The word 'Chocolate' comes from the Mayan word xocoatl, and the

word 'cocoa' from the Aztec cacahuatl. In Mexico the beverage was
called chocolath, from lath (water) and choco. Supposedly the
Spaniards found the Mexican word hard to pronounce and called it
cacao.
The Cacao tree was christened Theo broma cacao by the great
Swedish botanist Linnaeus. This translates from the Greek as 'the
food of the gods'.
The traditional Aztec chocolate drink contained not only chocolate
and water but also chili, saffron, cinnamon, dried ginger and vanilla?
Sugar and milk were not added, so this would have been a very
different chocolate experience to the one most of us know today.
1615 Anne of Austria, daughter of Philip III of Spain, marries the
infant Louis XIII of France and takes him Spanish chocolate as a gift.
She is accompanied by a maid whose sole purpose is to make her
chocolate every day. Chocolate soon becomes fashionable in the
French court.
Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), the physician of Queen Anne of
England, was reportedly the first person to mix chocolate successfully
with milk. The resulting drink was used for restorative purposes.
Chocolate bars were made possible by the invention of the cocoa
press in the eighteenth century. By the middle of the nineteenth
century, both Fry and Son and the Cadbury Company were selling
'tablets' (blocks) of chocolate to the English public.
An Old French tradition advises Parisians to dine on chocolate fish
while awaiting April Fool's Day.
The first French chocolate factory was situated in Bayonne, where a
guild of chocolate – makers had existed since 1761. The city
exported chocolate to Spain and Paris, and its trade calendar of 1822
quotes more than 20 prestigious firms.
'In 1778 the first hydraulic machine for crushing and mixing the
Ochocolate paste appeared in France, and in 1819 pelletier built the
tfirst factory to use steam. It was at this time that the famous family
hbusinesses were set up in Europe: van houten in the Netherlands
(1815) – C.J. Van Houten discovered a method of solubilization in
1828 (known as dutched in English).

Milestones in the history of chocolate.

1842 Cadbury's chocolate company creates the first chocolate bar,
made possible by the invention of the cocoa press in the eighteenth
century.
1875 Daniel Peters, a Swiss chocolate maker mixes Henri Nestle's
condensed milk with chocolate, and the two men produce the first
milk chocolate.
1894 Milton Hershey invents the Hershey Bar by experimenting with
milk chocolate.
1897 Cadbury begins to manufacture milk chocolate in competition
with the Swiss.
1905 Cadbury's Dairy Milk Bar is introduced.
1908 Toblerone is invented by the Swiss Theodor Tobler. Each piece
of the new chocolate bar is made in the triangular shape of an Alpine
peak.
1930 Franklin Mars invents the Snickers bar. Fry's invents the
Crunchie.
1933 The chocolate chip cookie was discovered by accident.
American Ruth Wakefield was hastily preparing a batch of chocolate
biscuits, she neglected to melt the chocolate first and instead used
whole lumps of chocolate, thinking they would melt during baking…
However, the lumps of chocolate stayed lumpy. No one complained
about the results, and the chocolate chip cookie was born.
1935 The Aero bar makes its first appearance.
1936 Maltesers and Quality Street are introduced.
1937 Kit Kat, Rolo and Smarties are all invented in this year.
1940 The Mars company invents M&Ms for soldiers going to World
War II.

'Nine out of ten people like chocolate… 'The tenth person always lies'.
John G.Tullius, American artist and cartoonist
 Manufacture of chocolate

'Chocolate makes otherwise normal people melt into strange states of

ecstasy'. John West
Cocoa pods are harvested year –round, though most heavily from
may to December. The first step in processing, sometimes omitted, is
a brief fermentation of the beans and pulp, thereby killing the seeds’
embryo causing some biochemical changes. The beans are then
cleaned of pulp, dried, and shipped to consuming countries.
Now the first step is to roast the beans for about an hour at about
121o C to develop the rich characteristic flavour of chocolate, which
involves some 300 different chemicals, by way of browning reactions.
The seeds crack open and the kernels, called nibs are separated.
The nibs are ground up and, because they are more than half cocoa
butter, form a thick liquid called chocolate liquor, which consists of
small particles of solid nib – protein, carbohydrates, and so on –
suspended in the oil.
After this initial grinding comes refining, a second grinding done
between set of rollers, which brings the particle size down to the
desired range, between 25 and 50 microns, depending on the
national taste.

Further treatment of the chocolate varies according to the desired

end product. For cocoa powder, the next step is to remove the most
of cocoa butter reducing to 10- 35%. The resulting paste is pressed to
form into cakes and then ground up in one last time.
Some cocoa is also dutched which means treating the chocolate
liquor or nibs with an alkaline solution, usually potassium carbonate
to raise its pH from 5.5 to 7 to 8. This renders the chocolate darker,
milds the flavor and improves its dispersion.

Chocolates for candy or bars are treated very differently. Eating

chocolate is not defatted but enriched with cocoa butter. If bittersweet
or sweet chocolate is to be made, then sugar is added ; if milk
chocolate, then sugar and milk solids. The mixture is then subjected
to a process called ‘conching’, called after the shape of the machine.
The material is poured into a container in which a very heavy roller
moves back and forth continuously, grinding, mixing, and slightly
heating the ingredients. Conching can go on up to several days. After
this stage the chocolate mixture is shaped by molding or pouring and
tempered. *

The 'blood' draining out of the shower in the famous shower scene of Alfred
Composition
Hitchcock's filmofPsycho
chocolate products
was actually ( % syrup.
chocolate )
Type Chocolate Added cocoa Sugar Milk solids
butter
liquor
Bitter 95 5
Bittersweet 35 – 50 15 50 – 35
Sweet 15 15 70
Milk 10 20 50 15
Fat Carbohydrates Protein Minerals
Bitter 55 30 10 3
Sweet 35 60 4 1
Milk 30 60 5 1
Cocoa 15 55 18 5

Types of chocolate

Couverture
The professional’s choice, this is a fine quality pure chocolate with a
high percentage of cocoa butter, which gives it a high gloss. Suitable
for decorative uses and handmade chocolates. Comes expensive
and generally requires tempering before use.

Plain dark chocolate

Often called luxury, bitter or continental chocolate with a high
percentage of cocoa solids around 75% - with little or no added
sugar. Its rich, intense flavor and dark color make it ideal for desserts
and cakes.

Plain chocolate
This is the most widely used and available chocolate. It contains 30%
to 70% cocoa solids, higher the cocoa solids, the better the chocolate
flavor will be.

Milk chocolate
This contains powdered or condensed milk and generally has around
20% cocoa solids. The flavor is mild and sweet. Although this is the
most popular eating chocolate, but not suitable for melting and
cooking purposes.

Diamonds
White aren’t a girls best friend….chocolate is.
chocolate
This does not contain any cocoa solids, but gets its flavor from cocoa
butter. It is sweet, and the better quality white chocolate is quite rich
and smooth. White chocolate must be melted with care as it does not
withstand heat as well as plain chocolate and is liable to stiffen if
allowed to get too hot.

Chocolate chips
These are small pieces of chocolate of uniform size, convenient for
stirring directly into biscuit dough or cake mixture, or for melting. They
contain fewer cocoa solids and are available in plain dark, plain, milk
and white.

Cocoa
This is made from the pure cocoa mass after most of the cocoa butter
has been extracted. The mass is roasted, then ground to make a
powder. It is probably the most economical way of giving puddings
and baked goods a chocolate flavor.

Organic chocolate
This is slightly more expensive than other types of chocolate but is a
quality product, high in cocoa solids, produced without pesticides and
with consideration for the environment. Available in all forms.

Chocolate flavored cake covering

This is a blend of sugar, vegetable oil, cocoa and flavorings. As its
name suggests, it should only be used for covering or decoration, as
the flavour is poor. However the high fat content makes it suitable for
making chocolate curls or caraque- to improve the flavour, melt a few
squares with good plain chocolate.

'If I were a headmaster, I would get rid of the history teacher and get a
chocolate teacher instead and my pupils would study a subject that affected
all of them'. Roald Dahl, British writer
Techniques

Handling couverture

Couverture is a chocolate with at least 31% fat content. The fat

content can vary according to the use to which it will be put:

Thick flowing couverture 32-34 % for fillings

For covering 36-37% for covering pralines
For moulding 38-40% moulding of hollow forms
Grated couverture for tempering, covering
truffles

Storing
Store in a dark place away from strong smells at 15-18C, relative
humidity 55-65%.

Melting
Break the couverture into small pieces and melt on a double boiler, in
an oven (very gently and carefully)

Tempering
Couverture is subjected to a process called tempering to distribute
the fat present evenly. This gives a glossy finish and helps in setting
the whole mass at one temperature.

Step 1.
Fill the saucepan 1/3 of the way with water and heat to almost a boil.
You want the water to be steaming hot, but don't let it boil.
Step 2.
Get out your couverture. If it is not already cut, cut up into small
pieces of equal size.

Step 3.
Put 2/3 of the couverture into your steel bowl and place the bowl on
top of the saucepan. It's important to make sure that water never

'It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love… 'Love is a substitute for
chocolate'. Miranda Ingram
directly touches the bottom of the bowl. The chocolate should slowly
begin to melt. Try not to disturb the chocolate during this process.
A few stirs with a rubber spatula near the end of the process should
help mix the melted chocolate.

Step 4.
As the couverture melts, monitor the temperature with your
thermometer. The melting temperature of the chocolate will vary
depending on the manufacturer, but should not exceed 115 degrees.
As soon as the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the
saucepan. Use a towel to wipe away moisture from the bottom of the
bowl. This will prevent any water from finding its way into the bowl.
Water will separate the chocolate and can ruin the batch.
Step 5.
Place the bowl on a table and add 1/3 of your remaining chocolate to
the bowl. Stir until the introduced chocolate completely melts. Take
another third and repeat the process. Monitor the temperature of the
chocolate as you mix it. You should notice the temperature drop to
around 100 degrees, and then closer to 90 degrees. Take the
remaining third of chocolate and place it in the bowl.
Using the rubber spatula, mix the chocolate until all of it is completely
melted. If the chocolate is not fluid enough, place the bowl over the
hot water for a few seconds and stir. Then remove from the heat and
wipe the moisture off the bottom of the bowl.

You're now ready to use. Check the temperature one more time. If
you used dark chocolate, the temperature should be between 85 and
90 degrees. If you used white or milk chocolate it should be around
85 or 86 degrees.

'Chocolate is not only a pleasant of taste, but it is also a veritable balm of the
mouth, for the maintaining of all glands and humours in a good state of health.
Thus it is, that all who drink/eat it, possess a sweet breath'. Stephani Blancardi
(1650-1702) Italian physician
A temperature guideline for couverture

> 50C Temperature not to be exceeded

At 45C couverture should be melted
At 40C couverture is melted but cannot be used
At32.5 maximum rewarming
30 –32 the most suitable temperature to work
<30-27 cooling temperature when tempering.
Temperature and consistency not suitable for
processing
<24 firm couverture
19-23 temperature of praline center before coating
15-18 Temperature for storing chocolate.

Important tips
 When tempering, leave the couverture at 27C for a short time so
that sufficient crystals can stabilize.
 If the couverture has a thick consistency it should be stirred
carefully (if it is mixed too quickly it will foam)
 Foamy couverture will stay thick, even when it is heated to the
correct temperature
 Foamy couverture should be warmed again to 45-50C, and
should then be tempered correctly.

Basic recipes

Chocolate ganache

250 ml double cream

225 ml plain chocolate

Heat the cream and chocolate together in a saucepan over a low

heat, stirring frequently until the chocolate has melted. Pour into a
bowl, leave to cool, then whisk until the mixture begins to hold shape.
A luxurious, creamy frosting for gateaux and desserts.

Three billion (nearly 1.5 billion kilograms) of chocolate are consumed

worldwide each year.
Chocolate buttercream
75 gms unsalted butter
175 gms icing sugar
15 gms cocoa powder
2.5 ml vanilla essence

Cream the butter; discard the moisture, which comes out. Mix the
icing sugar and cream well. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla
essence slowly.

White chocolate frosting

175 gms white chocolate

75 gms unsalted butter
115gms icing sugar
90 ml double cream

Melt the chocolate with the butter in a double boiler. Whip the cream
separately. Fold it in the butter. Cool and use immediately.

Chocolate fondant
350 gms plain chocolate
60 ml liquid glucose
2-nos. egg whites
900 gms icing sugar

Melt the chocolate and glucose together over a double boiler. Cool
slightly. Beat the egg whites separately with 45gms of icing lightly and
gently beat in enough of the remaining icing sugar to make a stiff
paste. Wrap in cling film until the use.

'Chocolate, of course, is the stuff of which fantasies are made. Rich, dark,
velvety-smooth fantasies that envelop the senses and stir the passions.
Chocolate is madness; chocolate is delight'. Judith Olney, American chef
Glossy chocolate sauce

115 gms caster sugar

60 ml water
175 gms plain chocolate
30 ml unsalted butter
30 ml brandy or orange juice

Dissolve the sugar in water over a low heat and gradually add in the
chocolate pieces, stirring constantly. Add the butter now in the same
manner. Do not allow the sauce to boil. Stir in the brandy or orange
juice and serve warm.

White chocolate sauce

150 ml double cream
150 gms white chocolate
30 ml brandy

Heat the cream almost to a boil over a low heat. Stir the chocolate in
till it melts. Add the brandy and serve warm.

Chocolate shortcrust pastry

175 gms flour

30 ml cocoa powder
30 ml icing sugar
115 gms cup butter

Sift the flour, icing sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. Place the
butter in a pan with the water and heat gently until just melted. Cool.
Stir in to the flour to make smooth dough. Chill until firm.

Chocolate can actually prevent tooth cavities. While the sugar contained in
chocolate is a major contributing cause of tooth decay, chocolate itself is
made up of elements that obstruct the formation of plaque. So chocolate
effectively neutralizes any cavity-causing potential in the sugar!