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How is cacao used to make cocoa and chocolate?
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Malvales
A fony baobab tree (Adansonia rubrostipa), estimated to be more than 1,000 years old, in Madagascar.
The cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), a member of the Malvaceae family, produces fruit pods containing seeds known as cocoa beans. The transformation of these seeds into cocoa and chocolate involves several key stages:
- Fermentation and Drying: Harvested beans are fermented for one to seven days to develop flavor and kill the germ. They are then dried to reduce moisture content.12
- Roasting and Winnowing: The beans are roasted to enhance flavor and color, which also facilitates the removal of shells. During winnowing, machines separate the shells from the inner nibs.132
- Grinding: The nibs are ground into a paste called chocolate liquor or cocoa mass. This paste contains cocoa butter, a natural fat.132
- Processing:
- Cocoa: To produce cocoa powder, the chocolate liquor is pressed to remove a portion of the cocoa butter, leaving behind a solid cake that is then pulverized.14
- Chocolate: Chocolate is made by combining chocolate liquor with additional ingredients, such as sugar and milk. The mixture undergoes conching—a process of continuous mixing and aeration—to develop texture and flavor, followed by tempering to stabilize the cocoa butter for a smooth, glossy finish.2