Cioccolato / Chocolate

Chocolate

Chocolate is a sweet made with cocoa butter, with the powder of the seeds of the cacao tree, and sugar. Depending on the type of chocolate that you want to get you can add many other ingredients such as milk, hazelnuts, almonds, etc...

Here's how it is done through the preparation of chocolate through the processing of cocoa beans:
1) Collection: cacao pods, attached to the branches of the plant, shall be disconnected to remove the beans, which are piled on banana leaves to assist the process of fermentation.
2) Fermentation: This process goes through the cocoa bean to a temperature of 50 ° C. The fermentation reduces the bitterness of the bean, and develops the flavorings.
3) Drying: After fermentation, the cocoa beans are dried in ventilated places.
4) Roasting: After drying the cocoa beans are roasted to reach a temperature of 120-140 ° C, after which they are made to cool and grind to separate the skin from the inside (grain).
5) Milling: After roasting, the grain is milled and turned into a substance made from cocoa butter and the dry part of the bean, called cocoa liquor, from which comes the chocolate with the sugar.
6) Conching: The chocolate is placed in tanks called conches and mixed for long periods at a constant temperature, to fully emulsify the ingredients, breaking up any lumps.
7) Tempering: the chocolate is melted in tanks maintained at 45-50 ° C. This process serves to crystallize and solidify the chocolate, encouraging consistency.

At the end of these processes, the chocolate is ready to be "shaped" according to the form that will be given, to be marketed.
The chocolate was used in cooking since ancient times, not only for the preparation of desserts, but also for the preparation of pasta dishes, stuffed pasta in, add a pinch of flavor and aroma to meat dishes and fish and of course, cakes, puddings, custards, ice cream, cookies. The zone is used, in flakes, drops, cheese. It's just his approach to the fruit, like pear, orange, strawberry, coconut or mint and liqueurs.