Write: Margarita Llamas
Discovering the cultivation of cocoa
The tree of cocoa called Theobroma and grows in tropical areas with an altitude between 400 and 1250 meters. It needs light and shade at 50% and a humidity around 70%. It is a very exquisite tree and requires a minimum temperature of 18º C and a maximum of 32º C. It follows, then, that it cannot be grown anywhere.
Its fruit, the haba, which grows directly from the trunk, gives it twice a year, from November to January and from May to July. Treating us with a show of color -white, yellow, red and all their shades-.
Depending on its shape, the haba receives several names: zucchini, angoleto, amelonado or cundeamor. Within it are our true protagonists, the cocoa beans covered with a white pulp. This can be eaten, it is very sweet and tastes like vanilla and miel.
Once we collect the lima beans by means of a machete we heap them on the ground. Then we move them to begin the process that will convert the cocoa in chocolate.
Transformation and production of chocolate
We start with the fermentation, putting the seeds in perforated boxes covered with banana leaves. They will be those that provide the bacteria. This process takes between three and seven days, allowing the cocoa free of the white pulp and fattening. In addition to reduce bitter taste of the seed.
The next step is the drying, putting the seeds in the sun during the day and collecting them at night, so that they do not take on moisture. It is a job that requires great care and attention, as the grain should not have more than 8% moisture. Later they are packed to send to the destination countries, where the they toast and hull.
El toasted It is a very important step since it is when the flavor precursors react. Start developing the taste of chocolate. They began to form during fermentation.
After toast, the skin is removed and they are breaking. It is crushed and a mass is formed called 'grue'. It goes to a machine, where it will be constantly moving for two to three days to make a fine dough. To this is added sugar, the amount of milk powder to carry and other additives.
Another very important process is the tempered chocolate. It is a process to do the homogeneous mixture and get the texture desired. Since the cocoa butter it has unstable crystals that melt at different temperatures.
You have 3 stages: casting, descent and lift. Depending on the type of chocolate (white, black or milk), has different temperatures.
How to know if it is well tempered? For him gloss, homogeneous color, powerful and clean crack (the sound of breaking the chocolate). As well as the homogeneous texture, which does not make 'crumbs'.
