Diary of a Chocolatier

Fun Fact #26

Michael — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:21:17 +0000

Like coffee, cocoa does not develop its characteristic taste, aroma and rich brown color until the beans have been roasted.Â

Fun Fact #25

Michael — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:20:28 +0000

Milton Hershey aspired to produce chocolate in such a quantity that it could be made affordable for every man, woman and child.Â

Fun Fact #24

Michael — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:19:34 +0000

Cocoa beans must be fermented and dried after being removed from cacao pods. This period of fermentation reduces the bitterness of the cocoa, and different fermentation processes affect the final flavor of the cocoa.

Fun Fact #23

Michael — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:18:14 +0000

The chocolate chip cookie was discovered by accident when Ruth Wakefield (an American) was preparing chocolate cookies.Â She neglected to melt the lumps of chocolate first, thinking they would melt during baking but they didnâ€™t.Â No one complained about the results.

Fun Fact #22

Michael — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:17:19 +0000

When Englishman John Cadbury first began making chocolate, he roasted his own beans and ground them with a mortar and pestle.Â

Fun Fact #21

Michael — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:16:20 +0000

A physician first began commercial sales of chocolate in the United States. Dr. James Baker of Dorchester, Massachusetts, and a partner opened the countryâ€™s first chocolate factory along the Neponset River in 1765.

Fun Fact #20

Michael — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:15:23 +0000

Cacao pods can be harvested year-round, but in countries with marked rainy seasons, there are typically only two harvests a year.Â

Fun Fact #19

Michael — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:14:36 +0000

Chocolate houses started to appear in London in the mid-1600s.Â

Fun Fact #18

Michael — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:13:15 +0000

The cacao tree lives for about 40 years.Â

Fun Fact #17

Michael — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:31:52 +0000

Milk chocolate is the most popular kind of chocolate.Â It consists of 50 percent sugar, 35 percent milk solids and 15 percent cocoa solids.Â