History of Chocolate

Chocolate has been used as a drink for nearly all of its history. The earliest record of using chocolate dates back to the Mesoamerican civilization days. The Mesoamerican civilization grew cacao trees in their backyard, and used the cacao seeds it produced to make a frothy, bitter drink which was only used for ceremonial purposes, in addition to everyday life. It was only to be consumed by royalty since it was considered a blessed drink of the gods. 

It was consumed in a bitter, spicy drink called xocoatl, and was often flavored with vanilla, chile pepper and achiote (known today as annatto). Xocoatl was believed to fight fatigue, a belief that is probably attributable to the theobromine content. Chocolate was also an important luxury good throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and cacao beans were often used as currency. 

Later on the Spanish took the concept of chocolate drinks to Europe where it quickly became a court favorite. Even in Europe only royalty and the well-connected could afford to drink this expensive import. Over the years it passed on to other European powers that started to commercially process chocolate for the common man.

For hundreds of years, the chocolate making process remained unchanged until the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. During this time, many changes occurred that brought the hard, sweet candy we love today to life. In the 1700s, mechanical mills were created that squeezed out cocoa butter, which in turn helped to create hard, durable chocolate. But, it was not until the arrival of the Industrial Revolution that these mills were put to bigger use. Not long after the revolution cooled down, companies began advertising this new invention to sell many of the chocolate treats we see today. When new machines were produced, people began experiencing and consuming chocolate worldwide.

Health Benefit

How much do you know about chocolate? Fat? Sweet? Do you know that chocolate does bring health benefits to us? Chocolate is a product based on cocoa solid or cocoa fat, and finely powdered sugar to produce a solid confection. Chocolate is a popular ingredient and is available in many types such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, semisweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate.

Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables.  These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Yes, chocolate is a champion antioxidant!  Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease.

Antioxidants bond to free radicals and whisk them from your body via digestion and other means. No doubt, there are many other food containing antioxidant, such as red wine, green tea, pomegranate, blueberries, strawberries and etc.  However, chocolate topped all of them. Among so many types of chocolates, dark chocolate contain the most antioxidant. The USDA published a chart of antioxidant foods measure ni ORACs (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity Units), for every 100 grams of dark chocolate and blueberries, dark chocolate has 13,120 ORACs, meanwhile Blueberries have only 2,400 ORACs.

Antioxidant-rich diets have been linked to a lowered risk of heart attacks, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer’s and more. So it stands to reason that if chocolate is chock full of antioxidants, it’s actually good for you.

Additionally chocolate also holds others benefit, such as stimulation endorphin production, containing serotonin which acrs as an anti-depressant, and containing theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants. 

My personal experience on chocolate is, it helps for menstrual cycle pain. I’m not sure what make chocolate to be a “pain-killer” for our period pain, but it really does. Taking chocolate always makes me feel pleasure in mood, especially when you are in the dilemmas of moody mood.

Types of Chocolate

Chocolate, as we commonly know it, is the product of a long refining process that begins with the fruit (cacao beans)of the tropical tree Theobroma cacao. The beans are fermented, dried, roasted, and ground, and the resulting products include cocoa butter, a smooth, solid fat used in both food and cosmetics, and chocolate liquor, or ground roasted cocoa beans. The type of chocolate is determined by the various amounts of cocoa butter and chocolate liquor the chocolate contains, as well the amount of sugar and any other ingredients added to the mixture. This brief guide to chocolate terminology will familiarize you with some of the most common chocolate varieties.

• Cocoa powder: This unsweetened powder is pulverized, partially defatted chocolate liquor. Cocoa powder gives an intense chocolate taste and is available in “Dutch-processed” (alkalized) or natural varieties. Natural cocoa powder is light brown, with a strong, pronounced chocolate flavor. It is slightly acidic, so it is best to use natural cocoa powder in recipes calling for baking soda. Alkalized cocoa powder is darker in color, less acidic, and has a milder chocolate taste. Alkalized cocoa powder is recommended for recipes that call for baking powder.
  
• Unsweetened chocolate: Also known as “bitter” or “baking” chocolate. This is pure chocolate liquor, composed solely of ground cocoa beans. Although it looks and smells like chocolate, it has a bitter taste and is not meant for consumption on its own—it is best used in cooking, when it can be combined with sugar to make it more palatable. Because cocoa beans contain equal amounts of cocoa butter and cocoa solids, unsweetened chocolate lends a deep, rich chocolate flavor to baked goods. Unsweetened chocolate is the base ingredient in all other forms of chocolate, except white chocolate.
  
• Dark chocolate: Chocolate that contains chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla and leicithin (an emulsifier).There are no milk solids added in dark chocolate. The cocoa content of commercial dark chocolate bars can range from 30% (sweet dark) to 70- 80% for extremely dark bars. Bittersweet chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate also fall into the “dark chocolate” category.
  
• Bittersweet chocolate: Chocolate, as defined by the FDA, that contains at least 35% cocoa solids. Most bittersweet bars contain at least 50% chocolate liquor, with some bars pushing 70-80% chocolate liquor. This chocolate often has a deeper, more bitter flavor than sweet dark or semi-sweet bars. However, the amount of sugar in the chocolate is not regulated, so one manufacturer’s “bittersweet” bar may taste sweeter than another’s “semi-sweet” bar.
  
• Semi-sweet chocolate: This is primarily an American term, popularized by Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa solids, and is generally assumed to be darker than sweet dark chocolate, but sweeter than bittersweet. However, the lack of regulations regarding sugar content means that these classifications are relative and not consistent across brands.
  
• Sweet dark chocolate: is “dark chocolate” in the sense that it does not contain milk solids, but it still has a high percentage of sugar and is much sweeter than other types of dark chocolate. Many brands of sweet dark chocolate have only 20-40% cocoa solids.
  
• Milk chocolate: In addition to containing cocoa butter and chocolate liquor, milk chocolate contains either condensed milk (most European varieties) or dry milk solids. Milk chocolate must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor (in the United States), 3.39% butterfat, and 12% milk solids. Milk chocolates are typically much sweeter than dark chocolate, and have a lighter color and a less pronounced chocolate taste. Milk chocolate is more difficult to temper properly and more prone to overheating.
  
• White chocolate: White chocolate gets its name from the cocoa butter it contains, but does not contain chocolate liquor or any other cocoa products. As a result, it has no pronounced chocolate taste, but commonly tastes like vanilla or other added flavorings. By law, white chocolate must contain a minimum 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and a maximum of 55% sugar. There are some “white chocolate” products available that contain vegetable fats instead of cocoa butter—these should be avoided from a taste standpoint, as they contain no cocoa products at all, and are not technically white chocolate.
  
• Couverture chocolate: Used primarily by professional bakers or confectioners, this chocolate contains a very high percent (at least 30%) of cocoa butter, as well as a high percentage of chocolate liquor. This high ratio makes it expensive, but it also means that the resulting chocolate is smooth and melts quickly and evenly. Couverture chocolate is the preferred chocolate for tempering and enrobing candies. It comes in dark, milk, and white varieties, and can be purchased online or at well-stocked cake decorating stores.
  
• Gianduja chocolate: Gianduja is the name given to a European style of chocolate made from chocolate and nut paste. Hazelnut paste is most common, but gianduja can also be made with almond paste. It comes in milk or dark chocolate varieties. Gianduja chocolate can be used as a flavoring or as a substitute for milk or dark chocolate. At room temperature it is soft enough to be rolled or cut, but is too soft to use for molding chocolates.
  
• "Candy coating" chocolate: Also known as “confectionery coating,” “summer coating,” or “compound coating.” These terms refer to candy products that are flavored like dark, milk or white chocolate and substitute vegetable or palm oils for cocoa butter. These products are cheaper than most chocolates, and do not contain significant amounts of chocolate liquor; thus, they do not have a strong chocolate flavor or an appealing mouthfeel. However, they have excellent melting and molding properties, and thus are often used in candymaking for dipping or enrobing, since they do not require tempering and can withstand high ambient temperatures. Be careful to never mix candy coating with real chocolate, as the fats are not compatible and the resulting candy will be unattractive and discolored.

Production Of Chocolate

Step 1: Plucking and opening the Pods

Cocoa beans grow in pods that sprout off of the trunk and branches of cocoa trees. The pods are about the size of a football. The pods start out green and turn orange when they're ripe. When the pods are ripe, harvesters travel through the cocoa orchards with machetes and hack the pods gently off of the trees.

Cocoa Pods and harvesting

Machines could damage the tree or the clusters of flowers and pods that grow from the trunk, so workers must be harvest the pods by hand, using short, hooked blades mounted on long poles to reach the highest fruit.


After the cocoa pods are collected into baskets ,the pods are taken to a processing house. Here they are split open and the cocoa beans are removed. Pods can contain upwards of 50 cocoa beans each. Fresh cocoa beans are not brown at all, they do not taste at all like the sweet chocolate they will eventually produce.

Step 2: Fermenting the cocoa seeds

Now the beans undergo the fermentation processing. They are either placed in large, shallow, heated trays or covered with large banana leaves. If the climate is right, they may be simply heated by the sun. Workers come along periodically and stir them up so that all of the beans come out equally fermented. During fermentation is when the beans turn brown. This process may take five or eight days.

The fermentation of Cocoa beans

Step 3: Drying the cocoa seeds

After fermentation, the cocoa seeds must be dried before they can be scooped into sacks and shipped to chocolate manufacturers. Farmers simply spread the fermented seeds on trays and leave them in the sun to dry. The drying process usually takes about a week and results in seeds that are about half of their original weight.

The dried and roasted Cocoa beans

Manufacturing Chocolate

Once the cocoa beans have reached the machinery of chocolate factories, they are ready to be refined into chocolate. Generally, manufacturing processes differ slightly due to the different species of cocoa trees, but most factories use similar machines to break down the cocoa beans into cocoa butter and chocolate (International Cocoa Organization, 1998). Firstly, fermented and dried cocoa beans will be refined to a roasted nib by winnowing and roasting. Then, they will be heated and will melt into chocolate liquor. Lastly, manufacturers blend chocolate liquor with sugar and milk to add flavour. After the blending process, the liquid chocolate will be stored or delivered to the molding factory in tanks and will be poured into moulds for sale. Finally, wrapping and packaging machines will pack the chocolates and then they will be ready to transport.

A diagram showing the manufacturing process:

Step 1: Roasting and Winnowing the Cocoa

The first thing that chocolate manufacturers do with cocoa beans is roast them. This develops the colour and flavour of the beans into what our modern palates expect from fine chocolate. The outer shell of the beans is removed, and the inner cocoa bean meat is broken into small pieces called "cocoa nibs."


The roasting process makes the shells of the cocoa brittle, and cocoa nibs pass through a series of sieves, which strain and sort the nibs according to size in a process called "winnowing".

Step 2: Grinding the Cocoa Nibs

Grinding is the process by which cocoa nibs are ground into " cocoa liquor", which is also known as unsweetened chocolate or cocoa mass. The grinding process generates heat and the dry granular consistency of the cocoa nib is then turned into a liquid as the high amount of fat contained in the nib melts. The cocoa liquor is mixed with cocoa butter and sugar. In the case of milk chocolate, fresh, sweetened condensed or roller-dry low-heat powdered whole milk is added, depending on the individual manufacturer's formula and manufacturing methods.

Step 3: Blending Cocoa liquor and molding Chocolate

After the mixing process, the blend is further refined to bring the particle size of the added milk and sugar down to the desired fineness. The Cocoa powder or 'mass' is blended back with the butter and liquor in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate or couverture. The basic blends with ingredients roughly in order of highest quantity first are as follows:


Milk Chocolate - sugar, milk or milk powder, cocoa powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, Lethicin and Vanilla.

White Chocolate- sugar, milk or milk powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, Lethicin and Vanilla.

Plain Dark Chocolate - cocoa powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, Lethicin and Vanilla.


After blending is complete, molding is the final procedure for chocolate processing. This step allows cocoa liquor to cool and harden into different shapes depending on the mold. Finally the chocolate is packaged and distributed around the world.

Chocolate Fondue Recipe Basics

 

"Your Choice" Chocolate Fondue Recipe

1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup your favorite chocolate, grated approx.
1/2 teaspoon flavoring of your choice

Warm milk over low heat, then slowly mix in chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and add flavoring if desired.

 

Dark Chocolate Fondue Recipe

A slight variation to the recipe above, you can really use whatever type of chocolate you like.
3/4 cup heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate, grated approx.
1/2 teaspoon flavoring of your choice

Warm cream over low heat, then slowly mix in chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and add flavoring.

 

White Chocolate Fondue Recipe

2/3 cup evaporated milk
12 ounces white chocolate, grated
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Warm milk over low heat, then slowly mix in chocolate until melted. Keep heat low; white chocolate sometimes hardens if overheated. Remove from heat and add vanilla, plus more milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency.

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondue Recipe

1 cup light cream
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, grated
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Warm cream over low heat, then slowly mix in chocolate until melted. When smooth, add sugar and peanut butter. Continue cooking over low heat until desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

 

Marbled Chocolate Fondue Recipe

1 cup heavy cream
10 ounces dark chocolate, grated
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces white chocolate, grated

Warm cream over low heat, then slowly mix in chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer to serving pot. Sprinkle white chocolate on top, then draw a knife through the mixture a few times, just enough to give it a marbled look.

Now that you have the basics of chocolate fondue recipes, go forth, mighty chocolate chef, and enjoy!

Bitter Chocolate with Orange

600 g (21 oz) bitter chocolate
200 g (7/8 cup) butter
250 ml (1 cup + 1 Tablespoon) sweet cream
50 g (1/4 cup + 1/2 teaspoon) sugar
grated orange peel
6 egg yolks [egg yolks are the same size in metric ]
100 g (7/8 cup) plain cocoa
juice from fresh orange

Melt the chocolate and butter in separate double boilers (or VERY slowly in separate saucepans).
In a separate bowl, gently beat the sweet cream with the sugar and some grated orange peel.
In another small bowl, beat the egg yolks.

Mix the cocoa with the melted butter, then mix the cocoa and butter mixture with the melted chocolate. Let cool a few minutes.

Vigorously mix the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture. Add the cream mixture and mix until smooth.

Line a pan or mold with wax paper, pour in the chocolate mixture, and let cool. Refrigerate until firm.
To make the orange sauce, measure the juice from one or more oranges. For every unit orange juice, add two units water. Cook slowly over low heat, add sugar to taste, and allow the mixture to gain the consistency of a thick sauce.

Carefully spoon sauce onto slices of the chocolate just before serving. You may wish to add some grated orange peel, orange shavings, or cocoa powder as a garnish.

Preparation Tips for Chocolate Bath Products

 

Chocolate Fragrance

 

There is no such thing as a chocolate essential oil, i.e., a scented oil that is naturally derived from the chocolate. For a chocolate scent, you have a few options: first, a chocolate fragrance (aka perfume) oil. You will often see these mistakenly called chocolate essential oil, but they are not natural.
Chocolate fragrance oil is chemically derived, just like any other perfume. Make sure to get one that is approved for use on skin, and avoid anything that is designed for candles or potpourri.

Your only options for naturally scented chocolate bath products are unsweetened cocoa powder, cocoa butter that hasn't been deodorized, chocolate (which is perishable unless combined with a preservative, such as vitamin E), or possibly, chocolate extract. I haven't experimented with chocolate extract, but as it is mostly alcohol, it would probably take a ton to provide any noticeable scent, plus the alcohol is drying to the skin. But it's a thought. Good for cooking, though! :)

 

Storage

We prefer airtight glass containers for storage. The glass doesn't absorb any odors or give off any weird chemicals. Look for fun and funky jars and bottles in thrift stores; this will add even more originality to your creations. Any of the chocolate bath products containing perishable ingredients should be kept in the fridge, but make sure they are labeled so no one eats them.

 

Melting

If your recipe calls for melting and you don't have a double boiler or a microwave, you can make your own "double boiler" using an old spaghetti jar or glass bowl. Just set it in a larger pot of water and off you go.

 

Melt and Pour Soap

We've included melt and pour (MP) soap recipes because they are far easier to make for the casual crafter. Real soapmaking involves using lye, which can be dangerous; with MP soap, the hard work is already done for you.

Here are some tips for working with MP soaps.

Buy soap that is designed for MP. While you can use regular glycerin bar soap, it isn't designed to melt easily and will be far harder to work with. You can buy MP soap at craft stores and online.
Grate or shave the soap beforehand to make it melt faster.

Keep covered while melting to retain moisture. If melting in microwave, use medium heat. On stovetop, bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer before putting soap in pot. You can remove it from the heat, keeping the pan in the water bath, before the soap is fully melted. Just make sure not boil or overheat the soap.

If you need to stir, do so gently to avoid bubbles. If adding a powder, it is helpful to take a small portion of the soap out, mix the powder in it to form a paste, and then add the paste back to the rest of the soap.

Add fragrances after removing from heat.

You can use pretty much anything for a mold, but the more flexible it is, the easier it will be to get your soap out! Some people spray their soap with rubbing alcohol to remove surface bubbles. This also helps to remove fingerprints from dry soap. If you have trouble getting the soap out of the mold, try putting it in the fridge for a few minutes.

You can use the soap as soon as it is cool. If it's a glycerin-based soap, make sure to store it wrapped in plastic to keep out moisture.

 

Common Sense

Please do not eat any of these chocolate bath products.  Also, make sure to keep out of reach of children, and be careful when heating anything. Discontinue using any product if you experience any discomfort.

Chocolate bath products make a fun gift, for your favorite chocoholic or for yourself! We hope you enjoy making them.