How to make chocolate, from the, The Soda Fountain

The first step in producing a premium quality chocolate is the blending of cocoa beans (actually seeds). Cocoa beans very greatly in quality, and it goes without saying that only the highest quality beans can be used to produce a premium quality chocolate. Furthermore, there are many varieties of beans. Some are grown in Africa, others in the Caribbean, and others in South America. Each variety of bean has its own strengths -- some beans have a more intense flavor, others have a longer lasting taste, and another bean may have a special aroma. Lastly, the beans are similar to wine grapes, in that their flavor is effected by weather. Subtle variations of the blending process can allow the production of a consistent tasting product year after year.

After blending, the cocoa beans are roasted. It is the process of roasting the cocoa beans that brings out the chocolate flavor and aroma (I can tell you from personal experience that this process also produces one of the most lovely aromas my nose has ever smelled).

Next the cocoa beans are shelled, and the pieces of seeds (called nibs) are then ground until a chocolate liquor is produced. Extra cocoa butter is then added (when producing cocoa or sweet ground chocolate it is removed). The extra cocoa butter increases the delicacy of the chocolate, and is largely responsible for its flavor. Depending on the type of chocolate being produced, additional ingredients such as sugar, vanilla, and possibly dry milk powder are added to the chocolate liquor.

The next step is a process called conching. Conching is a process of continually folding the chocolate liquor upon itself in a kind of wave motion. This breaks down all the small particles in the chocolate, and results in a smooth texture that literally melts in your mouth. Ghirardelli conches their chocolate for about 14 hours. This long conching process produces an extremely fine chocolate -- a shorter conching process produces a gritty chocolate, and a longer conching process would break down the chocolate and produce an oily chocolate.

The mixture is then "tempered," by slowly cooling the chocolate liquor to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit while the mixture is continually kept moving. This last process produces the chocolate crispness, and sheen. The chocolate is then molded into bars, packaged, and sent to the customers.

The secret to premium quality chocolate has three components:

1. A quality blend of only the finest cocoa beans.
2. The liberal addition of extra cocoa butter.
3. A long conching process.

Ghirardelli excels in all three areas. If you purchase inexpensive chocolate, you can be sure of at least one and probably several of the following:

• The manufacture used inferior beans -- quality beans are expensive.
• The chocolate has a low cocoa butter content, that may have been supplemented with animal or vegetable fat -- cocoa butter is expensive.
• The conching process lasted only a couple hours -- tying up equipment for 14 hours is expensive.

To understand how much a difference in quality makes, purchase some Ghirardelli chocolate, and a real cheap chocolate bar. Open the Ghirardelli chocolate, and notice the aromatics. Brake off a small piece and let it melt in your mouth. Rub the chocolate up against the roof of your mouth and feel its smooth texture. Close your eyes and savor the fine sweet flavor, and notice how long that flavor seems to last. Repeat the process with the cheap chocolate, and you will quickly notice the lack of flavor, smell, and a gritty texture.

If you produce any of the recipes found on this Web site that uses chocolate or cocoa, then keep in mind that quality ingredients are the key to success, and there is no higher quality chocolate than the chocolate produced by Ghirardelli.