How is Chocolate Made? – Part 1
October 31, 2008
Every year, about 3 million tons of cocoa beans are produced – Where do they grow? How is the crop harvested? And how do they end up in your chocolate bar?!
Growing
Cocoa trees grow in hot, rainy areas – mostly near the equator. The trees are quite sensitive to wind and sun, so the cocoa farmers must take good care to protect the trees from these elements. Sometimes they plant other trees, such as banana or coconut trees around the cocoa trees to shelter and protect them in the early stages of their growth when they are at their most delicate. Once the trees are established, the soil needs to be fertilized, and the trees need to be monitored closely.
Most cocoa trees bear fruit in their fifth year. It produces at it’s peak in about ten years, and will continue to produce cocoa pods after that for an additional 12 years or so. Some trees still produce fruit when they are 30-40 years old.
About 10 per cent of the pink or white cocoa blossoms will mature into fruit. The fruit are called pods, and they are green or maroon in colour. As they ripen, they turn to a golden or red colour.
Harvesting
When these pods are ripe, they must be harvested. The farmers use special long-handles tools to snip down the pods from the top of the tree, or possibly machetes to cut the pods that are lower down on the tree. Once the pods are harvested, the shells must be broken open. It takes a great deal of practice to split the shells, but a good pod-breaker can open 500 pods an hour.
The husk and inner membrane of the pod is discarded, and a farmer can expect 20 to 50 cream-colored beans from a typical pod. Dried beans from an average pod weigh less than two ounces, and approximately 400 beans are required to make one pound of chocolate.
The beans are then put into boxes, or in huge piles, and are covered with mats. Layer of pulp surrounds the beans, and this naturally heats and ferments the beans in the sun. This process lasts between three and nine days, and takes away the bitter taste from the cocoa. Chemical processes take place within the bean to produce the chocolate flavour once the beans are roasted. The beans turn a rich brown colour, and are now ready for drying.
To keep the beans from spoiling, they must be dried. In the hot seasons, the farmers can dry the beans out by laying them out in the sunshine. This process takes a few days, during which time the beans loose more than half their weight. The beans are then packed into large sacks for shipping. The beans are graded, and then loaded onto ships.
EDIT: Just came accross this website which explains in even more detail and has some fantastic photos! Well worth a visit if you are interested in this subject.
Watch out for Part 2 of this article!
(Information compiled from the World Cocoa Foundation Website)
Chocolate made from camel’s milk!
October 28, 2008
A company in Dubai has become the first to manufacture chocolate made from camel’s milk.
The company’s hollow chocolate camels come in two sizes, 130g and 730g. The product is the result of two years’ development work by a team of international experts.
Al Nassma has been set up to produce top-quality chocolate and pralines. Its range includes five differently flavoured 70g bars –Arabia, which contains local spices, dates, macadamia nut and orange, cocoa and whole milk. The pralines range consists of pistachio, nougat and coffee cream.
Edible Jewelry!
October 25, 2008
How about this for the girl that has everything?! Now you can combine every girl’s two favourite things – chocolate and jewelry all in one!
Jewelry designer Wendy Mahr has designed there beautifully crafted necklaces and earrings from chocolate!
She says, “Is it real? yes, Will it melt? well, I’m in Miami and I wore one during the day, and it didn’t melt all over me much to my surprise! I don’t guarantee they will never melt, or last forever, and please don’t eat the wire, but they are fabulous! I do promise that!
And if you want to reuse/recycle after the chocolate’s days are over, you can send it back and for $45+shipping, we’ll replace the chocolate with pearls, or other available stones! ”
What a fun idea as a conversation starter at a party! Or as wedding favours for your special guests!
Chocolate called a ‘key ingredient’ to longevity!
October 22, 2008
Yes another piece of good news for all you chocaholics!
“Professor Gary Williamson, from the department of food science at Leeds University, has produced a list of 20 “lifespan essential” foodstuffs.
Besides chocolate, coffee and tea, the list includes apples, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cereal bran, cherries, cherry tomatoes, cranberries, oranges, peaches, plums, raspberries, red grapes, red onions, spinach and strawberries. “
To read the rest of this article, click here.
The Chocolate Lovers ‘40 List’
October 21, 2008
Originally started by the Very Good Taste blog, the “Omnivores Hundred” food list has become popular with bloggers all over the world. The idea is that a list of 100 things that they think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life is posted on the blog. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food.
So I thought I would do a “Chocolate Lovers 40″ (as I doubt I could think up 100!). I have included some non-chocolate items as well.
What you do is:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.chocolateheaven-online.com linking to your results.
5) Let us know when you try anything new!
So here goes:
- A 100% Cocoa Chocolate Bar
- Chocolate Covered Turkish Delight
- Chocolate covered Marzipan
- Pralines
- Champagne Truffles
- Homemade Chocolate IceCream
- Hot Chocolate (made with chocolate, not cocoa powder)
- Chili Chocolate
- Chocolate covered Nougat
- Chocolate covered ants
- Mocha (coffee/chocolate drink)
- Mole (Mexcian savoury dish made with chocolate)
- Chocolate covered toffee
- Chocolate made from Criollo cocoa beans
- Chocolate tasted in a chocolate factory
- 100% Fairtrade chocolate bar
- Chocolate beer
- Mississippi Mud Pie
- Dulche de Leche
- Marshmallows dipped in a chocolate fountain
- Chocolate raisins
- Chocolate covered coffee beans
- Carob bar
- Chocolate toothpaste (apparently it does exist!)
- Chocolate Wine
- Chocolate flavoured chewing gum
- Homemade chocolate brownies
- Cocoa butter
- Chocolate liqueur
- Cocoa Nibs
- Chocolate sandwich
- Chocolate fudge
- Chocolate covered strawberries
- Baileys hot chocolate
- Chocolate milkshake
- Dark Chocolate covered ginger pieces
- Dark Chocolate Rose & Violet Cremes
- Bacon flavoured chocolate
- Earl Grey Chocolate
- White Chocolate mousse
Have fun!!
Would you like to be a Chocolatier?
October 20, 2008
A fun and addictive little game for all aspiring chocolatiers!
The aim of the game is to save Baumeister Confections and become a Master Chocolatier. You have to travel around the world purchasing ingredients at the best possible price. You then take the ingredients to your factories, and manufacture the chocolates and then sell them for the best possible profit. The ingredients prices, and the selling prices of the chocolates depend on the current seasons and markets. As you travel around, you also collect and make up new recipes that sell for higher prices.
Its an interesting adventure type game that is available for a trial download, or to purchase here. Chocolatier 2 is also available from the same website.
Video Recipe
October 18, 2008
I am looking forward to trying this one! You could use any good quality 70% chocolate bars, or even 85% or 99% if you wanted a really rich taste. Or why not try a bar with a slight flavour? Such as Orange or mint?
Let us know if you try it out how you get on!
Thanks to the Chocoblog for finding this one!
“Old Fashioned” Sweets
October 6, 2008
Do you remember the days of “Penny Sweets”?
Or when sweets were sold by the quarter from big glass jars?
At Chocolate Heaven we are gradually building up our range of “old fashioned” favourites.
We have Bulls Eyes, Humbugs, BonBons, Aniseed Sweets, Dolly Mixture, Jelly Babies… and more!
I would love to see us getting some of the old 80s favourites I remember getting in a white paper bag for 20p! Flying Saucers, Sherbert Fountains, Refresher Chews, Wham Bars… (giving my age away here!)
If you could bring back any of your old favourites, what would they be???
What are your childhood chocolate & sweet memories?
Have you ever tried an Affogato?
October 2, 2008
This is an absolutely gorgeous treat for ice-cream and coffee lovers alike.
Affogato is an Italian dessert (Affogato literally means “drowned”) made simply by pouring a shot of freshly made espresso over a scoop of icecream. It is then topped with chocolate sauce and decorated with dark chocolate flakes.
As the hot coffee begins to melt the icecream, the flavours mix to make a delightful combination.
Come in to Chocolate Heaven and try one!!