Course:FNH200/2013w Team16 Chocolate

Dark Chocolate

White Dark Chocolate Cake

Introduction

History of Dark Chocolate

Originally, dark chocolate held itself in the form known as "cacao powder" known today as cocoa. The beans of the cacao tree existed only in Central and South America and were revered for their healing properties. Originally used approximately from 500 A.D by the Mayan and Aztec civilizations as a spicy and bitter tasting drink that was often mixed with other ingredients (such as wine, chili pepper, vanilla) for flavouring. After its' discovery by the Spanish people, cocoa (by now known as Chocolate) took its hold on Europe. The spicy chili peppers were replaced with sugars and vanilla to suit the tastes of the European people. The luxury beverage was privy only to the nobility due to its rare and minimalist nature. As time passed countries such as France, the UK, and Holland began cultivating cacao in their African and Southeast Asian colonies. The turn of the 19th century marked a turn in the production of dark chocolate. Conrad J. van Houten a Dutch chocolate maker, created an inexpensive method for turning roasted cacao beans into a mixable power. The use of presses opened up the pathways and allowed many more possible combinations of ingredients to create a solid chocolate form. Other chocolate makers began to build upon van Houten's chocolate press and ideas, and created the empire of chocolatiers we know and love today. Our modern age is still creating new chocolates, from white, to dark, from liquors, to truffles. A little too much chocolate is just right.

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  Cocao Powder

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  Dark Chocolate

Different Types of Dark Chocolate

Differences between Chocolates

A Simplified graph which demonstrates the processes required to get different types of chocolate.

• Milk Chocolate - sugar, milk or milk powder, cocoa powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, Lethicin and Vanilla.
• White Chocolate - sugar, milk or milk powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, Lethicin and Vanilla.
• Plain Dark Chocolate - cocoa powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, Lethicin and Vanilla.

Different Types of Dark Chocolate

• Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened powder, partially defatted chocolate liquor. Slightly acidic, best used naturally in recipes calling for baking soda. Alkalized cocoa powder is darker than it’s natural counterpart, is less acidic, and has a milder taste.
• Dark Solid Chocolate: Chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla and lechitin (note: lack of milk solids). Cocoa of dark solid chocolates vary from 30% to 80%.
• Unsweetened Chocolate: Pure chocolate liquor, made up of ground cocoa beans. Used in cooking, not meant for individual consumption. This is the base ingredient for all other forms of chocolate barring white and glazed chocolates.
• Bittersweet Chocolate: Contains at least 35% cocoa solids, and at least 50% chocolate liquor (although some extend to 70-80% chocolate liquor).
• Semi-sweet Chocolate: Contains at least 35% cocoa solids, darker than sweet dark chocolate, but sweeter than bittersweet. However, the FDA has no formal restrictions on sugar content, essentially meaning these classifications are not consistent nor are they official.
• Sweet Dark Chocolate: Does not contain milk solids, high percentage of sugar. Most sweet dark chocolates contain only 20-40% cocoa solids with much high sugar percentages.
• Couverture Chocolate: Primarily used as baking material, at least 30% cocoa butter, and a high percentage of chocolate liquor. Used for tempering and enrobing candy. It can be used as dark, milk, or white chocolates due to it’s relative nature.

The Preparation of Dark Chocolate

Preparation of dark chocolate is done in a couple of different steps. The main ingredient which the dark chocolate is made of is cocoa beans. These cocoa beans are grown in cocoa pods which develop on a tree and become mature in 5 to 6 months. After being harvested (usually by hand), the beans are removed by splitting the cocoa pods. These beans are put in a large boxes along with banana leaves for 2 to 8 days, this step allows for fermentation which lessens the bitterness of the beans and lets the fruity taste to settle. The cocoa beans are then dried under the sun, which causes the removal of the pulps. The dried beans are then packed and sent to chocolate producers.

Cocao Pods

The next step is roasting and nibbling. In this stage the beans are cleaned at the chocolate factory and roasted in resolving drums at 250-350 degree F for a period of 30 minutes to 2 hours (depending on the moisture level and type of the bean). This step will improve the color and flavor of the dark chocolate. Then the loosened shells of the beans are removed by placing the beans into a winnower, the remaining kernel is broken down into nibs. The nibs are then heated to form a chocolate liquor. During the process, the pressing of cocoa butter is pushed out of the chocolate liquor; the remaining material is called cocoa presscake which normally becomes cocoa powder. The cocoa butter is mixed with some chocolate liquor and a small amount of sugar and vanilla. Dark chocolate must contain at least 35% cocoa solid. The Last step is conching and finishing. The chocolate texture is smoothed by passing it through large steel rollers and then it is sent through conching machines where the chocolate is heated and constantly mixed, this will cause further smoothing and removal of any remaining bitter or acidic flavor. Conching may take hours to several days, the longer conching will give a better quality dark chocolate. Then, the chocolate is slowly heated then cooled to a certain temperature, so it becomes smooth. At the end it is poured into a container and cooled .

The Preservation of Dark Chocolate

Normally chocolate must be kept in a moderately cool, dry, and dark place. The most ideal environment is 60-70 degrees F, with less than 50% humidity and away from direct sunlight (also not so close to any other foods with strong odors, since the odor could be absorbed by the chocolate). If the chocolate is exposed to a high temperature for a long period of time, the cocoa butter in chocolate will rise to the surface, creating ‘’bloom’’ which is an unpleasant cloudy white color. This is a mistake that can be solved by melting and properly tempering the chocolate. However, in addition to bloom, white chocolate can go rancid when exposed to strong light, which will greatly affect the flavor and quality of the chocolate. If there is no access to air conditioning and one is living in a very warm place, the chocolate has to be kept in the refrigerator or freezer so that is does not melt. In order to freeze the chocolate, it has to be placed in an airtight container, and it should not be removed from its container until it has been brought up to room temperature. This is to prevent condensation from forming on the chocolate, due to the fact that these water droplets will prevent the chocolate from melting smoothly and might affect the texture of the melted chocolate .

Effects of Processing Conditions

The main stages of manufacturing dark chocolate are the dissolving of primary ingredients to form a dispersion of cocoa solids and sugar crystals in a continuous fat phase, and the crystallization of the cocoa butter in the correct form and structure. Certain steps in the processing of dark chocolate influence the viscosity, flavour, texture and quality properties.

Roasting

Antique cocao roaster from a German engraving dated 1915

Roasting involves heating cocoa beans until a desired flavour is obtained. During the roasting process, the cocoa beans undergo the Maillard Reaction, in which low molecular weight compounds are formed. These newly synthesized compounds interact to form the aroma and flavour of cocoa. Flavour compounds produced in this reaction depend mostly on the temperature and duration of the roasting process. In a processing facility, manufacturers use low, medium or high roast taking into account the type of bean used and the purpose of use. During the Maillard reaction, other compounds formed are high molecular weight pigments which contribute to the brown colour seen in dark chocolate. Through evaporation, roasting makes sure that water activity is lowered in the cocoa beans so that the desired flavour is formed. This step also aides in the preservation process, as lower water activity inhibits growth of some spoilage-causing microorganisms.

Conching and Tempering

Conching is the process in which chocolate is heated to temperature above 40°C to obtain a desired texture. This step is integral because changes in the time and temperature can lead to modifications in the viscosity, texture and flavour. In order to obtain a set texture, the conching temperature and time must remain constant. Tempering is also an important step to obtain a desired proportion and type of crystal of the cocoa butter. Tempering influences quality properties of the chocolate, such as colour, firmness, finish and shelf-life.

Cooling and Solidification

The purpose of the cooling phase is to solidify the continuous fat phase of the tempered dark chocolate into the proper crystallized form. An important part in this step is to prevent the chocolate from uptaking moisture from the surroundings, as this will cause alterations in the viscosity. Moisture present on the surface of the chocolate can dissolve the sugar molecules, and when this moisture evaporates, it will lead to larger crystals, in turn resulting in a dry surface coating. To prevent this from occurring, the relative humidity must be kept between 35-40% during this stage.

The Ingredients

Cocao Butter

Solid removed from cocoa bean after harvest. Later added back into chocolate as the fat phase of emulsion. Consists of various different fats which are reistant to oxidation reducing the risk of rancidity in chocolate.

Cocao Butter

Cocao Mass

Solid phase of emulsion. Consists of cocoa butter and cocoa powder.

Sugar

Sweetening agent. Also acts as a preservative by reducing the water activity limiting growth of microorganisms. Probably invert sugar, which controls the crystallization and also has moisture-preserving qualities keeping the chocolate moist for a longer period. Invert sugar also intensifies aroma, is important in starch (found in cocoa) dispersal providing a smooth mouthfeel and has hygroscopic properties allowing it to act as a preservative.

Full Cream Milk

Contains water which forms the liquid phase of emulsion. Also adds sugar (lactose) making the chocolate sweet. The milk fat (lecithin) prevents 'fat bloom', formation of white powdery fat crystals on the surface of chocolate. Milk with more free fat content will make the chocolate flow easier both in production and creating the melting sensation when eating chocolate. Proteins in milk also provide flavour that counteracts bitterness of cocoa powder.

Soy Lecithin (Additive)

Stabilizing emulsifier making chocolate smooth and creamy reduces viscosity and increases moisture holding ability of chocolate. Also prolongs shelf life and controls sugar crystallization improving smoother texture.

Canadian Regulation of Dark Chocolate Products

According to Health Canada; the definition of dark chocolate is a 'chocolate product' that has been derived from one or more cocoa products and includes dark chocolate . Dark chocolate is thoroughly regulated; to be categorized as a legal dark chocolate product the following criteria must be met :

(a) shall be one or more of the following combined with a sweetening ingredient, namely,

(i) cocoa liquor,

(ii) cocoa liquor and cocoa butter, and

(iii) cocoa butter and cocoa powder;

(b) shall contain not less than 35 per cent total cocoa solids, of which

(i) not less than 18 per cent is cocoa butter, and

(ii) not less than 14 per cent is fat-free cocoa solids; and

(c) may contain

(i) less than 5 per cent total milk solids from milk ingredients,

(ii) spices,

(iii) flavouring preparations, other than those that imitate the flavour of chocolate or milk, to balance flavour,

(iv) salt, and

(v) any of the following emulsifying agents, which singly shall not exceed the maximum level of use set out in column III of Table IV to section B.16.100, and in combination shall not exceed 1.5 per cent by mass of chocolate product, namely,

(A) mono-glycerides and mono- and diglycerides,

(B) lecithin and hydroxylated lecithin,

(C) ammonium salts of phosphorylated glycerides,

(D) polyglycerol esters of interesterified castor oil fatty acids, and

(E) sorbitan monostearate

No person shall sell a "chocolate product" unless it is free from bacteria of the genus Salmonella as determined by official method MFO- 11 .

The Characteristics

Nutritional Value

The nutritional value of dark chocolate is dependent on the amount of cacao it contains. Quality dark chocolate that contains high cacao content is considered to have higher nutritional value than dark chocolate containing less cacao. In order for this type of chocolate to be considered a “super food”: it must contain at least 80% cacao content.

Dark Chocolate Cake

In general, a 100g bar of dark chocolate that has about 70-85% cacao contains:

(i) 11 grams of fiber

(ii) 67% of the RDA for Iron

(iii) 58% of the RDA for Magnesium

(iv) 89% of the RDA for Copper

(v) 98% of the RDA for Manganese

(vi) High amounts of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium

Dark chocolate is known to be a good source of antioxidants since it contains certain organic compounds which positively influence antioxidant activity. A few of these organic compounds are: polyphenols, flavanols, and catechins . It is interesting to note that a recent study has proved cacao beans and seeds, and ultimately dark chocolate, contain more antioxidants than blueberries and Acai berries.

Fat and Calories

The types of fat found in dark chocolate are saturated and monounsaturated, with trace amounts of polyunsaturated fat. Palmitic acid and stearic acid are commonly used saturated fats, and while oleic acid is used as a monounsaturated fat. An average sized bar from a popular brand typically contains 180 calories, 21 grams of sugar and 12 grams of fat . Depending on the brand and size of the chocolate bar, the amount of fat, calories and sugar present may vary.

Slide and Video Presentation of Dark Chocolate

The following Prezi covers the processing and fermentation of dark chocolate (you may have to click the link to view).

Prezi link: http://prezi.com/a1wzegl4wd12/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Health Benefits

Flavonoids

These secondary metabolites occur naturally in the cocoa bean and some other plants. They are often removed due to bitter taste so are mostly found in dark bitter chocolate (dark chocolate has almost double the amount of flavonoids as milk chocolate). Flavonoids act as antioxidants in the human body, preventing cell damage from hyper active, high energy oxygen containing molecules. They also have synergistic effects with Vitamin C making it more effective and can prevent excessive inflammation by altering behaviour of cells involved in the immune response. Flavonoids also act directly on viruses and bacteria giving them antibacterial and antiviral properties. Flavonoids can lower blood pressure by increasing elasticity and width of arteries making blood flow easier; some flavonoids also prevent platelets from sticking together, reducing the risk of blood clots.

(i) A study in Germany found that those participants that ate the most chocolate (7.5g/day) had lower blood pressure and a 39% lower chance of heart attack or stroke.

(ii) Some small studies have also shown that Flavonoids help control insulin sensitivity by increasing nitrous oxide production. Yet larger studies need to be completed to prove this.

(iii) Dark chocolate has been found to be beneficial in reducing stress and anxiety levels. Chocolate has a positive effect on stress-associated metabolic processes such as energy metabolism and gut microbial activity. Only 30 individuals were tested so larger studies may be needed to prove this correlation.

(iv) Cocoa rich in flavanols (type of flavonoid) may increase cognitive abilities by increasing blood flow to certain areas of the brain (for 2-3 hours).

Conclusion

In the confectionery world, none is superior to the king of candy, chocolate. With a rich (and sometimes dark) history, chocolate is still considered to be the most popular and beneficial treat for your health. By exploring the different types of dark chocolate, and their means of production we find that the percentage of cocoa solids make a true distinction in the taste from chocolate to chocolate. The distinction from bittersweet to semi-sweet dark chocolates is a miniscule one at best, yet somehow it still exists. The science of dark chocolate is one that has been passed down for centuries, and although recipes will always vary from one another, the fact remains that even today science refines our means of production. From the harvesting, fermenting and roasting of beans, to the cool, dry storage, we can see how science affects the world of chocolate. With relatively simple ingredients one can create a truly unique and complex combination of smooth textures and sweet aromas drawing from the creams and cocoa solids to create an infinite amount of culinary possibilities. As Canadians we take our chocolate consumption extremely seriously with our strict regulations on what constitutes a dark chocolate, and our extreme precision on defining a “super” dark chocolate. However, even with its' great taste and health benefits, we should remember to eat chocolate in moderation. One or two pieces is essential for the mind and the body, but eating ten times that won't increase the benefits ten fold. Common sense can stop surplus calories from turning into surplus belt size, we care about our taste, but we also care about our health.

Interesting Facts

Fact 1: Dental research shows that the naturally occurring vegetable fat in chocolate allows it to clear the teeth faster than other foods making it less likely to stay in contact with the teeth and cause decay .

Fact 2: The word “chocolate” comes from the Aztec word, “Xocolatl”, which ironically means “bitter water”. Also the Aztecs and Maya’s used to use chocolate as currency since cocoa beans were so valuable to them .

Fact 3: The smell of chocolate increases theta brain waves which triggers relaxation.

Six Ton Chocolate Bar

Fact 4: Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain as well as to the heart, so it can help improve cognitive function in addition to reducing the risk of stroke. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you're falling in love. PEA encourages the brain to release endorphins, so eating dark chocolate will make you feel happier.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Fact 5: It takes approximately 400 cocoa beans to make one pound (450g) of chocolate.

Fact 6: The worlds largest chocolate bar weighed 5792 kg (12770 lb), Turin ( a city in italy) can be proud of this accomplishment.

Fact 7: The inventor of chocolate chip cookies sold the idea to nestle toll house in return for a lifetime supply of chocolate.

Fact 8: Every second, Americans collectively eat 100 pounds of chocolate.

Fact 9: In addition to containing caffeine, chocolate also contains a lesser known drug called Theobromine. Chocolate contains a higher portion of Theobromine than anything in nature. Theobromine is similar to caffeine, but has a milder stimulant effect. It has been used to treat blood pressure and has tested for fighting cancer.

Fact 10: Dark chocolates contain relatively high concentrations of some vitamins and minerals such as:

(i) Potassium (helps prevent against stroke and cardiovascular ailments).

(ii) Copper (helps prevent against stroke and cardiovascular ailments).

(iii) Magnesium (helps prevent type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease).

(iv) Iron (protects against iron deficiency anemia).

Exam Question

Which of the following part(s) of chocolate processing is the fat content of milk used important:

a) Tempering and Conching

b) Solidification and Cooling

c) Roasting

d) Preservation

Answer: a