All About Choclates

Chocolate: Universal Product of Pleasure, Love and Friendship

Chocolate transcends all the barriers of age, gender, race, color, religion, language and nationality. Show a person who does not enjoy eating chocolates. It's in true sense a boundaryless entity.

History

* First chocolate house opened in London in 1657.
* Physician and collector Hans Sloane developed milk chocolate drink in Jamaica in 1689, which was later sold to Cadbury brothers.
* In 1700, mechanical mills were used to squeeze out cocoa butter that was used to make hard durable chocolate.
* The modern process of making chocolates was developed after the industrial revolution.
* New machines were manufactured and the product chocolate was sold throughout the world as a much liked product.

Process

* Cocoa is produced from cacao trees.
* Trees grow the pods containing in it the cocoa beans.
* Once the pods are fully ripe, they are harvested by cutting them from the trees.
* Beans are removed from the pods.
* Beans are placed in bins to ferment which gives them the famous chocolate taste.
* The beans are then quickly dried.
* Beans are transported to chocolate manufacturing site.
* Beans are cleaned, roasted and graded.
* Shells are removed to extract the nib.
* Nibs are now ground that releases and melts the cocoa butter producing chocolate liquor.
* Chocolate liquor is processed to give cocoa solids and cocoa butter which are used to make chocolates by mixing milk powder or condensed milk and sugar.

Production of Cocoa Beans

* Around 70% of world's cocoa is produced in Western Africa.
* Around 50 million people in the world are employed around the production of cocoa.
* Three most dominant chocolate makers are: Barry Callebaut, Cargill and Archer Danilels Midland Company.

Types of Chocolates

* Dark chocolate.
* Milk chocolate.
* White chocolate.

Caution for Storing Chocolates

* Chocolates are sensitive to heat and moisture.
* Therefore, take care to store the chocolates.
* Keep them in refrigerator.
* Ideal temperature for storage: around 17 degrees centigrade.
* Ideal relative humidity: less than 50%.
* Do not store them near other food items. Chocolates may absorb the aroma of other food items.
* Keep the chocolates properly wrapped.

Advantages and Dis-advantages of Eating Chocolates

* Gives pleasure.
* Dark chocolate is good for circulatory system.
* Brain stimulator.
* Anticancer.
* Cough preventer.
* Antidiarrhoeal.
* Taken in large quantity, results in obesity.
* It may be addictive.
* Possibility of mild lead poisoning.