Chocolate Frequently Asked Questions

What is chocolate and where does it come from?

A tropical plant called cacao produces a seed that is processed to create a food called chocolate. The majority of the world's cacao beans come from West Africa. The areas in Africa that are the largest producers are Ghana on the Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Somewhere in history a spelling error resulted in the change from cacao to cocoa, as the beans are known today.

How is chocolate made?

The fruit or pods of the cacao tree are cut by workers who open the pods and scoop out the beans. The beans are then allowed to ferment and dry before being cleaned, roasted and hulled. Once the shells are removed they are called "nibs." Much like coffee, the nibs are blended to produce various flavors and colors. The next process is grinding the nibs releasing cocoa butter. The heat from grinding causes the mixture of cocoa butter and finely ground nibs to melt and form a free-flowing substance known as chocolate liquor. It is from here that different varieties of chocolate are produced.

What is conching?

Because raw unprocessed chocolate is gritty, grainy and not suitable for eating, Swiss chocolate manufacturer Rudolph Lindt discovered a process of rolling and kneading chocolate that gives it a smoother and richer quality. The term 'conching' comes from the shell-like shape of the rollers used to knead the chocolate. The longer chocolate and any ingredients added to it, like milk, vanilla, or extra cocoa butter, are conched, the more luxurious it feels on your tongue.

What kinds of chocolate are there?

Adding and removing certain properties from chocolate liquor results in different varieties and flavors of chocolate. Each has its own chemical make-up that produces differences in flavor and how it reacts to heat and moisture. Therefore it is extremely important to pay attention to the kind of chocolate for which a recipe calls.

• Cooled and hardened chocolate liquor is known as unsweetened or baking chocolate—used primarily in recipes or as a garnish.
  
  
• Semi-sweet chocolate or sweet cooking chocolate has extra cocoa butter and sugar added and is primarily used in recipes.
  
  
• If you add more cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla to chocolate liquor, you have the most popular form of chocolate that is primarily used for eating—milk chocolate.
  
  
• If chocolate liquor has most of the cocoa butter removed, you're left with a fine powder—cocoa. This fine powder is capable of picking up moisture and odors from other products, so it is imperative to store it tightly covered in a cool, dry place.
  
  
• White chocolate is somewhat of a misnomer. To legally be called “chocolate” In the United States, a product must contain cocoa solids. White chocolate does not contain these solids, which leaves it a smooth ivory or beige color. Real white chocolate is primarily cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla. There are some products on the market that call themselves white chocolate, but are made with vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter. Check the label to avoid these cheap imitations. White chocolate is the most fragile form of chocolate, so pay close attention to it while heating or melting.
  
  
• Decorator's or confectioner's chocolate isn't really chocolate at all, but a sort of chocolate flavored candy used for things such as covering strawberries. It was created to melt easily and harden quickly, but it isn't chocolate. If you want quick and easy, use decorator's chocolate. If you want the real thing, use real chocolate and patience.

What is this white, blotchy stuff on my chocolate bar?

Has any of your chocolate developed a white, filmy residue? This residue is called a bloom. The bloom is the result of cocoa butter separating from the cocoa solids when chocolate is stored in a warm area and will present itself throughout the bar. If you happen to purchase a chocolate candy bar that has this bloom, don't let the sales person tell you it hasn't altered the taste because it has. On the other hand, if you find bloom on a bar that has nuts in it, it is more likely to mean that the oil from the nuts has risen through the chocolate. In this case, the bloom will present itself much more prominently. When this happens, the taste of the candy will not have changed and the bloom can be easily wiped off the chocolate. We use a chocolate with a higher viscosity to help prevent nut oils from blooming.

What's the best method to store quantities of chocolate?

Choose a dark pantry or cabinet that is around 68-72 degrees F. Kept at this temperature, chocolate (assuming it isn't covering fruit or other perishables) has a shelf life of about a year. Freezing chocolate will result in a greater tendency to bloom. If you have no other option but freezing, let it warm gradually to room temperature before cooking with it.

What is lecithin and why is it in my chocolate?

Lecithin is an emulsifier used to reduce the viscosity, or thickness, of chocolate. Thinning out the chocolate slightly reduces the amount of cocoa butter required to produce the correct texture in the manufacturing process.