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→Cocoa
== Cocoa ==
* soft, white fruit flesh of cocoa pods (pulp) is sugar sweet - kids like to eat it as a sweet<br><br> '''CRIOLLO'''<br><br>
* rare species, grows only in rainy regions (highlands)
* a cut Criollo bean is light coloured
* Procelana - best cocoa in the world<br> * Ocumare - a crossing with Trinitario
* 5%-10% of worldwide produced cocoa<br><br>
'''FORASTERO'''<br><br>
* more resistant (robust) than Criolio
'''TRINITARIO'''<br><br>
* relatively recent crossing of Criollo and Forastero - combines the high quality and resistant of both types
* 10% of worldwide produced cocoa
== Cocoa farming to chocolate ==
* in the morning '''harvesting''' of fruits with a special knife that has a round peak similar to a hook
* the farmer carefully chops of the fruit to not harm the Samenkissen
* opening of the pods with harvest knife - about 50 seeds in each fruit
* separating the beans from the soft, white fruit flesh by hand
* '''fermentation''' - thereby the fruit flesh evaporates/vaporises
* quality matter - same size of beans ensures a evenly fermentation
* due to high sugar amount of fruit flesh fermentation immediately begins (a temperature of up to 50C develops)
* very important is the shifting of the beans to add necessary oxygen for the chemical process
* '''drying''' of the beans in the sun for 1-2 weeks
* drying makes the beans durable and storeable
* weight of beans reduces to about half or even less throughout the drying process
* moisture content reduces down to 7%
* sun affect the flavour of the beans - one of the most important production steps - beans have to dry equally/steady (should not be too dry outside and still moist inside - danger of mould)
* too fast drying creates unwanted flavours
* after drying '''selecting''' of the beans by hand to sort out rotten or damaged beans
* packed in sacks - beans are very sensible and for ideal '''transport''' and storing the beans should have a water moisture of 6-8% and humidity should not be over 75% (danger of mould)
* darker, violette dry beans are less fermented - more fruity flavour
* '''roasting''' - beans loos more moisture through chemical process which is essential for taste and flavour of the chocolate
* at 105C the cocoa flavour evolves
* '''grinding''' - crushing of the beans and separating the shell/peel
* result are cocoa nibs
* once more grinding of cocoa nibs - liquid cocoa mass results
* mixing with other ingredients (such as sugar, milk powder, vanilla)
* '''conching''' for softness - oxygen and heat detract/deprive the last moisture from the mass
* at the end of the conching the moisture level is less than 1%
* '''cooling''' down of liquid chocolate
* '''filling''' moulding forms or store for other use