History of Chocolate and Flavors

Chocolate is one of people most popular cravings. Having a “sweet tooth” as the expression says, it speaks for it self. In the world of chocolate there are many varieties, countries involved and a great history. We will cover the history in this issue. Connoisseurs of dark or bitter chocolate, aficionados or creamy ganache or Belgian praline or truffles, lovers of Swiss milk chocolate white bars. They all devote there own character faithfully, some with more sophistication than others. 

The seed or bean was used as a form of currency, valid for purchases and payment to tribute to the King. It all started in the origins of the Aztec civilization. As they saw monkeys and squirrels sucking the pulp surrounding the bean, that gave men the idea to taste it. From there they started consuming the beans. It is not known really, whom roasted the beans first and crush them to a paste. As time passes, they flavored the cocoa paste with spices. It was used as a drink and to nourish them selves. When Central America was conquest by Hernan Cortes, at that time is when the form of cocoa bean and the drinking of chocolate was discovered. Sweetened by caned sugar, this drink invaded their daily lives. The conquest of Europe;

Cortes brought the first cocoa bean to Charles V. 1528.  Chocolate began it’s history, manufacturing started on the Iberian Peninsula. In the sixteenth century, trading ports such as Flanders and the low Countries discovered this beverage. The arrival of chocolate in France in 1615. This vogue continued under Louis XIV. The first chocolatier,

(“chocolate maker” was David Chaillou, he aquired a twenthy nine years of monopoly of production and sales. It was discovered in Austria in 1640, it was brought in by a Italian. The next year it was brought in Germany by another Italian, with the recipe. Then Great Britain, the last country to discover the chocolate was Switzerland in 1750. Over some 150 years of experience in Europe is how chocolate began to be perfected, then it become universal trough out Europe.  Belgium was one of the first countries to experience the chocolate drink in the early sixteenth century as at that time Belgium was heavy influenced by the Spanish empire. In the late seventeenth

century, the first chocolate factories were established in “Brussels” It was to Mr. Jean Neuhaus, that Belgium owed the invention of praline chocolate in 1912.

The secret of the cocoa pod; after the fruit is harvest from the cocoa tree, then it’s split and seeded and the pulp is removed. The bean and pulp is then sorted in heaps, covered with banana leaves or in boxes. The natural yeast in the air causes fermentation of the pulp, which in two days turns into liquid. It turns into cocoa vinegar. This first fermentation is oxygen free and therefore alcoholic. The bean has to be turned often to air out to produce another fermentation. Enzymes react with the proteins to produce the beginning of aromas. The natural bitterness from the bean is gradually reduced. This is a delicate process with a high degree of experience. The bean contains still about 60% which must be reduced to 8% in order to transport the product well. There are two drying processes that exist. Natural or artificial process. The first one is long and gradual outdoors. The second one is indoors dried by hot air or heated surface at a constant temp. of 180 degrees F. 

Well processed at this stage, avoids any mould, which will destroy the cocoa butter.  The beans are then sorted and packed in sacks for export or processing.

 It is in Amsterdam in the early eighteenth century, that perfection in the extraction of coca butter from cocoa paste was achieved.

 The virtues of indulgence of chocolate;

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, chocolate was considered as much medicine as food. In this century, chocolate is considered a “Tonic” when taken on a empty stomach and as an aid to digestion when eaten at the end of a meal. But in the Second World War, chocolate has become a victim of being accused of causing, migraines, acne and constipation. It is too often overlooked that dark chocolate, which is particularly rich in cocoa butter, but lowers cholesterol levels generally and slightly increases the levels of HDL cholesterol, which helps to avoid fatty deposits on the arterial walls. Chocolate also protect the blood vessels, contributes to prevention of cardio-vascular disease. However the key is always” moderation” in whatever you indulge in.

The making of chocolate; There are five steps;

First process is mixing in a kneading machine, cocoa paste, vanilla, sugar, if ‘milk chocolate” they add milk powder. In order to get a smooth, granule free mixture, the paste worked in multiple roller refiners. It reduces the cocoa and sugar particles. This is followed by reducing any leftover of humidity. This process was invented by a Swiss chocolate maker.“Rudolph Lindt” This process is broken down in two parts. One, drying process, called “conching” which maximizes the smoothness, then followed by a wet conching, in which at that time they add cocoa butter. Lastly Soya derived lecithin, a natural emulsifier,  this is to make the mixture more liquid. Conching of the chocolate mass is done for many hours, that is part of the velvet taste in your palate. Tempering is the next move. This is to stabilize the crystals of the cocoa butter in order to obtain a glossy and even texture. The chocolate is then poured into metallic moulds which are passed on a vibrating tables in order to avoid bubbles and even spread. The moulds go trough a cooling tunnels. The chocolate contracts and finally slipping easily out of the moulds in bar form. Ready for wrapping.

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