ALKALIZATION
Alkalization is the process whereby the acidity of cocoa is neutralized by the addition of potassium carbonate. See Dutch Process.
ANTIOXIDANT
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals, which start chain reactions that damage cells. Antioxidants can help to prevent this damage. Dark chocolate has been shown to be rich in antioxidants. See ORAC, Flavonol.
BABA DE CACAO
Baba de cacao is the white, mucilaginous pulp that surrounds the seeds (beans) in a cacao pod. This pulp is sweet, tangy, and delicious to eat when ripe, as opposed to the beans, which must be fermented before being eaten. The baba and cacao beans are fermented together; the heat generated from the active fermentation of the sugary baba causes the bean to germinate and then renders it sterile. Sometimes, the baba is fermented separately into a kind of wine called vino de cacao.
BAKING (BAKER’S) CHOCOLATE
Baking chocolate usually consists of unsweetened chocolate made from pure cocoa liquor. No sugar or flavorings are added. Baking chocolate is very bitter and is not considered to be “eating chocolate”. The best-known brand of baking chocolate is called Baker’s Chocolate, named for Harvard graduate James Baker. Baker opened this country’s first chocolate factory in Boston in the 1780’s. Now owned by Kraft Foods, Baker’s Chocolate is no longer independently manufactured. See Eating Chocolate.
BEAN
See Cacao Bean.
BEAN MEAT
See Cacao Nib.
CACAO BEAN
Cacao bean is the name we use for the seeds of the cacao pod of the Theobroma Cacao tree. Cacao beans are the primary ingredient in chocolate and cocoa. There are typically about 40 almond-shaped beans in a pod. Inside the pod, a sweet white flesh called ‘baba’ surrounds the beans. The beans themselves are deep purple, but oxidize quickly to brown in the open air. Raw, unprocessed cacao beans are intensely bitter and must be fermented and roasted before they can be made into chocolate. The flavor of the bean and the resulting chocolate depends on many factors, including origin, species, fermentation, drying, and more. There are three species of bean: Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario, and all three are used in chocolate making.
BELGIAN-STYLE CHOCOLATE
Belgian chocolates usually take the form of filled chocolate truffles. They are characterized by a larger size, thicker chocolate shell, and richer ganache. Belgian chocolates are made in molds using a technique developed by Belgian chocolatier Jean Neuhaus in 1912. The Neuhaus method is a process to pour couverture into molds creating a hard shell. This enables the shells to hold softer, more liquid fillings like crèmes.
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE
According to the Codex Standard for Chocolate, bittersweet chocolate must contain at least 35% chocolate liquor, in addition to sugar and cocoa butter. The codex makes no distinction between semisweet, bittersweet, dark, and chocolat fondant. In common usage, many chocolate makers label their bars as bittersweet when the chocolate liquor makes up more than 70% of the bar.
BLENDING
Blending refers to the combination of cacao from two or more different sources together, or two or more different lots from the same source, into one finished chocolate. Chocolate is often made from blended cacao to add complexity and mute imperfections. The master chocolate maker determines the proportions in the final blend.
BLOOM
See Fat Bloom, Sugar Bloom.
FAT BLOOM
Bloom is the term for an aesthetic defect in chocolate due to temperature fluctuations. There are two types of bloom: fat bloom and sugar bloom. With fat bloom or cocoa butter bloom, the chocolate loses its gloss: a powdery white or tan film forms on the surface of the chocolate. This is primarily due to improper storage (e.g. in direct sunlight), poor tempering, or changes in temperature that cause the chocolate to ‘fall out of temper’. The most common cause of fat bloom is extended storage of chocolate above 70°F. In these situations, microscopic cocoa butter particles will join together, leaving particles of sugar and cocoa uncoated. The cocoa butter will migrate to the surface of the bar as ‘bloom’. Fat bloom is a texture and appearance issue, but should not affect flavor. Fat bloom can be fixed by retempering the bar.
SUGAR BLOOM
Bloom is the term for an aesthetic defect in chocolate due to temperature fluctuations. There are two types of bloom: fat bloom and sugar bloom. Sugar bloom is caused by condensation, usually due to the chocolate getting wet or to excessive humidity. The moisture combines with the sugar in the chocolate and leaches to the surface. When the moisture evaporates, large sugar crystals are leftover and are visible as a whitish powdery residue. Sugar bloom most often occurs when chocolate is stored in the refrigerator, and then removed to a warm environment. Sugar bloom is a texture and appearance issue, but should not affect flavor. Sugar bloom can be fixed by retempering the bar.
CACAO POD
Cacao pod is the name for the fruit of the Theobroma Cacao tree, the seeds (beans) of which are made into chocolate. Cacao pods grow directly off the trunk of the cacao tree (cauliflory). Shaped like footballs, cacoa pods vary in color when ripe from deep green to vibrant red to bright yellow, similar to apples. They range in dimension from grenade-sized to about the size of a football.
CACAO
- The common name for the Theobroma Cacao tree, the seeds of which are made into chocolate.
- The name for the seed itself of the Theobroma Cacao tree, i.e. cacao bean.
- Often used synonymously with ‘Cocoa’. See Cocoa.
CACAO NIB
Cacao nibs are the pieces of roasted, fermented cacao beans that have been shelled (winnowed) and broken by a bean breaker. Cacao nibs are ground into a paste in a grinder to make chocolate liquor. After roasting, they are comprised of about 50 - 55% fat (cocoa butter), 1 - 2% water, and the rest made up of cocoa mass.
COCOA PERCENTAGE
See Cacao Content.
CACAO CONTENT
Cacao content refers to the percentage of cacao (cocoa liquor) in the finished chocolate. Generally, a higher cacao content means a lower amount of sugar, making for a finished chocolate bar that is more bitter and intensely chocolatey. US standards require that milk chocolate contain at least 10% cocoa liquor, and bittersweet (semisweet) at least 35%. Many fine chocolate bars are available with cacao content ranging from 35% to 100% cacao. Note that a higher cacao content does NOT indicate quality in any way, only the percentage of cocoa liquor in a given bar.
CAFFEINE (AND CHOCOLATE)
Caffeine, the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance, is a plant-derived alkaloid that stimulates the central nervous system. There is a great deal of misinformation on the Internet regarding the presence of caffeine in chocolate. There IS a small amount caffeine in chocolate. The specific amount of caffeine is dependent on a number of factors, including cacao content in the finished bar, roast time and temperature, bean varietal and origin, fermentation and drying, etc. Generally speaking, the higher the cacao content in a finished bar, the more caffeine it will contain. Also, since roasting can destroy some of the caffeine alkaloid in cacao beans, a lighter, shorter roast (like Taza’s) will lead to more caffeine in the finished bar.
How much caffeine is actually in a serving of chocolate? A typical 1-oz piece of fine, bittersweet chocolate may contain 5 – 10 mg of caffeine. Compare this to an 8-oz cup of coffee, which may contain 100 – 150 mg of caffeine, or more. A good rule of thumb is that a serving of dark chocolate will contain about 1/10th the caffeine of a cup of coffee. Cocoa powder will contain more caffeine per ounce, milk chocolate less.
Most importantly, chocolate contains another psychoactive alkaloid called theobromine, in quantities anywhere from 2 to 5 times greater than its caffeine content. Theobromine, while chemically similar to caffeine, has a “longer, gentler high” in comparison. See Theobromine.
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate is the name given to the food made from the roasted seeds (cacao beans) of the Theobroma Cacao tree. For thousands of years, chocolate has been consumed primarily as a drink (see Xocoatl) by the indigenous peoples of Central and South America. The drink was served hot or cold, and often frothed up with spices like chili, achiote, and cinnamon. The discovery of the New World brought chocolate to Europe where it was consumed in cafes across the content, in much the same way as coffee. It wasn’t until mid-1800s that chocolate would be eaten as a food. Eating chocolate typically includes cocoa liquor and sugar, and can also include vanilla, spices, milk powder, soy lecithin, added cocoa butter, etc.
CHOCOLATE
See Chocolate.
CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR
Chocolate liqeur is an alcoholic cordial with flavored with chocolate, e.g. crème de cacao. Chocolate liqeur can be drunk on its own, but is mainly used as an ingredient in cocktails. Chocolate liqeur is NOT the same as chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor. See Cocoa Liquor
COCOA MASS
See Cocoa Liquor.
To BE continued...
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