Chocolates & Candy

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Introduction

Chocolate has been around for thousands of years in one form or another. Yet it’s only been in the last 100 or so years that it’s become a global powerhouse, with companies launching new types of chocolate every few years. The history of chocolate, and its creation from the beans of the cacao tree, can be traced to the ancient Maya, and even earlier to the ancient Olmecs of southern Mexico. The word “chocolate” may conjure up images of sweet candy bars and luscious truffles, but the confections of today bears little resemblance to the chocolate of the past: Throughout much of its history, chocolate was a bitter beverage, not a sweet, rich-tasting treat. But after it became popular in the courts of Europe and the streets of colonial America, chocolate soon evolved into the universally loved commodity it is today.

Who Invented Chocolate?

Chocolate is made from the fruit of cacao trees, which are native to Central and South America. The fruits are called pods and each pod contains around 40 cacao beans. The beans are dried and roasted to create cocoa beans. Ancient Olmec pots and vessels from around 1500 B.C. were discovered with traces of theobromine, the stimulant compound found in chocolate and tea.

Mayan Chocolate

The Olmecs undoubtedly passed their cacao knowledge on to the Central American Maya who not only consumed chocolate, they revered it. The Mayan written history mentions chocolate drinks being used in celebrations and to finalize important transactions and ceremonies. Mayan chocolate was thick and frothy and often combined with chili peppers, honey or water.

Xocolatl

The Aztecs took chocolate admiration to another level. They believed cacao was given to them by their gods. Like the Maya, they enjoyed the caffeinated kick of hot or cold, spiced chocolate beverages in ornate containers, but they also used cacao beans as currency to buy food and other goods. In Aztec culture, cacao beans were considered more valuable than gold.

Spanish Hot Chocolate

There are conflicting reports about when chocolate arrived in Europe, although it’s agreed it first arrived in Spain. One story says Christopher Columbus discovered cacao beans after intercepting a trade ship on a journey to America and brought the beans back to Spain with him in 1502. No matter how chocolate got to Spain, by the late 1500s it was a much-loved indulgence by the Spanish court, and Spain began importing chocolate in 1585. As other European countries such as Italy and France visited parts of Central America, they also learned about cacao and brought chocolate back to their respective countries.

Chocolate in the American Colonies

Chocolate arrived in Florida on a Spanish ship in 1641, and it’s thought the first American chocolate house opened in Boston in 1682. By 1773, cocoa beans were a major American colony import and chocolate was enjoyed by people of all classes.

Cacao Powder

When chocolate first came on the scene in Europe, it was a luxury only the rich could enjoy. But in 1828, Dutch chemist Coenraad van Houten discovered a way to treat cacao beans with alkaline salts to make a powdered chocolate that was easier to mix with water. The process became known as “Dutch processing” and the chocolate produced called cacao powder or “Dutch cocoa.”

Nestlé Chocolate Bars

For much of the 19th century, chocolate was enjoyed as a beverage; milk was often added instead of water. In 1847, British chocolatier J.S. Fry and Sons created the first chocolate bar molded from a paste made of sugar, chocolate liquor and cocoa butter.

Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter is generally credited for adding dried milk powder to chocolate to create milk chocolate in 1876. But it wasn’t until several years later that he worked with his friend Henri Nestlé—together they created the Nestlé Company and brought milk chocolate to the mass market.

Interesting Chocolate Facts

Switzerland Is The Biggest Consumer Of Chocolate In The World - Recent market research showed global chocolate consumption for 2022 projected we’d consume 7.5 million tons of chocolate this year. OF all the countries, Switzerland ranked first per capita with 8.8 kilos of chocolate consumption per person that year. The top 10 was all comprised of Eurocentric countries, while the United States came in at the number 19th spot with 4.4 kilograms consumed per person.

Chocolate’s Name Has Ancient Origins - The word chocolate is thought to be derived from xocóatl. This is a name given to it by the Spanish that combines the word ‘chocol’ from the Maya (meaning hot), and ‘atl’ from the Aztec (meaning water or liquid).

Chocolate Was Initially Consumed As A Bitter Drink - Unlike the solid bars we consume these days, early civilizations consumed cocoa in the form of drinks. These cacao beverages consisted of ground cocoa paste mixed with water and spices. The fermented, cured, and roasted beans gave the drink a rather a bitter taste.

Cacao Was Literal Money Growing On Trees - In the book ‘The True History of Chocolate’, the authors discussed the Maya’s use of cocoa beans as a currency to pay for goods and services. This was also true in the ancient Aztec culture, who regarded cocoa beans as more valuable than gold.

Milk Chocolate Originated In Jamaica - According to the historian James Delbourgo, Jamaicans have been brewing hot chocolate with milk as early as 1494, albeit not always with cow’s milk.

Thank you Africa - While originating in the Americas, most cacao trees grown today are in Africa. In fact, Africa now supplies up to 70% of our cacao for chocolate making. The country with the highest rate of production is the Ivory Coast who supplies a whopping 30% of the world’s cacao. There are an estimated 1.5 million cocoa farms in West Africa.

Cacao Trees Facts - It takes 400 cocoa beans to make one pound of chocolate. Each cacao tree produces around 30 to 60 pods per year. Each pod contains around 40 beans. So, each tree only produces 2 to 3 pounds of chocolate per year. Add to that the fact that cacao pods are harvested by hand, this is the reason why good chocolate is expensive.

Major Cocoa Producing Countries in the World

Cote D’Ivoire (2,200,000 Tons) - Located in West Africa, Cote d’Ivoire is the biggest cocoa producer globally, producing about 2,200,000 tons of cocoa beans annually. Cote d’Ivoire accounts for about 38% of the total cocoa bean production in the world. It is to be noted that the national economy of Cote d’Ivoire is highly dependent on cocoa prices and a significant portion of the country’s export revenue comes from the export of cocoa beans.
Ghana (800,000 Tons) - The Republic of Ghana - another West African country, is the second-largest cocoa producer globally, producing about 800,000 tons of cocoa beans annually. Cocoa is the mainstay of the agricultural sector of Ghana, accounting for about one-third of the country’s export revenue. The favorable climatic conditions in Ghana have increased the cultivation of Ghana’s cocoa crop by more than 20% in the previous growing season. It is to be noted that although Cote d’Ivoire is the largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans in the world, Ghana is also well-known for producing high-quality cocoa beans that command a premium price of Cocoa in the world market.

Indonesia (739,483 Tons) - The Southeast Asian nation of Indonesia is the third-largest producer of cocoa globally, producing about 739,483 tons of cocoa beans annually. The Cocoa bean is also one of Indonesia’s crucial agricultural export products, and in the past few years, this sector has witnessed massive growth. There are approximately 1.5 million hectares of cocoa plantations in Indonesia, and the island of Sulawesi alone accounts for more than 75% of the country’s total cocoa production.
Nigeria – 340,163 Tons - The next West African nation on this list is the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the world's fourth-largest cocoa producer, producing about 340,163 tons of cocoa beans annually. Cocoa is the country's leading agricultural export and serves as Nigeria's principal non-oil foreign exchange earner.

Ecuador – 327,903 Tons - Situated in the northwestern portion of South America, the Republic of Ecuador is the fifth-largest cocoa producer globally, producing about 327,903 tons of cocoa beans annually. Over the years, cocoa production has played a highly significant role in the history and economy of Ecuador. The cocoa grown in Ecuador is unique, referred to as Arriba or Nacional, which is one of the most desired cocoa among the chocolate producers.
Cameroon – 290,000 Tons - Situated in west-central Africa, the Republic of Cameroon is the sixth-largest cocoa producer globally, producing about 290,000 tons of cocoa beans annually.
Brazil – 269,731 Tons Located in South America, Brazil - the world’s longest and seventh-largest country, is the seventh-largest producer of cocoa globally, producing about 269,731 tons of cocoa beans annually. It is to be noted that in the early 1980s, approximately 430,000 tons of cocoa beans were produced by Brazil alone. However, the production has dipped drastically over the years, mainly due to declining prices and the spreading of a fungal disease named Witches’ Broom.

Sierra Leone – 193,156 Tons - Situated on West Africa’s southwestern coast, the Republic of Sierra Leone is the eighth-largest cocoa producer globally, producing about 193,156 tons of cocoa beans annually. Over the years, cocoa has been one of the most vital export products of Sierra Leone. A significant part of the country’s annual cocoa production is exported to the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Malaysia, and the United States.
Peru – 160,289 Tons - Located in the western portion of South America, the Republic of Peru is the ninth-largest cocoa producer globally, producing about 160,289 tons of cocoa beans annually. The Peruvian Amazon contains a wild genetic diversity of cocoa, and over 100,000 families across Peru earn their living through the cultivation and production of cocoa. Peru is also the world’s second-largest organic cocoa producer and ranks first globally in fair-trade organic cocoa production.
Dominican Republic – 77,681 Tons - Occupying the eastern two-thirds of the Hispaniola Island in the Greater Antilles Archipelago, the Dominican Republic is the second-largest country in the Caribbean. It is also the tenth-largest cocoa producer globally, producing about 77, 681 tons of cocoa beans annually. According to the International Cocoa Organization, Dominican Republic serves as a principal source of organic beans and fine flavor cocoa, about 40% of which is exported to premium markets.

The Process of Making Chocolates from Cocoa Beans

‘The Journey from Bean to Bar’

Step 1: Growing and Harvesting

The cacao tree (also called Theobroma Cacao) is grown in tropical climates across the globe. These trees produce a fruit which is the cacao pod that grows on the branches and trunk of the tree. Interestingly, the pods don’t all ripen simultaneously. They also grow in different colors and shapes depending on the variety of the plant. So it takes a certain level of expertise in harvesting the pods at the correct time. To harvest the pods, a machete is used to remove them from the tree without damaging the tree’s flowers. This ensures more pods can continue to grow.

After pods are removed from the tree they are collected in baskets and transported for the breaking operation. One or two length-wise blows from a well-wielded machete are usually enough to split open the woody shells. Farmers who are more careful will quickly rap the cocoa pod on a rock or tree, and the pod will quickly and easily break open, allowing the beans to be scooped out without damage. A good breaker can open 500 pods an hour. Anywhere from 20 to 50 cream-colored beans are scooped from a typical pod and the husk and inner membrane are discarded. Each cacao tree can produce between two and three pounds of dried cacao beans per year. Approximately 500 cacao beans will produce a pound of bittersweet chocolate.

Step 2: Fermenting the Cacao Beans

Once the beans are exposed to oxygen, the fermentation process can begin – done in a very similar way to making tempeh. Traditionally, the beans are contained within banana leaves or perforated wooden boxes (for airflow) topped with banana leaves, mixed and turned occasionally. As they ferment, the temperature of the beans will naturally rise to between 104-122ºF/40-50ºC, thus encouraging the fermentation process. Without the fermentation process there will not be any chocolate flavor. The fermentation process takes anywhere from two to eight days depending on the type of cacao variety. Chocolate made from unfermented cocoa beans does not have the body and richness as chocolate made from fermented cocoa beans. Chocolate does continue to be made from unfermented beans in parts of Mexico and Central America for use in traditional dishes.

Step 3: Roasting the Beans

Roasting the beans is important to get rid of any remaining liquid content from the beans. However, it also develops flavor and kills any bacteria on the beans. Most importantly, it helps separate the outer husk (shell) from the inner bean (cacao nibs). No matter how this is done, it tends to follow a similar technique: heating the beans at high temperature (which will help separate the husk and nibs within) then slowly reducing the temperature (to continue the roasting without burning the beans) until they begin to ‘pop,’ without burning.

Step 4: Cracking & Winnowing

After roasting, the beans are "winnowed" to remove the shells from around the bean, leaving only the roasted cocoa nib, which is the key ingredient for making chocolate. Machines crack the beans open. Then powerful fans blow over the beans carrying the lighter shells away, leaving behind pure cocoa pieces called nibs.

Step 5: Grinding & Conching

After roasting and winnowing, the cocoa nibs are ground into a paste called chocolate liquor (a.k.a cocoa mass). Chocolate liquor contains both cocoa solids and cocoa butter in roughly equal proportion. Cocoa liquor is not alcoholic; it is so named because it flows out in liquid form. Cocoa liquor is a deep, dark brown color, extremely aromatic with a rich, bitter taste. Cocoa liquor can rightfully be thought of as the "essence of the bean". Cocoa liquor contains over 300 chemical compounds that give chocolate its addictive, aphrodisiac and euphoria-inducing attributes. The liquor imparts the distinctive flavor and aroma to finished chocolate. The cocoa mass can be heavily pressed until the cocoa butter is squeezed out, and it is separated into cocoa powder and cocoa ----This is made up of rich cocoa butter (55-60%) with fine cocoa

particles suspended in it. The penultimate process is called conching. Conching further refines the chocolate mass with continued grinding. It is at this stage in manufacturing where the maker adds more ingredients such as sugar, milk powder (only if making milk chocolate) and other ingredients and flavorings. Each chocolate maker has his or her own preferred time for conching. It can be as little as a few hours or as long as a few days. The process affects the size of the particles in the chocolate when finished, and the chemical structure of the chocolate, which affects the flavor of the product. Chocolate prior to conching has an uneven and gritty texture. The conching process produces cocoa and sugar particles smaller than the tongue can detect, hence the smooth feel in the mouth.

Step 6: Blending

Chocolate liquor is blended with cocoa butter in various quantities to make different types of chocolate. The basic blends of ingredients for the various types of chocolate (in order of highest quantity of cocoa liquor first), are: Dark chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, and (sometimes) vanilla Milk chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, milk or milk powder, and vanilla White chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder, and vanilla.

Blending To Make Different Types of Chocolates

Step 7: Tempering & Packaging

Tempering chocolate is the process of strategically raising and lowering the temperature of the chocolate to form a specific crystal structure. Once tempered, this yields shiny, glossy chocolate that holds its’ shape at room temperature. Generally, the chocolate is first heated to 50°C to melt all six forms of crystals.

Next, the chocolate is cooled to about 27°C, for a few minutes which will allow crystal types IV and V to form. At this temperature, the chocolate is agitated to create many small crystal "seeds" which will serve as nuclei to create small crystals in the chocolate.

The chocolate is then heated to about 31°C to eliminate any type IV crystals, leaving just type V. After this point, any excessive heating of the chocolate will destroy the temper and this process will have to be repeated.

After being tempered, the chocolate then goes through a printing and packaging process, or is further processed into other products such as chocolate candy.

Countries Making the Best Chocolates in the World:

Belgium - There are more than 2,000 chocolate shops throughout the country! What makes Belgian chocolate unique is that it is only cooled at the end of the production process, which allows it to hold onto more of its aroma. Belgian chocolate is also almost entirely handcrafted. These two factors do make Belgian chocolate a little more expensive.

Switzerland - Switzerland has, hands down, some of the world’s best chocolate. Swiss chocolate is usually high-quality milk chocolate, with a silky smooth texture. Many people credit the delicious taste of Swiss chocolate to the high-quality milk they use from local Alpine cows. Lindt is the most popular Swiss chocolate brand, and can be purchased around the world. What’s especially interesting about the production of Swiss chocolate is that although Switzerland’s climate isn’t conducive to growing cacao plants, they found a way to produce chocolate all the same. It’s also the Swiss who can claim the most chocolate consumption per capita – the average Swiss eats more than 10 kilos of chocolate per year!

Ecuador - To make the world’s best chocolate, you have to start with the world’s best cacao beans. Ecuador is home to some of the best cacao beans in the world. Only approximately 5% of cacao in the world is labeled as “Fine Aroma,” and Ecuador produces nearly 63% of it. Until recently, Ecuador focused their efforts on exporting their cacao, but in the last few years, they have turned to producing their own chocolate. One brand, Paraci, has won dozens of international awards in recent years, beating out traditional European chocolate makers.

United Kingdom - It’s hard to pass up a Cadbury egg when they appear in the grocery store, but the brand originated in the United Kingdom and originally sold tea, coffee, and drinking chocolate in the 1820s. The Cadbury brothers supplied Queen Victoria with chocolate in the 1850s and developed the popular Dairy Milk chocolate, famous for having a higher milk content, in 1905. While you can buy Cadbury Eggs and Dairy Milk bars around the world

Ivory Coast - Ecuador may produce some of the best cacao, but Ivory Coast produces the most of it. Chocolate makers like Cadbury, Hershey’s, and Nestle all buy Ivorian cacao. In fact, 40% of their economy depends on exporting cacao. Like Ecuador, the Ivory Coast has also recently started to produce their own chocolate. One brand, in particular, Instant Chocolate, has found success both locally and globally, including landing corporate clients like Air France and Citibank.

Italy - The most popular chocolate producer in Italy is Amadei. They buy their cocoa directly from growers, which means they know exactly where the beans came from, and how they were grown. They use that knowledge to produce some of the best chocolates in the world. The Italians enjoy using chocolate in their cuisine, like croissants and eclairs.

United States - One thing that sets American chocolate apart? The frequent use of peanuts and almonds. There are a number of artisan chocolate shops across the country, but Hershey’s in the country’s largest producer of the candy. The Hershey corporation is worth almost 40 billion dollars and produces a wide range of products, including chocolates, baked goods, ice creams, and beverages.

Top Chocolate Brands

Lindt
Cadbury
Hershey’s
Ferrero Rocher
Ghirardelli
Nestle
Toblerone
Guylian
Amedei
Valrhona