ChocolateThe evolution of chocolate
IntroductionWe want to tell you some information about chocolate. We decided to talk about it because of its amazing history and facts of evolution that we all were very interested in. We hope that you will be interested in our presentation as well.
The legends of the birth of chocolateWe would like to start by telling you legends of birth of chocolate. The word “Chocolate” came from American Indians and includes two words: “Choco” that means foam (puta) and “Alt” that means water. J: Aztecs thought that Cacao seeds came to Earth from Heaven, and that Cacao tree promotes power and cleverness. According to another legend the Mon God stole Cacao seeds from the Suns children country and gave them to people. Ie: There were some truths in these legends, because chocolate stimulates brain activity and pleasing feelings. And that’s why chocolate is one of the biggest world accepted pleasures.
The history of chocolate Columbus was the first who has brought coffee-beans to the Europe. Chocolate could be drinkable only by rich and highborn, because he was “drinking money”. Chocolate was used as a drink for a long time, adding spice and bitter pepper in it. Sugarcanes were used for making sweet chocolate. Spanish monks seasoned chocolate by putting some honey in it. Spain became empire of chocolate and recipes of this drink were protected in monasteries for more than 100 years. Only in the middle of XVII century houses of chocolate were opened in London. Since then, it was drunk not only by males, but women and children could enjoy sugarcoated drink too.Chocolate became more available, because of other European countries fighting with Spain monopoly of cocoa. Soon French, English, Dutch have started cultivate cacao-trees, at the colonies of their own. Chocolate became more available for Europeans, Americans, because of declining prices, while manufacturing more and more production. a lot of experiments appeared When cacao became easier to get. People tried to find more ways of using cacao. Chocolate was used for making cakes, sherbets and others products. “Modern epoch” of chocolate has started.
The chocolate making mutationIn XIXth century Swiss chemist Henri Nestle invented milk powder and other Swiss, chocolate maker, Daniel Peter, started to use them for making new, milk chocolate. After few years Rudolph Linder improved chocolate mixing process and now it became reality to get paste, from which chocolate sweets were started to form.Making of chocolate has one very specific process – capability to mix cacao powder with sugar, vanilla and other spices. Sometimes it is running on even 72 hours. After mixing, paste of chocolate heats, then colds and it is done several times. Features of this product are so treacherous and preparation of it is as heavy as metal foundry.If you want to make high quality chocolate, you must use even 12 kinds of cacao beans.
Cacao treesOf course you all know that cacao beans grow on the cacao trees.Cacao tree is called Theobroma cacao. This name was given by Swedish botanist Carl von Linné. These trees grow in rainforests, usually in the shades near the rivers and grow up to 15m height. Cultivated (sukultūrinti medžiai) trees grow only about 8m height for easier harvesting (derliaus nuėmimas). It is interesting that flowers and pods (vaisiai) grow exactly from the stem (kamienas) called Chupon or from main branches. The pods can be up to 30 centimeters long, red-brown colour. Also cacao trees leaves can move 90 degrees from vertical to horizontal to get better sun access and to protect young leaves! There are from 20 to 40 seeds in pod that are used for chocolate. Each tree produces annually about 0.5 -2.5 kg of seed kernels (branuolys,vaisiaus sėklelė).
Chocolate classification?Chocolate is classified to these categories: milk chocolate, bitter chocolate and white chocolate. To make every kind of chocolate, you must use different kinds of cacao beans.Milk chocolate was first made in Switzerland and is souvenir of this country. There are few types of milk chocolate, which are recognized by milk, which is used for making. In Europe most producers uses condensed milk, in USA and England – milk and sugar powder. Taste of chocolate is different in every country by his flavour and breath.
Black chocolate in which composition are less than 50 percent of dry cacao material is too mild, not so qualitive. ?By propositions of most inventors of this product, sugar for chocolate is as needful as salt for meat. Usually chocolate is supplemented with vanilla and nuts. White chocolate is a combination of cacao butter, sugar and milk. Cacao butter is very expensive product, so some producers are looking for alternatives. However, when not cacao butter is used in chocolate but some alternates like confectionery fat or palm oil, this product can not be called chocolate – maybe only a sweet stick.Acmes of perfection of chocolate are chocolate truffles. They are made from chocolate, butter, cream, liquor, rum or brandy. Usually truffles are clad in shredded nuts.Each producer tries to find his own filling, there are several classical: chocolate mass with filling and black chocolate; nougat – toasted nuts, mixed with stirred white of eggs and syrup; marzipan – with almonds and pistachios; griliazas – almonds and other nuts crumbs with drawn sugar; succades – with citrus fruits peels.Chocolate is used not only in confectioneryIt’s interesting that nowadays cookers use chocolate not only in confectionery but also in making sauces for meat dish. It is used as icing for roasted chicken or other kind of meat. Chocolate is used in alcoholic drinks production as well. But I don’t think that most of you heard that beauty salons in Italy offer to get slimming massage with bitter chocolate foam. Black liquid chocolate is used for a face mask (there).
ChocoholicsTill now Swiss and French are acknowledged as the world leaders in making chocolate. However, the largest amount of chocolate is being consumed in Germany – 10.4kg per year for one person. Comparing the usage of chocolate in developed countries, Japanese is the one that eats least – only 1.9kg per year.
There are many chocoholics clubs established in all over the world. If you think they are only eating chocolate almost everyday and are obsessed of it, you would be wrong. They also fight against making real chocolate from cacao butter alternatives. Even European Parliament had to be involved to this quarrel and the answer of deputies was positive to the chocoholics.Chocoholics have many internet pages were you can find information how chocolate and chocolate candies should be served and eaten. It is believed that chocolate eating is an art and it’s like a ceremony for chocoholics.Chocolate is a product which you won’t estimate by any other parameter but only by taste. Mouth and nose should determine the quality of chocolate.When you just open a box or unwrap the packaging, there should be a nice chocolate smell. Any other flavours of supplements should not dominate. Good quality chocolate is soft, mild, melts easily in the mouth. We should feel many features of chocolate while tasting. For example is it greasy or curdy? If vanilla is used properly, just to give the subtle flavour or there is too much of it? So the producers have a big job to do while making a really good quality chocolate.ConclusionThere are so many chocolate makers in the world that these, who want to invent something new, have to be disappointed.Since chocolate is a conservative product it is very difficult for cookers to change something strongly. Often new tastes don’t find necessary consumers. Of course creativity can be expressed everywhere, but will you buy chocolate with spinach filling?-Unlikely.We gave you some chocolate in the beginning of our presentation on purpose. The reason is that it stimulates your brain work and you had to remember better what we were telling you.
Of course you all knew something about chocolate, but we hope that you also heard some new and interesting facts while listening to this presentation.