It is this form i. If you thought choosing which chocolate treat to eat was complex, take a moment to appreciate the intricate process of first turning it from bean to bar. When first removed from the pod, the seeds taste, well, pretty awful. To obtain the flavour we know and love, several chemical transformations must first occur.
Fermentation must begin within hours of pods being opened, and generally lasts days. The beans are piled in heaps or placed in special boxes. Microorganisms quickly get to work removing the pulp from the beans. Yeasts grow on the pulp, converting the sugars in it to ethanol. As bacteria move in they oxidise the ethanol to acetic acid and then to carbon dioxide CO 2 and water. This produces heat and raises the temperature. The pulp breaks down and both lactic acid and acetic acid are produced.
The acetic acid eventually kills the bean, which results in its cell walls breaking down and the mixing of several previously separated substances. This process results in changes within the bean, known as the curing process. It involves enzyme activity, oxidation and the breakdown of proteins into amino acids.
This stage develops important flavour precursors, which are the beginnings of the unique chocolate taste and aroma we know. It also browns the beans. During roasting the vinegar smell produced by fermentation is removed. The bean shells become brittle and the colour of the beans darken.
The process converts the flavour precursors within the bean into compounds such as aldehydes, esters, lactones, and pyrazine, which give chocolate its aroma and flavour. A winnowing machine removes the bean shells and leaves just the cacao nib.
The nibs are then ground and liquefied into a cocoa liquor. Heavy-duty presses can further process and separate the liquor into either fat-rich cocoa butter or cocoa solids that are ground to make cocoa powder. To make the different varieties of chocolate cocoa butter is added back into pure liquor. The amount of each is determined by the kind of chocolate being manufactured.
Other ingredients such as sugar, vanilla, milk solids, additional fats found in cheaper chocolates and other flavours are also added during this step. Prior to refining also known as conching , the blended chocolate can still be rough and a bit gritty. Conching slowly mixes the ingredients together under heat while at the same time continuously grinding them to create a smooth finish. This breaks down the sugar and cocoa into particles too small for the tongue to detect. The longer the chocolate stays in the conching machine, the smoother the end product.
Cheaper chocolate may be conched for around 4 hours, while the more expensive varieties can be anywhere up to 72 hours. Cocoa butter contains several different fatty acids, primarily oleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid. In melted chocolate, the fatty crystals are separate. The aim of tempering is to bring these disparate fatty acids back into one single, stable form made more difficult by the fact that each of the fatty acids solidifies at a different temperature.
Dutching is the chemical process of alkalising cocoa solids to make them less bitter and less acidic, and therefore easier to work with in cooking or as a powder.
It makes the cocoa appear even darker, and destroys some of the extra flavonoids found in truly dark chocolate. Believe it or not, the packaging and wrapping of your chocolate is not just for decoration. Have you ever eagerly opened up your favourite chocolate bar only to notice an unsightly white or grey coating over it? This is known as chocolate bloom, but unlike algal bloom there are no microbes involved.
There are two types of chocolate bloom:. Sugar bloom occurs when moisture condenses on the chocolate, especially when chocolate is placed in the fridge. Sugars within the chocolate absorb the moisture and dissolve. Anandamide - produces transient feeling of well being. Serotonin - feel good factor in chocolate. Fats and Sugars - these controls blood cholesterol and produces energy. Thyphylline - Central nervous system and cardiovascular stimulant.
The following group of chemicals gives the flavor to the chocolate. Recent studies have shown that cocoa or dark chocolate has potent health benefits for people. Dark chocolate is full of the flavonoids epicatechin and gallic acid, which are antioxidants that help. It also has been effectively demonstrated to counteract mild hypertension. To contact the author mail: articles worldofchemicals. Stay updated with the latest chemical industry trends and innovations.
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According to Compound Interest an ingredient of chocolate is toxic in large quantities for humans and in much lesser quantities […]. If tryptophan has to be obtained from food but the body breaks it down during the normal digestion process, how do we manage to get it into our systems? If chocolate were aphrodisiac due to its tryptophan content, other tryptophan sources such as eggs, cod and soybeans which carry much more of it would be as well.
Very true — I think one or two studies formerly suggested there could be a link, but it was largely ruled out. One for me to look up! Everyday Compounds — Salicylic Acid. Natural vs. Man-Made Chemicals — Dispelling Misconceptions.
The Atmospheres of the Solar System. Lethal Doses of Water, Caffeine and Alcohol.
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