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The cacao treeThe cacao tree is a very delicate and sensitive tree. Like a prima donna it requires careful tending. The tree originates from the tropical rain forests in South and Central America and is consequently not only sensitive to sun, drought and wind, but also to too much rainfall. Thus the cacao plant is often sheltered by a different type of tree such as the fast growing banana tree. Later on the cacao tree may get a rubber, mahogany or a coffee tree as a companion. Today cacao is cultivated not more that 20 degrees north or south of the equator. The tree was given its binomial scientific name, Theobróma cacáo, by Swedish physician and botanist Carolus Linnaeus (Carl von Linné). Theobroma is Greek and means "Food of the gods", constructed from the Greek words theos (god) och brōma (food). The tree is fairly short in growth and rarely reaches more than 10 meters to it's full potential. The fruits or cacao pods are coming out directly from the trunk or older branches. The tree sprouts thousands of tiny pink or white five-petalled blossoms and bear fruit simultaneously. Cacao is normally harvested twice a year and every tree produces approximately three to four kilograms (six to nine pounds) of beans annually. All the handling is still done by hand and the fruits are harvested by pickers, tumbadores, who use long handled, mitten-shaped steel knives that can reach the highest pods and snip them without wounding the soft bark of the tree. Criollo, Forastero and TrinitarioCacao varieties and bean typesThere are two distinct main species of the cacao used in the manufacture of chocolate: Criollo (which means "native") and Forastero (which means "foreign"). The Criollo is considered the Rolls Royce of cocoa beans and is the most delicate of the two. It's more sensitive to deceases and yields less, thus it only represents about 5-10% of the world's production. It's used mainly in the regions where cacao cultivation originates, namely in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia, but also in Trinidad, Jamaica and Grenada. The beans of the Criollo require very little fermentation and the unique flavor and aroma are highly prized by chocolate manufacturers all over the world. Not surprisingly the beans are almost exclusively used in combination with other varieties.
The Forastero is more endurable and yields a good return which explains why it holds about 80% of the world's production. It is normally divided into two categories depending on if it originates from the upper (wild or semi-wild varieties from the upper Orinoco river system) or the lower (also called the amelonado variety) Amazon regions. The amelonado is the most widely spread and cultivated variety in the world, especially in Africa and Brazil. It has a stronger and more bitter taste than the Criollo and is mainly used for blending. An exception to the rule is the amelonado variety called Arriba which is grown in Ecuador. Its delicate qualities and fine aroma are considered equal to the world's best beans.
Cacao comes in a variety of types since the trees cross-pollinate freely and create a lot of hybrids. The most distinct and common one is the Trinitario. As the name suggests it comes from Trinidad where the Spaniards cultivated the Criollo in the 17th century. After a hurricane A.D. 1727 almost all of the cacao plantations were destroyed and when replanting the orchards they used the Forastero. Soon thereafter hybrids between the Forastero and the remaining few Criollo trees that survived the catastrophe occurred naturally. The Trinitario holds about 10-15% of the worlds cocoa production and has inherited the robustness of the Forastero and the delicate flavor of the Criollo, even though its characteristics are mainly from the Forastero, and is used mainly for blending.
The final flavor and character of the chocolate depends largely on the chocolatier's skill and experience in selecting and blending various types of beans, just like whisky can be dependant on being blended with whisky from several different distilleries or wine from different barrels to keep up a consistent quality. Types of cocoa beans may be divided into strong and mild varieties:
If made only with Accra beans, for example, chocolate will have a very strong and harsh flavor, whereas Caracas beans make a mild but excellently flavored chocolate. Superb chocolate can be made with a blend of 42% Trinidad beans, 21% Accra beans (both strong) and 37% Caracas beans (mild). Manufacturing chocolate from cocoa beansFrom cocoa bean to chocolateEvery fruit contains 25 to 30+ almond sized beans which are to be fermented for five to six days. The fermentation process kills the germ of the bean which becomes porous and brown, the bean's aroma develops and makes suitable for chocolate manufacturing. After the "yeasting" process the beans are left to dry for one to two weeks in order to lower the percentage of water from 60% down to 7%, so they won't be destroyed during transport or storing. Next they are to be roasted for 10 up to 30 minutes at a temperature of 120 to 130°C (250-265°F), in some cases slightly less. The roasting process is extremely important as it has a huge impact on the final flavor of the chocolate. Before the cocoa beans are ground the husk and germ are winnowed away. At this state the beans are called cocoa nibs. Then the nibs are ground into a paste called cocoa mass (also called cocoa liquor, cocoa paste and chocolate paste) from which at least half the fat is extracted in a hydraulic press in order to manufacture cocoa powder. Some manufacturers heat up the beans together with an alkali solution such as potassium or sodium carbonate before grinding which in the end allows it to stay in suspension longer in liquids as milk. This process is called dutching and can unfortunately also contribute to a darker color and a weaker flavor, which is why it's not applied by all manufacturers. Left in the press is the cocoa cake, which is ground into the fine cocoa powder, and the extracted fat is called cocoa butter. When manufacturing chocolate for eating cocoa mass, sugar and cocoa butter are mixed and refined through a series of rollers. The last important step in making delicious chocolate is the conching. It is an intensive treatment lasting for a few hours up to 2-3 days, or even more, that develops and mellows the fine aroma and gives the chocolate a smooth liquid consistency. It is also at this stage various flavors are added, such as vanilla or cinnamon. In this condition the chocolate can be delivered to the customers in tanks holding a temperature of around 50°C (120°F) before it takes its final shape. No matter if it is to be solid or liquid chocolate, it will go through one last process called tempering that gradually reduces its temperature from 50°C until the desired consistency is obtained. Sources: Young, A M. 1994. The chocolate tree - a natural history of cacao. Washington:Smithsonian Institution Press |
Manufacturing
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