Cacao Theobroma

Cacao is in the genus Theobroma and species Cacao. Other common names include Chocolate, Cacao, cacaoyer. The cacao bean is the seed of the fruit often thought of as a culinary nut. Cacao beans that are certified organic and raw, dryed at low temperature can be difficult to find. Raw organic cacao is high quality cacao and can be used in raw food treats like smoothies, brownies and pies.

Cacao ground into a coarse powder can be made into tea and used as a substitute for coffee or to drink at meals. Upon first trying it the taste was slightly bitter like the first time you eat one of those sundried peruvian olives. Then you try it again and love it. Now it tastes better than the cooked chocolate. Any chocolate Goddess or God will love this treat.

Cacao contains a wide array of unique properties and minerals, including high levels of sulfur and magnesium. It may increase your focus and alertness and contains nutrients to keep you happy. Chocolate and cacao are often associated with love. All this is due to phenylethylamine contained in the cacao. Anandamide can be produced in the brain when we are feeling great, cacao makes anandamide stick around longer. The cacao tastes similar to, yet better than, unsweetened bakers chocolate. A sweetener is often used like raw organic agave nectar in conjunction with your raw treat ingredients.

Chocolate is made from the seeds of a plant called Theobroma cacao. The seeds are dried and roasted and then processed to form cocoa, the basic ingredient in chocolate and chocolate products.

The History of Cacao

The use of cocoa for eating and drinking probably dates back several thousand years. The first evidence of cocoa use comes from cooking vessels containing cocoa residue. Scientists have determined these pots to be from at least 460 to 480 A.D. Columbus discovered cacao beans in America and sent samples back to King Ferdinand. However, the beans didn’t become popular in Europe at this time.

Several years later, Cortes discovered that the Mexican Aztecs enjoyed a type of bitter chocolate drink containing burned and ground cacao beans, maize, water, and spices. Cortes sent cacao beans and recipes back to King Charles V. The Spanish refined some of the recipes adding sugar and heating the ingredients to improve taste and texture. But because of the high cost of imported cacao, chocolate beverages were enjoyed mostly by the wealthy.

By 1828, the cocoa press was developed. The press enabled workers to extract cocoa butter from the cacao bean. Ground roasted beans and sugar were added to the cocoa butter to produce dark “eating” (solid) chocolate. The first commercially prepared dark chocolate was produced in about 1847.

Chocolate Consumption Today

Milk chocolate, made with the addition of dried milk solids, was developed by the Swiss in about 1876. Some brands of imported and domestic chocolate contain very refined chocolate and fillings and are very expensive. Still, less expensive varieties of chocolate are widely available — making chocolate a very popular confection. The average American consumes nearly 11 pounds of chocolate each year. Men aged 12 to 19 consume the most amount of chocolate. Women aged 30 to 39 are the next largest group of chocolate consumers.

The Cacao Tree

The genuine cacao tree is a small and handsome evergreen tree, growing in South America and the West Indies, from 12 to 25 feet high, and branching at the top; when cultivated it is not allowed to grow so high. The stem is erect, straight, 4 to 6 feet high; the wood light and white; the bark thin, somewhat smooth, and brownish. The seeds are numerous, compressed, 1 inch long, reddish-brown externally, dark-brown internally, and imbedded in a whitish, sweetish, buttery pulp.

This tree was extensively cultivated in Mexico, Central and South America for many years, indeed long before the discovery of America, and at one time formed the currency of the natives, who made an immense consumption of it in various ways. At present it is chiefly cultivated in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guayaquil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Guatemala, the island of Trinidad, and other West Indies Islands; also in Africa, Ceylon, Samoa, and other parts of the globe.

Chocolate’s Lure: Physical or Psychological?

For some people, the lure of chocolate can be overwhelming. Cocoa contains certain chemicals and sensory properties that make the product very appealing. Cocoa contains theobromine (a chemical related to caffeine). The sugar in chocolate releases serotonin (a brain chemical related to a positive sense of well-being). The smooth, rich taste of chocolate (and sometimes the fillings) provides sensory pleasure to the taste buds.

In addition, many people use chocolate as a reward and learn to associate the product with positive self-esteem. In spite of its physical properties, chocolate is not a physically addictive food. However, some people may find themselves psychologically addicted to chocolate. However, this may not be true for raw cacao.

Chemical Make-up of Cacao

The plant contains components that include: alanine, alkaloids, alpha-sitosterol, alpha-theosterol, amylase, arginine, ascorbic-acid, ascorbic-acid-oxidase, aspariginase, beta-carotene, calcium, dopamine, fructose, glucose, glutamic-acid, leucine, linoleic-acid, lipase, lysine, niacin, peroxidase, phenylacetic-acid, phenylalanine, phosphorus, riboflavin, rutin, tannins, theobromine, thiamin and many other things.

Cacao seeds contain fat, usually around 40%, consisting of oil of cacao, cacao butter, theobromine (.9% to 2.35%), small quantities of theine (.05 to .37%), starch, ash and protein matter (6% to 17%). These percentages vary due to the decomposition of glucosid influenced by fermentation. Theobromine may act as a diuretic, and has a stimulant or exciting action not possessed by chocolate itself. Theobromine and theophylline, like caffeine, all found in this plant are used in modern medicine as antiasthmatic.

The Traditional Mexican Kitchen

In pre-Columbian times in Mexico, kitchens of the rural populations were equipped in much the same way as the kitchens of many rural people there today. The traditional hearth consists of stones, usually arranged in a semicircle, and coated with clay. A perforated metal sheet holds the nuts and seeds for roasting. The draft for the fire beneath the roasting surfaces is produced by a fire made from rushes.

An important feature of the kitchens is the metate, a three-legged quern, or primitive type of han-operated mill, which is used as an all-purpose mixer. The stone is about 12 x 16 inches, flat in the middle and rising slightly toward the ends. It is made of gray or black porous basalt – its slight roughness assists grinding – and stands onthe floor. Its stone legs are of different lengths, so that it inclines at the angle that requires the least amount of effert to be used. The women kneed at the narrow end of the quern and reduce the cocoa to a fine powder with a continuous movement of a metlpil, or oblong stone, back and forth.

History of xocóatl in Mexico

When Cortés and his men arrived for an audience with Moctezuma in Tenochtitlán in 1519, they found the Aztec ruler sipping “bitter water” (xocóatl) from golden goblets. The drink was concocted from ground cacao beans boiled in water, then flavored with vanilla and other tropical spices — sugar didn’t come to the New World until the Spanish did.

The Aztecs encountered cacao through trade with the Maya who, along with the ancient Olmec, established cacao plantations more than 3,000 years ago. The Aztecs were so enamored that they exacted huge quantities of cacao as tribute from their many subjects. Even so, cacao was reserved for the ruling class. The Aztecs believed the great serpent god Quetzalcóatl had bestowed cacao as a gift to the human world, and xocóatl figured prominently in religious ceremonies.

Traditional Mexican Chocolate Recipe

In the traditional chocolate recipe, 4 1/2 pounds of sugar and 3 1/2 ounces of cinnamon stick and almonds are added to 2 pounds of cocoa beans. First the cinnamon is reduced to a fine powder. Next, it is ground into a sticky mixture with the cocoa and roasted almonds. Then the sugar is worked in evenly. When the mixture becomes malleable, it is pressed into cakes or bars or shaped into balls.

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Around The World

The first chocolate beverage is believed to have been created by the Mayan peoples around 2000 years ago, and a cocoa beverage was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 A.D. The beverage became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the New World, and has undergone multiple changes since then. Today, this hot, savory chocolate drink is consumed throughout the world and comes in multiple variations including the very thick cioccolata densa served in Italy, and the thinner hot cocoa that is typically consumed in the United States.

Americans have come to use the terms “hot chocolate” and “hot cocoa” interchangeably, obscuring the considerable difference between the two. “Hot cocoa” is made from powder made by extracting most of the rich cocoa butter from the ground cacao beans. On the other hand, the chocolate version of the drink is made directly from bar chocolate, which already contains cocoa, sugar and cocoa butter. Thus the major difference between the two is the cocoa butter, which makes hot cocoa significantly lower in fat than the chocolate version, while still preserving all the intrinsic health-giving properties of chocolate.

Again, when comparing the chocolate and cocoa versions, the chocolate version of the drink is made with dark, semisweet, or bittersweet chocolate, and chopped into small pieces and stirred into milk with the addition of sugar.  In contrast, American hot cocoa powder often includes powdered milk or other dairy ingredients so it can be made without using milk. In the United Kingdom, “hot chocolate” is a sweet chocolate drink made with hot milk or water, and powder containing chocolate, sugar, and powdered milk. “Cocoa” usually refers to a similar drink made with just hot milk and cocoa powder, then sweetened to taste with sugar.

In mainland Europe, most forms of this delightful drink are very thick due to being made directly from chocolate. In the United Kingdom, however, it is often of the thinner variety. Some types of powdered chocolate drinks in the UK are actually as thick as pure chocolate varieties. As Europe was where it was first popularized, many different forms exist.

Among the multiple thick forms of hot chocolate served in Europe is the Italian cioccolata densa. German variations are also known for being very thick and heavy. In Spain churros is the traditional working-man’s breakfast. This style can be extremely thick, often having the consistency of warm chocolate pudding. In the Netherlands, it is known as chocolademelk, and is often served at home or at the cafes. In France, it is often served at breakfast time, and sometimes sliced French bread or croissants, spread with butter, jam, honey or Nutella are dunked into the chocolate drink; there are also brands pecially formulated for breakfast time, notably Banania.

Even further variations exist. In some cafes in Belgium and other areas in Europe, one who orders a “warme chocolade” or “chocolat chaud” would receive a cup of steamed white milk and a small bowl of bittersweet chocolate chips to dissolve in the milk.

Potential Health Benefits of Hot Chocolate

While generally consumed for pleasure, this drink has several potential health benefits associated with it. Studies have shown that the chocolate drink form contains large amounts of antioxidants that may be beneficial to one’s health. From the 16th to 19th centuries, it was valued as a medicine as well as a drink. The explorer Francisco Hernández wrote that chocolate beverages helped treat fever and liver disease. Another explorer, Santiago de Valverde Turices, believed that consuming large amounts was helpful in treating chest ailments, but in smaller amounts could help stomach disorders.

When chocolate was introduced to the French in the 17th century, it was reportedly used “to fight against fits of anger and bad moods”, which may be attributed to chocolate’s phenylethylamine content. Today, hot chocolate is consumed for pleasure rather than medicinally, but new research suggests that there may be other health benefits attributed to the drink.

There are specialty tools called chocolate chippers that can be purchased and used to break up chocolate, but a chef’s knife or a serrated knife works just as well. Choose a sharp, heavy chef’s knife (a large straight-bladed knife, usually 8-10 inches) and press down firmly and evenly on the chocolate, beginning with the corners and angling the knife slightly outward. Whittle the chocolate gradually, working from the corners, until the chocolate is chopped into almond-sized pieces.

A long serrated knife also works for chopping chocolate, and it requires less force to be effective. Again, begin at a corner of the chocolate and use a smooth sawing motion back and forth, pressing only as hard as necessary. Once you have made several cuts on a particular corner, rotate the chocolate and begin on a new corner until all of the chocolate is chopped into uniform pieces.

How to Temper Chocolate

Tempered chocolate is the secret to professional chocolate products. Chocolate that has been tempered is smooth, with a shiny finish and a satisfying snap. If you’re planning on making dipped chocolates or molded chocolates, the chocolate will need to be tempered so that it behaves properly and produces candies that are both tasty and beautiful.

1. Chop your chocolate. It is best to use at least 1 pound of chocolate, as it is easier to temper (and retain the temper) of larger amounts of chocolate. If this is more than you need, you can always save the extra for later use. Be sure that your chocolate is in block or bar form, not chocolate chips. The chips have additives that allow them to retain their shape at higher temperatures, and so they will not temper properly.
2. Melt 2/3 of your chocolate. Place it in the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water. Securely clip a chocolate or instant-read thermometer to the side of the boiler to monitor the chocolate’s temperature.
3. Stir gently but steadily as the chocolate melts and heats up. Use a rubber spatula, not a wooden or metal spoon.
4. Bring the chocolate to 115 degrees (for dark chocolate) or 110 degrees (for milk or white chocolate). Do not allow the chocolate to exceed its recommended temperature. When it is at the right temperature, remove it from the heat, wipe the bottom of the bowl, and set it on a heat-proof surface.
5. Add the remaining chunks of chocolate and stir gently to incorporate. The warm chocolate will melt the chopped chocolate, and the newly added chocolate will bring down the temperature of the warm chocolate.
6. Cool the chocolate. Once the chocolate gets below 84 degrees, remove the remaining chunks of chocolate. They can be cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and saved for another use.
7. Reheat the chocolate briefly. Place the chocolate bowl over the warm water in the double boiler for 5-10 seconds, remove it and stir, and repeat, until the temperature reaches 88-89 degrees (87 for milk and white chocolate). Do not leave the chocolate over the hot water, or allow it to exceed 91 degrees.
8. Your chocolate should now be tempered! To make sure it has been done properly, do a spot test: spread a spoonful thinly over an area of waxed paper and allow it to cool. If the chocolate is shiny and smooth, it is properly tempered. If it is dull or streaky, it has not been tempered correctly.

Tips:

1. To use tempered chocolate, you must keep it warm but not hot, ideally in the 85-88 degree range (86 degrees for milk and white chocolate)v. You can either keep it over a pan of warm (but not simmering) water, stirring occasionally, or try placing it on an electric heating pad set to “low.” Whichever method you choose, it’s important to stir often so that the chocolate remains a uniform temperature throughout.

What You Need:

• At least 1 pound of chocolate
• Accurate chocolate or instant-read thermometer
• Double boiler, or a bowl fitted on top of a saucepan
• Rubber spatula

An excellent way to experience chocolate is to taste one type of chocolate at a time, for example, bittersweet chocolate, white chocolate or milk chocolate. And it is preferable not to taste more than six samples at one sitting.  A couple ideas for taste testings could be to select several dark chocolate from a particular brand such as Valrhona.  Or you could also select several milk chocolates from between manufacturers such as Lindt, Guittard, Michel Cluizel and Callebaut.

Another step you could take is to prepare the environment which you test the chocolate.  The room could have very soft music playing, be odor free, and you might consider dimming the lights.  This can set an interesting mood and allows you to focus on the chocolate.

Another consideration is to decide if you would like to make this a social gathering.  If you do, you need to decide if you want to chat and discuss what you are experiencing while you are tasting.  And if you have guests over to share in the time, at the very least, sharing your opinions afterwards is definitely a highlight.  Chocolate is an experience that so often is best shared with friends.

To Get Started

Needed will be:

• Small, broken chocolate samples so that each of the tasters can have the opportunity each chocolate a few times. Plan for 1/3 to ½ oz. of each chocolate sample per taster.
• Create a form that your guests can use for their notes.  The form should leave room to note appearance, aroma, texture and flavor for each chocolate.
• Slightly warm water and unsalted, unflavored crackers for the tasters to cleanse the palate between tastes

Tasting Chocolate? What To Notice

In the past when you’ve eaten a piece of chocolate you’ve probably thought to yourself either “that’s pretty good,” or “I don’t especially like it.” Chocolate tasting is all about the details.  You will be so surprised by paying attention to special nuances of the appearance, aroma, texture and flavor of different chocolates.

There’s absolutely is no right, or wrong answer when tasting. Each individual is unique and your personal favorite will most likely be different than many others.  In fact, no two people perceive aroma or taste flavors or even experience texture exactly the same way.  Further, your individual chocolate palate also evolves and sharpens over time with greater exposure to different tastes. The experience of tasting chocolate counts though.  Appreciate it all — what you like and dislike — because the subtleties are worth enjoying along the way.

500 g strawberry pulp(10% sugar added)150 g caster sugar60 g glucose powder290 g mineral water3 g stabilizer SL64Heat the water.When the temperature reaches 40°C, add the sugars and the stabilizer.Bring to the boil. Cool rapidly to 10°C.Leave to mature in a refrigerator overnight.Add the defrosted strawberry pulp (do not heat) to the syrup, put all the ingredients in a mixer and spin.

55 g per Serving