form around each of the extremely small particles. The chocolate no longer seems sandy, but dissolves meltingly on the tongue. It has attained the outstanding purity which gives it its reputation. The last stage of conching Swiss or Belgian chocolate is a magnificent sight... huge paddles rolling slowly through great vats of chocolate, smooth and creamy and thick.

Circular conches use a rotary movement and can hold 9 tons of chocolate. They are the most efficient of the conch machines In some manufacturing setups, there is an emulsifying operation that either takes the place of conching [or supplements conching]. Emulsifying is breaking up sugar crystals and other particles in the chocolate mixture to give it a fine, velvety smoothness. The machine works like an eggbeater.

Next chocolate is tempered by heating, cooling and reheating. This thickens the chocolate and imparts the right flow properties for filling the moulds. This complex operation is performed in the tempering plant and is necessary to give the final chocolate product a delicate composition, a uniform structure and a well-rounded flavour. The storage life is also increased in this way.

The still warm conched chocolate is placed in a tempering machine so that it can be slowly and steadily cooled. Cooling chocolate at a fixed rate keeps the flavor from being compromised, and prevents separation when the chocolate is poured into bar molds. Proper tempering also results in a silky sheen and crisp "snap" when broken... another sign of a superior quality chocolate bar. The tempered chocolate is pored into molds of many sizes, from individual sized bars to a ten pound blocks used by confectionery manufacturers.

Temporary storage is of the liquid chocolate is necessary. Conches are always filled with the largest amounts of chocolate for efficiency, the molding machines can only accept small amounts of chocolate paste at one time, in order to shape it into bars, chocolates and other products. Chocolate is is frequently shipped in a liquid state to other food manufacturers, or it can be stored for short periods of time. For longer periods, it is solidified, usually in the form of hundredweight blocks. These blocks must be reheated before further processing so that they liquefy again.

Automation has moved in on the chocolate industry. Computers are carefully programmed to control and coordinate the entire chocolate making process. Every single stage of production can be checked electronically.

Chocolate Grows on Trees

Cocoa producing areas lie near the equator. Bounded to the north and south by the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, this region of tropical rain-forests, with its moist, windless climate and constant warmth, provides ideal conditions for the growth and well-being of the cocoa tree. The cocoa tree may have originated in the Amazon basin of Brazil, or in the Orinoco Valley of Venezuela, or perhaps in Central America. Some regard Mexico and Equador as the original home of cocoa.

The oldest plantations are in the northern areas of South America. At a later date, the cultivation of cocoa spread southward to Brazil. At the end of the nineteenth century, cultivation spread to the equatorial regions of West Africa. Today, the Ivory Coast and Brazil are the most productive areas in the world.

Ghana, once the most important world producer, is losing its significance due to ageing plantations. Nigeria and Cameroon also produce cocoa. In the islands of South-East Asia, cocoa was established very early, but they produce small quantities of good cocoa. In the Far East, Malaysia bas given a great deal of encouragement to the cultivation of cocoa.

Baby this tree! There are several species of cocoa trees. They are very delicate and sensitive plants, and need protection from wind and sun. Although you will only find the trees in tropical climates, they require a fair amount of shade especially in their first four years. Cocoa seedlings are planted in fiber baskets or plastic bags in nurseries. In a few months they are ready for transplanting, container and all. Newly planted seedlings are always shaded by other trees. "Cocoa mothers" is the term to the many varieties of shade providing trees... banana, plantain, coconut palms, rubber trees, leguminous plants, lemon and baobab trees, to name a few. The first blossoms begin to appear after about two years...delicate pink sepals and yellowish-white blossom petals.

In fertile soil conditions and with intensive husbandry, cocoa trees can grow in full sunlight once they are established. Cocoa plantations and estates are usually located in valleys or coastal plains, and must have evenly distributed rainfall, and rich, well-drained soil. Some five year olds become fruitful. With pruning and careful cultivation, the trees of most strains will begin bearing fruit in their fifth to eight year. With extreme care, some strains can be induced to yield good crops in the third and fourth years. The cocoa tree is an evergreen with large glossy leaves that are red when young.

It's a beautiful plant! Moss and colorful lichens are often found clinging to the bark... in some areas breathtaking baby orchids grow on the branches. Thousands of tiny waxy pink or white five-pedaled blossoms cluster together on the trunk and older branches. Less than 10% mature into full fruit. The trees blossom almost continuously; a fully grown specimen can sometimes produce as many as 50,000 or even 100,000 blossoms in one year.

The fruit pods, somewhat football-shaped, are green, or sometimes maroon colored, and grow on the trunk of the tree as well as its main branches. They ripen into a golden color or take on a scarlet hue with multicolored flecks. Inside the pod, enveloped in the white fruit pulp and arranged in five rows are between 20 and 40 precious, almond-shaped cocoa beans.

The annual yield per tree is between 20 and 30 fruit pods. Each tree produces annually between 1 lb and 5 lbs of seed kernels, which we know as cocoa beans. Maximum yield is not usually achieved until the tree is about eight years old. At its maturity, the cultivated tree measures from 15 to 25 feet tall, since they are topped off for easier harvesting.

The tree in its wild state may reach 60 feet or more. We know of some trees that are over 200 years of age, and although these trees have been around for over 4,000 years, no one has determined the real life span of the species. From a plantation owner's perspective, the range usefulness of a tree is 25 to 40 years. The gnarled trees, have open grained wood which is usually only used as fuel. Cocoa trees cross-pollinate freely. In the Western Hemisphere, there are few plantations that have just one species of cocoa because these trees cross-pollinate naturally. Even within a single tree you may find the characteristics of several varieties. Uniformity exists only when plantations were developed using the rooted branch cuttings of a single mother tree. There are three primary classifications of pods...

Criollo, the most elite of cocoas, has soft and thin-skinned pods, which are a light color. They have a very unique, pleasant mild aroma. The pure variety of the Criollo tree is found mainly in its native Equador and Venezuela, and some in Colombia, and parts of Asia. In the last 50 years all new plantings have been in Venezuela. Criollo cocoa accounts for only 10% of the world crop. It is particularly susceptible to climatic influences and is difficult to rear. Its yield tends to be smaller than that of other varieties and it takes longer to ripen. On the other hand, the seeds are of finer quality than any other variety, and the most exclusive and treasured chocolate comes from Criollo beans.

Forastero, a more plentiful type and accounts for most of the world's chocolate. This variety is easier to cultivate, has a thick-walled pod, and a pungent aroma. It's a rather bitter, harsh type of cocoa. Depending on location, this variety produces qualities ranging from medium to fine, which are either selected or blended. Forastero trees originated in the Upper Amazon, but can be found in Brazil, West Africa, Equador, Latin America, Java, and Sri Lanka.

Trinitario, which is believed to be a natural cross from strains of Criollo and Forastero, possesses a good, aromatic flavor. These trees are particularly suitable for cultivation in equatorial climates all over the world - Venezuela, neighboring South and Central American countries, the Caribbean, Indonesia, West Africa and Hawaii.

As with most agriculture these days, growers have focused on hybridization to improve the quality of the bean and make the trees more resistant to disease. Recently, hybrid trees, using Amelonado cocoa trees and other specimens from the Upper Amazon, have been developed. They have a shown greater resistance, and have a richer yield. Scientists immersed in Twenty First Century biotechnology techniques are also working to improve the quality of cocoa beans and the plant's resistance to disease. Although Chocolate is no longer used as currency, the cocoa tree continues to generate lots of revenue! Cocoa trees are fragile and harvesting is difficult. So soft is the bark of this tree, and so shallow are its roots, that tumbadores [pickers] cannot climb the tree to reach the pods on the higher branches. They use long handled steel knives to snip the highest pods without wounding the tree. Machetes are used for the pods growing within reach on the lower trunk.

Just as the ripening of wine grapes is signaled by their change in color, cocoa pods turn bright red, orange or yellow at the peak of ripeness. Usually there is a main harvest season that lasts several months, and a mid-crop harvest lasting several more months. Climatic differences cause wide variations in harvest times with frequent fluctuations from year to year even within the same location.

Cocoa trees bare fruit three or four times a year. They are in leaf continuously. Blossom, unripe fruit [pods] and also mature ripe fruit can be seen on the branches simultaneously, since the growing season in the tropics is continuous, due to the evenly distributed rainfall.

A good breaker can open 500 pods an hour! Pods are collected in baskets and taken to the edge of a field where the pod breaking operation begins. One or two lengthwise blows from a well-wielded machete are usually enough to split open the woody shells. Anywhere from 20 to 50 cream-colored wet sticky seeds, called beans are scooped from each pod... approximately 400 beans are required to make one pound of chocolate. Exposure to air quickly changes the cream-colored beans to a lavender or purple. They don't have the well-known fragrance of chocolate at this time.

Beans must ferment to acquire the taste. The fermentation process is decisive in the production of high quality raw cocoa. The technique varies depending on the growing region. In some places the beans are placed in heaps, in others they are laid out in baskets or large boxes. The beans are usually covered with banana leaves and branches, or a layer of pulp from the pods. The covering starts to heat up and ferment the beans. The larger heaps are turned over several times to ensure even fermentation.

In the course of the complex fermentation process, the cocoa bean undergoes a number of important changes. The sugar-containing fruit pulp, which would otherwise be difficult to dispose of, is broken down by ferments, and the astringent and bitter taste of the beans diminishes. Fermentation lasts from two to nine days... quite a wide range, and generates temperatures as high as 125 degrees Fahrenheit, killing the germ of the bean. Criollos need about two days. Forasteros and Trinitarios take a week or more. The timing is crucial... the beans should not ferment too long, or to be pulled from the pulp too quickly.

The temperature also activates enzymes and forms compounds that produce the chocolate flavor when the beans are roasted. The true cocoa aroma develops later during the drying and roasting operations. In the final stages, the beans of the Criollo variety turn a brownish-yellow color, and those of the Forastero variety become violet-brown...a sign that the cocoa is now ready for drying.

Drying is important to preserve the beans. After fermentation, the raw cocoa is still about 60% water. When the sun cooperates, the beans are dried by laying them on trays or bamboo matting to bask in the sun. When moist climate conditions interfere, the beans can be dried inside by hot-air pipes. With favorable weather the drying process usually takes several days. In this interval, farmers turn the beans frequently and use the opportunity to pick them over for foreign matter and flat, broken or germinated beans. During drying, beans lose nearly all their moisture and more than half their weight. They take on a browner colouring and the aroma has become more pronounced. There are Cocoa Exchanges in New York, London, Hamburg and Amsterdam. Market price depends not only on the abundance of the worldwide crop and the quality of the beans, but also on the economic conditions throughout the world.

Buyers sample the quality. In general, only the "exclusive" high budget chocolate companies buy beans at the plantation. Here's how it works: After the beans are fermented, dried and cleaned, they are placed in sacks (at the plantation). Government inspectors visit the plantation and take a large sample from the sacks. They split the beans lengthwise and classify them by grades -- "fine grade," "second grade," and "third grade" are determined by the color of the beans. The beans are then taken by truck to a seaport. More inspections will take place at this port of departure, and a final one just before loading. In general, cocoa beans are purchased at the country of origin by private import- export traders or international brokerages or exchanges; the beans are then sold to negotiators, who supply various chocolate manufacturers.

By cutting open a number of beans, they can tell if the beans are properly fermented. Purple centers indicate incomplete fermentation. Buyers look for specific characteristics.

• Brazilian beans are said to be slightly smoky but robust
• Guyaquil beans are sweet
• Sumatra beans are acrid
• Indian Ocean cocoas are pungent and sour, but not bitter
• Madagascar beans are strong in flavor and aroma
• Venezuelan cocoas, primarily criollos, are considered by many to be a delicacy

But most chocolates are the result of a blend of cocoa beans. A slightly acrid bean, such as those grown in Trinidad, might be an excellent in a certain blend.

The beans are packed in 130 to 200 pound jute sacks, weighed and classified, and the tropical fruit is stowed in the holds of freighters, crossing oceans to the great ports of Europe and North America. Upon arrival, the beans are cleaned, selected, blended, roasted and ground, determining much of the chocolate's final character in the process.