Olympia Candy Kitchen

Olympia Candy Kitchen's Chocolate "FAQs"

What is chocolate? Where does it come from?

Chocolate is a food made from the seeds of a tropical tree called the cacao. These trees flourish in warm, moist climates. Most of the world's cacao beans come from West Africa, where Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria are the largest producers. Because of a spelling error, probably by English traders long ago, these beans became known as cocoa beans.

What is the history of chocolate?

* In 600 A.D. the Mayans migrated into the northern regions of South America, establishing the earliest known cocoa plantations in the Yucatan. It has been argued that the Mayans had been familiar with cocoa several centuries prior to this date. They considered it a valuable commodity, used both as a means of payment and as units of calculation.

* Mayans and Aztecs took beans from the "cacao" tree and made a drink they called "xocolatl." Aztec Indian legend held that cacao seeds had been brought from Paradise and that wisdom and power came from eating the fruit

of the cacao tree..

* The word "chocolate" is said to derive from the Mayan "xocolatl" cacao from the Aztec "cacahuatl". The Mexican Indian word "chocolate" comes from a combination of the terms choco ("foam") and atl ("water") early chocolate was only consumed in beverage form.

* Christopher Columbus is said to have brought back cacao beans to King Ferdinand from his fourth visit to the New World, but they were overlooked in favor of the many other treasures he had found.

* Chocolate was first noted in 1519 when Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez visited the court of Emperor Montezuma of Mexico. American historian William Hickling's History of the Conquest of Mexico (1838) reports that Montezuma "took no other beverage than the chocolatl, a potation of chocolate, flavored with vanilla and spices, and so prepared

as to be reduced to a froth of the consistency of honey, which gradually dissolved in the mouth and was taken cold." The fact that Montezuma consumed his "chocolatl" in goblets before entering his harem led to the belief that it was an aphrodisiac.

* The first chocolate house was reputedly opened in London in 1657 by a Frenchman. Costing 10 to 15 shillings per pound, chocolate was considered a beverage for the elite class. Sixteenth-century Spanish historian Oviedo

noted: "None but the rich and noble could afford to drink chocolatl as it was literally drinking money. Cocoa passed currency as money among all nations thus a rabbit in Nicaragua sold for 10 cocoa nibs, and 100 of these seeds could buy a tolerably good slave."

* Chocolate also appears to have been used as a medicinal remedy by leading physicians of the day. Christopher Ludwig Hoffmann's treatise Potus Chocolate recommends chocolate for many diseases, citing it as a cure for Cardinal Richelieu's ills.

* With the Industrial Revolution came the mass production of chocolate, spreading its popularity among the citizenry.

* Chocolate was introduced to the United States in 1765 when John Hanan brought cocoa beans from the West Indies into Dorchester, Massachusetts, to refine them with the help of Dr. James Baker. The first chocolate factory in the country was established there.

* Yet, chocolate wasn't really accepted by the American colonists until fishermen from Gloucester, Massachusetts, accepted cocoa beans as payment for cargo in tropical America.

* Where chocolate was mostly considered a beverage for centuries, and predominantly for men, it became recognized as an appropriate drink for children in the seventeenth century. It had many different additions: milk, wine, beer, sweeteners, and spices. Drinking chocolate was considered a very fashionable social event.

* Eating chocolate was introduced in 1674 in the form of rolls and cakes, served in the various chocolate emporiums.

* Nestle (The History of Chocolate and Cocoa, p. 3) declares that from 1800 to the present day, these four factors contributed to chocolate's "coming of age" as a worldwide food product:

1. The introduction of cocoa powder in 1828

2. The reduction of excise duties

3. Improvements in transportation facilities, from plantation to factory

4. The invention of eating chocolate, and improvements in manufacturing methods.

* The New York Cocoa Exchange, located at the World Trade Center, was begun October 1, 1925, so that buyers and sellers could get together for transactions.

* In 1980 a story of chocolate espionage hit the world press when an apprentice of the Swiss company of Suchard-Tobler unsuccessfully attempted to sell secret chocolate recipes to Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.

* By the 1990s, chocolate had proven its popularity as a product, and its success as a big business. Annual world consumption of cocoa beans averages approximately 600,000 tons, and per capita chocolate consumption is greatly on the rise. Chocolate manufacturing in the United States is a multibillion-dollar industry. According to Norman Kolpas (1978, p. 106), "We have seen how chocolate progressed from a primitive drink and food of ancient Latin American tribes a part of their religious, commerce and social life to a drink favored by the elite of European society and

gradually improved until it was in comparably drinkable and, later, superbly edible. We have also followed its complex transformation from the closely packed seeds of the fruit of an exotic tree to a wide variety of carefully manufactured cocoa and chocolate products. Beyond the historical, agricultural and commercial, and culinary sides to chocolate,

others: affect on our health and beauty, and inspiration to literature and the arts."

How is chocolate made?

Workers cut the fruit of the cacao tree, or pods open and scoop out the beans. These beans are allowed to ferment and then dry. Then they are cleaned, roasted and hulled. Once the shells have been removed they are called nibs. Nibs are blended much like coffee beans, to produce different colors and flavors. Then they are ground up and the cocoa butter is released. The heat from the grinding process causes this mixture of cocoa butter and finely ground nibs to melt and form a free-flowing substance known as chocolate liquor. From there, different varieties of chocolate

are produced.

What is conching?

Raw unprocessed chocolate is gritty, grainy and really not suitable for eating. Swiss chocolate manufacturer Rudolph Lindt for which the brand was named discovered a process of rolling and kneading chocolate that gives it the smoother and richer quality that eating chocolate is known for today. The name 'conching' comes from the shell-like

shape of the rollers used. The longer chocolate < and any ingredients added like milk, vanilla, extra cocoa butter> is conched, the more luxurious it will feel on your tongue.

What kinds of chocolate are there?

Depending on what is added to (or removed from) the chocolate liquor, different flavors and varieties of chocolate are produced. Each has a different chemical make-up, the differences are not solely in the taste. Be sure, therefore, to use the kind the recipe calls for, as different varieties will react differently to heat and moisture.

* Unsweetened or Baking chocolate is simply cooled, hardened chocolate liquor. It is used primarily as an ingredient in recipes, or as a garnish.

* Semi-sweet chocolate is also used primarily in recipes. It has extra cocoa butter and sugar added. Sweet cooking chocolate is basically the same, with more sugar for taste.

* Milk chocolate is chocolate liquor with extra cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla added. This is the most popular form for chocolate. It is primarily an eating chocolate.

* Cocoa is chocolate liquor with much of the cocoa butter removed, creating a fine powder. It can pick up moisture and odors from other products, so you should keep cocoa in a cool, dry place, tightly covered. There are several kinds of cocoa:

Low-fat cocoa has the most fat removed. It typically has less than ten percent cocoa butter remaining.
Medium-fat cocoa has anywhere from ten to twenty-two percent cocoa butter in it.
Drinking or Breakfast cocoa has over twenty-two percent left in it. This is the cocoa used in chocolate milk powders like Nestle's Quik.
Dutch process cocoa is cocoa which has been specially processed to neutralize the natural acids in the chocolate. It is slightly darker and has a much different taste than regular cocoa.

* White chocolate is somewhat of a misnomer. In the United States, in order to be legally called 'chocolate' 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 pay close attention to it while heating or melting it.

* Decorator's chocolate 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?

A white, filmy residue on chocolate is called a bloom. It occurs when some of the cocoa butter in the chocolate separates from the cocoa solids, usually when the chocolate is stored in a warm area. If you buy a chocolate bar and find it has bloomed, don't let the sales person convince you the taste has not been altered.

I just bought a whole bunch of chocolate. How should I store it?

Chocolate is best kept at around 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of a nice pantry or dark cabinet. Kept at this temperature, chocolate (assuming it isn't covering fruit or other perishables) has a shelf life of about a year. Freezing chocolate isn't such a great idea when you freeze it, then thaw it out, it will have a greater tendency to

bloom. but if you must, let it warm gradually to room temperature before you try 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.

Cooking with chocolate

Chocolate is a very tricky food to cook with. Temperatures that are too high can scorch it, temperatures too low can cause it to harden unevenly. It must be watched very carefully. But if you can master the art, you can create some breathtaking desserts. Below are some things to know about cooking with chocolate.

What is tempering? How can I temper chocolate at home?

In order for chocolate to cool into a hard candy and not a mushy goo, it must be tempered. This is a process where the chocolate is slowly heated, then slowly cooled, allowing the cocoa butter molecules to solidify in an orderly fashion.

What is couverture?

Couverture is a special kind of chocolate that has more cocoa butter than regular chocolate, anywhere from 33% to 38% for a really good brand. This type of chocolate is used as a coating for things like truffles ("couverture" is French for "covering") There are two ways of coating candies, either by hand dipping into melted chocolate or enrobing, gently pouring chocolate over the treat.

How do I melt chocolate and what's the best kind to use?

There are two ways to melt chocolate, in a double boiler or in a microwave:

Double boiler method: A double boiler is basically two pots designed to fit together for melting wand warming fragile foods. The bottom pot holds a bit of water - never enough to touch the bottom of the second pot, the top holds the food, in this case chocolate. You should never place chocolate directly on a heat source, you run the risk of scorching it. Cut the chocolate up into small pieces, this will reduce the melting time. Adjust the heat so that the water in the bottom pot gets hot but doesn't begin to boil. Place the chocolate in the top pot and stir every so often. Dark and bittersweet chocolate are the most 'hardy' forms of chocolate, they will require less stirring than milk and white chocolates, which will burn very easily if you do not pay close attention.
Microwave method: Place chopped pieces of chocolate into a microwave proof bowl and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl, stir what you can then return it to the microwave for another 30 seconds. Continue this until the chocolate is just about melted. You might be tempted to increase the time intervals, but remember that warmed chocolate will keep its shape, even if it is melted, unless it is stirred. Don't judge time on looks alone. When the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove it from the microwave and stir, letting the warmth of the bowl and surrounding chocolate complete the melting.

I was melting some chocolate, and suddenly it changed from a shiny, smooth liquid to a dull, thick paste. What happened?

As discussed before, chocolate is very sensitive. Any slight variance from the instructions can cause disastrous results. What you have described here is called seizing. Seizing can happen for several reasons:

The chocolate is burned. Even temperatures that aren't too hot for your finger can be too hot for chocolate. When melting chocolate, keep the heat low and keep stirring, especially for milk and white chocolates.
A *small* amount of moisture has been added. Chocolate is very finicky about liquids. Even the moisture from a damp spoon can contaminate a batch of melting chocolate. This is what happens after a while to chocolate fondue - moisture from strawberries or cheese can ruin the texture. Be careful if you are melting pure hocolate by itself to keep everything very dry.
Cool liquids have been added. Another oddity about chocolate: small amounts of liquid can spoil melted chocolate, but large amounts are o.k., so long as the liquid is warmed to match the temperature of the melted chocolate. If you add cold cream or milk, for example, the chocolate will begin to solidify and you'll end up with a mess.

Regardless of how your chocolate gets seized, you'll have to throw it out

and start again. There is no way to "un-seize" and remelt chocolate once

it has been contaminated in this way.

Is chocolate really an aphrodisiac?

Chocolate is the traditional gift of love, ranking right up there with roses as the most romantic gift one can give. But is it really an aphrodisiac? There is some evidence that the answer might be yes. Chocolate

contains three substances, caffeine, theobromine and phenyethylamine that might be related to this myth. Caffeine acts as a stimulant. Theobromine stimulates the heart muscle and the nervous system. And phenyethylamine is

reputed < no conclusive proof exists yet> to be a mood elevator and an anti-depressant.

The combination of these three substances, giving you extra energy, making your heart beat faster, making you a bit jumpy and slightly giddy....well, you can see how chocolate could be linked to love. In fact, Montezuma used to drink a frothy chocolate beverage before going to visit one of his wives. But before you go out to buy several cases of chocolate to ply your lover with tonight, remember that these substances show up only in small quantities in chocolate.

Can I give chocolate to my dog (cat, bird, other pet)?

Unequivocally, no. The theobromine in chocolate that stimulates the cardiac and nervous systems is too much for dogs, especially smaller pups. A chocolate bar is poisonous to dogs and can even be lethal. The same holds true for cats, and other household pets.

How much caffeine is in chocolate?

Although there is less caffeine in chocolate that there is in a cup of coffee, people who are avoiding caffeine should unfortunately stay away from chocolate as well. There are about 30 milligrams of caffeine in your average chocolate bar, while a cup of coffee contains around 100 to 150 milligrams.

Doesn't chocolate cause acne?

This is another myth about chocolate. While some people might be allergic to chocolate, or some of its ingredients, the belief that chocolate causes acne universally has been disproven by doctors for some time.

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