W-W-H-W-W of Chocolate
W – W – H – W – W of C H O C O L A T E
by C O C O A D A D
What is chocolate? Chocolate is the modern day version of ‘chocolatl’ from the tree genus – theobroma cacao Linnaeus. The tree bears fruit called cocoa pods which contain 20-40 seeds-cocoa beans,which skins are removed and
the inside are called cocoa nibs – which contain 50-56% fat(called cocoa butter). The nibs are ground,usually in a stone mill, as the fiber is very tough and difficult to grind to fine particle size, to a product called chocolate liquor(no alcohol content) or called cocoa mass in Europe.The chocolate liquor can then be pressed to remove from 2% to 48% of the fat to make
cocoa cake (with 1% to 24% fat content depending on its use) and cocoa butter,primarily used in making chocolate.( Note cocoa butter is also used
in the pharmaceutical industry-such as in suppositories and in suntan lotions.Many of these uses attain the cocoa oil from the cocoa bean shell which doesn’t solidify unless well below freezing temperature.)
Chocolate liquor is often referred as unsweetened baking chocolate- no sugar
and contains flavanols, reputedly good for the heart. Dark chocolate is a mixture of sugar and chocolate liquor and a touch of vanilla ( usually vanillin (synthetic vanilla) which serves as a flavor enhancer. Milk chocolate is dark chocolate with milk solids(milk with the water removed).
Hot chocolate (modern day version) is finely ground cocoa cake to make cocoa powder,usually with a fat content of 22-24 % mixed with milk solids and vanillin to be mixed with milk or water and heated for a hot drink. Chocolatl was the original drink made by the Aztecs in Mexico by grinding cocoa beans with stones on stone and adding hot water and vanilla or a stick of cinnamon and generally reserved only for the elite in their society. This product idea was taken to Europe by the Spanish ,in the early 1500’s, bringing cocoa beans back from the New World and only used for the royal families, until finally smuggled out to other West European countries making a new industry where ‘cocoa houses’ were set up to serve the product,usually replacing afternoon coffee or tea breaks. The cocoa drink was usually served in cocoa pots made from porcelain. A collection of cocoa pots can be seen in the Chocolate Americana Museum in Lititz,Pennsylvania.
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Chocolate is considered to be all natural as fertilizers are generally not used in cocoa bean production.It is a nutritious natural product containing many nutrients(including minor minerals) needed by the body. Its flavor is naturally liked by everyone. Less than 1% of the population seem to have an allergy against chocolate, which is believed to be influenced by the natural theobromine content in cocoa beans,mostly in the shell.In the early 1900’s theobromine was transformed to caffeine and used in soft drinks like CocaCola, which later was synthesized.
Chocolate candy is usually accepted in two different forms – candy bars or boxed chocolates. Chocolate candy bars are usually either solid milk or dark chocolate or filled chocolate bars with nuts,fruit,caramel or nougat or any combination of the same. Boxed chocolates are usually made by hand or machine formed using chocolate to enrobe various centers of nuts, fruit, nougat, caramel, flavored creams, or solid chocolate ( which may be dark or milk and may be flavored with mint or liquer flavors).
Chocolate is sometimes referred to as “the food of the Gods” which emanates from the Aztec times when chocolatl was only served to the kings and believed to have an aphrodesiac effect ; hence why chocolate is often used as a gift between lovers and cravings for chocolate by pregnant women.
Chocolate improves with age ,like wine and cheese since it is a fermented food product. Aging tends to mellow the flavor,like wine. Chocolate liquor held in cool storage for over fifty years with no sugar has a mild delectable chocolate flavor better than many fresh dark chocolates. Some boxed chocolate makers have their chocolate held for a minimum of three months or more before using to make the boxed chocolate candies.
Chocolate flavor is influenced (like all fruits) by variety,soil type, climate, ripeness at time of harvest, time of fermentation, degree of drying, temperature and time of roasting,grinding of the nibs,milling of the chocolate, storage time and temperature, type of additives, flavor and type of products the chocolate is combined with . Note most of these influences are temperature related.
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WHERE does chocolate grow? The origin of chocolate is somewhat controversial as history proclaims the Aztecs and/or the Mayans attained their cocoa seeds from the Big River The controversy is where is the big river – the Amazon in Brasil or the Orinoco in Venezuela? By deduction, both may well be correct. In the late 1900’s native cocoa was discovered in the headwaters of the Amazon and seemed to be similar to the cocoa generally grown in most of the major producing areas known genetically as Forestero/Amelonado variety. This variety is grown in Brasil and was taken to West Africa in the early 1900’s and has tended to be the most disease resistant.This variety tends to have a smoother skin and the pod tends to be shorter and fatter.When growing the pod is light green in color and ripens to a yellow/orange color.
The origin of the Criollo/Trinitario probably originated in the Orinoco river basin as it has primarily been grown in the Central Americas and in the northern part of South America. This variety produces a pod which is longer and narrower as well as having a ribbed,rough skin and tends to be more disease prone. In the mid 1900’s this variety was basically replaced in Ecuador by Amelonado/Forastero due to the disease – Ceratostomella.
This variety tends to be more aromatic and considered by some as being more flavorful. When growing this pod is a darker green and tends to ripen to darker red/orange color.
Cocoa beans in Mayan/Aztec times were often used as a medium of exchange equal to money in modern times. The cocoabean was sometimes referred to as an ‘almond’. There are varying accounts of using cocoa beans for money such as the daily wage of a porter in the 16th century in central Mexico was reported at 100 beans for which he could buy a hare(jack rabbit) or a good turkey hen.For three beans one could get a turkey egg or a fish wrapped in maize husks or a newly picked avocado. For a single cocoa bean was worth a tamale , a large tomato or a ripe avocado.
Counterfeiting of cocoa beans was also practiced with varying ways of deception using other seeds or pits and coloring with chalk then intermingling the deceptive seeds with regular cocoa beans.
The Aztec King Texcoco was reputed to require four xiquipillis (8,000 beans equal one xiquipilli) per day of which some were consumed as a drink and some used as money .
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HOW does cocoa grow? Theobroma Cacao L. is the proper name for the cocoa tree, which is an everbearing plant given adequate moisture and soil conditions. As in all plant life moisture seems most important and basically cocoa needs approximately 125 to 250 millimeters of rainfall per month preferably at night with sunshine during the day to maximize productivity,
naturally.Nutrients tend to be self-sustaining as the tree changes its leaves on a regular basis creating a mulch under the tree with the nutrients used to growing the tree returned to the soil, hence basically an organic crop – that is no added man-made artificial fertilizers used.
Rainfall tends to have a cumulative effect on productivity believed to extend to nearly a two year period until the ripe pod(fruit) is harvested with the earliest month (two years prior) having the least effect and the last five months having the greatest effect.
Pruning ( which is rarely applied in most of the worlds production ) shows a significant impact (potentially could increase production per hectare tenfold)
based on small research by increasing the number of trees per hectare as well as increasing the pod yield per tree ) . Most cocoa farmers are unaware of this common procedure as practiced in other fruit tree agriculture.
The beginning starts with tiny orchid like flowers(about ¼ inch in breadth when opened) sprouting on all parts of the tree when climatic conditions are adequate. The flowers may sprout singularly or in bunches on the trunk or on limbs of the tree. Approximately 1,000 flowers are needed to allow one pod to set. The flowers are fertilized only by crawling insects. Of every 100 pods set only about one pod ripens for harvest. The limiting factor on pod survival is soil moisture availabilty and the tree natural mechanism which limits a pod survival at two different stages in the pods development. The first stage is when the pod is about 1 to 1 ¼ inches in length and cherelle wilt dries up the pods which the tree can no longer provide for. The second stage of cherelle wilt occurs when the pod has almost reached its full length and is ready to start increasing in breadth(when the seeds(beans) inside begin to develop.
This stage is when the greatest demand for moisture is required to develop the cocoa beans.
Note since the tree is everbearing,given adequate moisture, the continuing demand for moisture at the various stages of production on the tree is the reason for the natural trees control of pod survival through the mechanism of
‘cherelle wilt’.The total time from pod set to ripe pod is about 4½ months.
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Pods should be harvested when fully ripe to maximize development of flavor and yield ,which is a basic truth for all fruit crops, but which practice is rarely followed in the worlds cocoa production.Harvesting pre-ripe pods causes 10 to 20 % loss in production,basis a Costa Rican study.
After the pods are harvested( note experiments have been made to offset premature(unripe pods) harvesting by aging or storing the pods before opening for the beans(generally unsuccessful)) they are opened usually with a machete(machines have been tried but not satisfactory) with about 20-40 seeds(beans) inside surrounded with a white mucilage material (slightly sweet to the taste) which is either piled in a small heap and covered with leaves(usually banana leaves) to ferment or placed in large wooden boxes
for a period of 3 to 9 days,during which time they are turned to evenly ferment and develop flavor. The time is dependent on the type of bean,the size of the bean and the shell thickness of the bean.During the fermentation the color of the seed changes from purple to brown ( note there is a small area of production of cocoa in northern Bahia (near the capitol – Salvador) where the seeds are creamy white inside instead of purple and convert to a creamy light yellow color when fermented) (production of these beans are extremely limited and if grown within about five miles of regular cocoa will transform to regular cocoa beans-i.e purple inside).The turning of the cocoa beans is to prevent overheating as temperatures can reach 50 degrees C.. The flavor development are the result of the fermentation hydrolysing the tannins and enzymes and breaking up the chemical compounds(estimated to be over 400 different ones) to make the chocolate flavor.
After fermentation, the beans are dried (usually sun dried on reed mats or on patios with rolling roofs in case of tropical showers.The moisture content is reduced from about 20 percent to approximately 7-8 %. Note the cocoa bean is hygroscopic and tends to re-absorb air moisture if dried too low by machine air drying. When air moisture is reabsorbed the beans are increasingly subject to mold growth.Drying also adds to development of the flavor precursors.
If the beans are stored in airtight containers the moisture will be reduced further and reduces the loss in roasting at the chocolate maufacturer, which has been proven with such storage facilities in the Ivory Coast,however such storage is very expensive to build and operate including financing costs.
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The cocoa pod is about ¼ to ½ inch thick and is rather fibrous but does contain nutrients and has been found to be usable as feedstock for cattle,when
chopped up fine and mixed with grain , particularly corn(maize). Other uses have been tried like grinding the pod up and then pressing into wallboard
for construction. However this experiment proved to be unusable since the pod is also hygroscopic and when put up as walls the board re-absorbed moisture making the boards swell and then popped the nails out so the boards fell down. In addition, the re-absorbed moisture caused mold to develop.
The use as feedstock has been proven to be best for cattle(ruminants) using the highest share of pods vs.grain,but also can be used for other livestock and poultry in lesser proportions.
However, in most of the cocoa producing countries farmers leave the cut open pods in heaps near the producing tree areas and then the pods rot causing mold spores to develop and harm unharvested pods causing ’blackpod’ or podrot(Phythopthera Palmivora). The pods could also be chopped up and returned to the soil as a mulch/fertilizer. Note, fertilizer of any sort has rarely been used in producing cocoa other than a few experiments.
The other generally used technique – pruning of trees to increase fruit yield – is rarely used in cacao production. Some have estimated per acre yields in cacao production could be quintupled if these techniques were applied.
Research to increase productivity by developing new strains or varieties has not been done in any long term manner,particularly when compared to other tropical tree crops like coconut or rubber (note rubber growing needs are very similar to that for growing cacao) or other fruit trees like citrus, apples, pears, peaches or plums.
One might conclude that cacao production is rather backward when compared to most modern day agriculture.
Some research was done in Trinidad in the late 1930’s on growing cacao ,but little has been done since either in growing procedures or in developing varieties to improve flavor or increase yields. Most research since 1940 has been on disease controls.
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HOW is chocolate made? The cocoa bean is shipped from the producing countries to the consuming countries in burlap bags weighing 50 to 69 kilos
Until the end of the 20th century when increasing portions of world production was shipped bulk in airtight containers ,particularly from Ecuador and Dominican Republic to the USA and bulk in the holds of ocean going ships from Ivory Coast to Western Europe. These means are limited for the moment due to finding assured means of quality control.
The beans may or may not be blended with other origins before they are given a light roast to loosen the husk or shell of the bean, with the shell/husk along with the germ then removed through a winnower.The remaining portion called the ‘nib’ is roasted further to desired specifications and then ground usually in a stone mill making a hot liquid called ‘chocolate liquor’ / ‘cocoa mass’ which solidifies below body temperature and contains 50-56 percent fat(called cocoa butter).
The chocolate liquor may then be put through a ‘press’ to remove part of the cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor producing cocoa cake to be further ground into cocoa powder and leave cocoa butter.
To make chocolate, cocoa butter is blended with chocolate liquor and sugar making ‘dark chocolate’ with vanilla or vanillin(synthetic vanilla)usually added to the blend as a flavor enhancer. Milk chocolate is made with the above blend and adding milk solids(milk with the water removed).
Many factors – bean blend,roasting temperature and roasting time – play a significant role in attaining the desired chocolate flavor profile for the ultimate consumer product.After the desired blend of ingredients are blended the mixture is then further processed through a ‘milling machine’ – which may be a ‘stone mill’ or a ‘steel roller mill’ to reduce the particle size to the desired fineness. Following the milling process, the chocolate is then ‘conged’ which is a process which assures a coating of cocoa butter is enrobed around each fine particle of solids to assure the greatest transfer of chocolate flavor to your taste buds. The cocoa butter acts mainly as a transfer agent of the chocolate flavor of the cocoa solid particle. Smoothness adds to this transfer of flavor which is the basic purpose of conging.The liquid chocolate is then ‘tempered’ (like tempering steel) by controlling the rate of cooling of the hot liquid chocolate to a solid chocolate which then has ‘snap’ when broken and which has an exterior sheen/gloss. (7)
HOW is cocoa / chocolate valued? In many countries where cocoa beans are grown,particularly in West Africa,the farmer price is fixed seasonally or annually by the countrys government and then either purchased from the farmers by a state buying agency or a state sanctioned private agency ,who after purchasing the beans from the farmers transport them to a port and ready the beans for export for an additional fee.In other producing countries independent shippers buy from farmers and sell to importer/manufacturers. The beans are then sold to an importer/manufacturer oftentimes at a differential versus the London terminal market or the New York futures market.The New York/London markets are open outcry marketplaces where bids and offers of future delivery positions are agreed upon values in
U.S.dollars/U.K. pound sterling per metric tonne(2,204.6 lbs.),which prices are changing from moment to moment during trading hours. At the end of the days trading , a closing value is posted for each position whether that position is traded or not and when a position hasn’t traded ,its value is based on the previous days relative value to other positions or based on the current days switch values when a switch has traded including that position. In both markets positions are traded for two years forward including five positions –March,May,July,September,and December for each year for a total of ten positions as a regular routine.Technically all months of the year are tradeable,but rarely do any of the other months trade.
The philosophy of each market(London & New York) tends to be opposing each other which creates an actual value difference between the two markets,
which is called ‘arbitrage’.New York basis is for the lowest valued growths of cocoa with varying premiums given for the higher valued growths, while London is based on the highest valued growth and discounts determined for other growths, however some smaller growths of cocoa are not tenderable on the London Terminal market.Other factors such as freight /relative distance from origin country/relative use of origin in each marketplace/relativechanging relationship of each currency plus the philosophic difference all contribute to an ‘arbitrage value’ which in essence becomes another market within the overall world cocoa market.The premiums /discounts tend to be related to the relative “chocolate” yield of the beans as well as their relative flavor profile. The actual market is invariably different from the tender value in both markets from year to year depending on any origins relative crop size and any changes in formulation by manufacturers usage and variations in freight costs.The main arbitrage value is based on the worlds largest producer (Ivory Coast) beanstrading at par in London and tendered at a $160 premium in New York (8)
The first futures trading market started in New York on October 1,1925 with the contract being 30,000 lbs.(considered a truckload then) and was traded in U.S. cents/lb..The London terminal market started in 1928 with a contract for five long tons(2240 lbs.) trading in U.K.pound sterling/long ton..
These markets were closed during World War II with prices fixed by government order at 8.9 cents per pound for Ghana beans and at 8.7 cents per pound for Bahia,Brasil beans, being the first and second largest producers at that time. The futures/terminal markets resumed after the war, but trading volume was limited until the late 1960s due to heavy speculation by some trader/manufacturers causing company boards of directors to desist from using the futures markets in the late 1940s.During the 1960s trading for coverage was accomplished by large manufacturers buying large quantities of beans (10,000 to 50,000 tonnes at a time) and then swapping the blocks of cocoa to dealers for futures to later trade for desired products. This tended to begin the proper expansion of the hedge markets – New York futures and London terminal – and by the 1980s the years volume was more than tenfold the size of the worlds crop. By the 1990s the open interest exceeded the worlds crop and encouraged speculative trading through large funds.
Different origin beans are traded against the futures/terminal market and vary from season to season as well as within the season. Cocoa semi-finished products (chocolate liquor,cocoa presscake,&cocoa butter) trade at a ratio to the futures market value.
External effects on cocoa prices are primarily from weather since rainfall from the 18th preceding month to final month prior to harvesting is believed to influence the crop development. Because the cocoa is a tree crop,weather as rainfall tends to be cumulative. The cocoa tree is everbearing and takes about five months from time the flower sets into a pod and the pod becomes ripe for harvesting.One can usually see flowers small pods ripe pods on a tree at one time. To maximize the use of the trees ability to produce, a natural phenomenon called cherelle(what a small pod is called)wilt limits the number of pods that can be maturing at any one time. The first stage of cherelle wilt is when the pod reaches about two inches in length and the second stage is when the pod reaches about four to five inches in length and just before the pod begins to fatten in circumference which is when the beans(seeds) inside begin to grow.
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Theoretically it takes the most energy from the tree after the pod has reached the fattening out stage and the beans(seeds) are forming inside The least amount of energy is when the pods are first forming from the flower. Once the pod is mature in size ,the ripening process needs a small amount of energy as well. Hence the rate of formation and pod setting is essentially controlled by the natural tree mechanism called ‘cherelle wilt’ which is similar to the natural process of fruit drop in apples and other fruit trees.One can see how climate conditions can have a significant effect on prices, as exists with all agricultural crops.
Supply/demand function then has its relative effect on the market along with speculative influences. Manufacturers length of coverage as well as producers willingness to sell in forward positions tend to also influence market levels.
Cyclical effects tend to range from 23 to 33 years based on recorded price history of cocoa beans with highs in 1921 - 1954 – 1977(record $ 5380/mt) and lows in 1940-45 - 1965 – late 1990s .As a general rule the market moves higher in about half the time it takes to move from high point to the low point in any cycle.Note each high and low tended to be higher than previous time.
Chocolate pricing starts with cocoa bean costs plus freight to the processors plant plus other ingredient costs plus bean processors cost/efficiency. Efficiency of processing beans as a general rule necessitates annual processing of 30,000 to 40,000 tons of beans per year to utilize efficiencies and chocolate manufacturer using lesser quantities would generally be better off buying their chocolate from another larger manufacurer or at least buying semi-finished products -–chocolate liquor and cocoa butter plus other ingredients to do their own milling and blending. One caution in buying semi-finished products is be sure the chocolate liquor is not over-refined or milled as this tends to harden the natural proteins which in turn makes it more difficult to blend in other ingredients –sugar and milk = satisfactorily.
Note the initial processing cost of any food product(including grains) is the low-profit end of the business,hence the need of volume to meet competition.
The caution of ‘protein hardening’ is the reason beans are shipped to consuming countries and blended to desired flavor profiles before processing rather than semi-finished products being shipped and blended at the consumer country level.Processing cocoa beans have a 20% loss in weight of moisture and shell which is significant in freight costings,but the technical factor-‘protein hardening’- outweighs the final result.
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WHO produces cocoa beans? Generally cocoa beans are produced within
10 degrees latitude from the Equator,except Brasil around 20 degrees S. At the beginning of the 21st century the largest producing country is the Ivory Coast (about 40% of the world total),followed by Ghana, Nigeria, Brasil, Indonesia, Camerouns, Malaysia, Ecuador, Papua-New Guinea. The remaining producing countries ,account for less than 10% of the total approximate 3,000,000 metric tonnes, are primarily in the Carribbean Islands – Trinidad,Grenada,Dominican Republic,Haiti and in Central America- Costa Rica,Belize,Honduras,Mexico,Guatemala,Panama along with Venezuela and Colombia in North part of South America.Small amounts are grown in Hawaii and Phillipine Islands.
Interestingly Colombia rarely exports cocoa beans as most of their production is consumed in their daily diet as a gravy over rice plus some traditional chocolate.
Generally small farmers with 2 to 10 acres produce most of the cocoa beans with larger plantations in Brasil of 40 to 100 acres and a few large plantations in some other countries.Cocoa trees generally are grown in lowlands – less than 1000 feet above sea level. Ideal conditions would have 5 to 12 inches of rainfall per month with sunshine during the day and temperatures in range of
70 to 90 degrees F.. Besides Hawaii having this nearly ideal climate ,the Eastern part of Indonesia – Irian Jaya (western half of New Guinea island) is believed to have ideal climate and soil conditions, with some test farms claiming up to fivefold yields compared to major producing areas.Perhaps as prices rise to the next high level(cycle-wise scheduled before 2010) ,Irian Jaya may be the next major producing area to entice cocoa farming and try different agricultural practices like ‘pruning’ and ‘hybrid development’ to improve yields as well as flavor.
Brasil tried to expand areas of production into the Amazon region in the state of Rondonia during the 1970s, but found difficulty to entice farmers to go there to live coupled with high freight costs to ship the beans to market. This area may also be lured into production,depending on prices and ultimate profitability. Historically, world production in the twentieth century grew from slightly in excess of 100,000 metric tons to about 3,000,000 metric tonnes.What will be the growth of production in the 21st century? Cocoa is basically organic and chocolate is well desired with nutrition being an added benefit.
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WHO makes chocolate?
The first chocolate was ‘chocolatl’ served as drink by removing the dry shell from the seed after searcing(roasting) and before grinding into a paste( which would be basically chocolate liquor in todays world) to which water(either hot or cold-which was heated later) was added and then stirred with a ‘molinet’ – (a round carved piece of wood with nubs/spikes left on the ball then put on a long stick) to beat the mixture until a froth appeared, then the froth or ‘scum’ was removed and the drink – ‘chocolatl’ was served in goblets to the kings or elite society. This drink idea was taken to Europe by the Spanish in the 16th century and despite trying to be kept a secret the idea moved to England and other countries in Europe with ‘Cocoa Houses’ built to serve the drink. The cocoa drink was usually served in fancy porcelain pots, a collection of which is on display in the Chocolate Americana Museum in Lititz.PA.started in 1972 by Penny Buzzard.
The first chocolate plant was started in 1765 by Dr.James Baker with John Hannon,who had learned chcolate making in England(d.1780), with continuation with Bakers son –Edmund and finally to grandson Walter naming the company Walter Baker Chocolate Co. in Dorchester,MA before moving nearly 200 years later to Dover,DE as a division of General Foods –
later Kraft Foods.The main products were Bakers No.1 premium baking chocolate in a blue/yellow package and ‘Germans chocolate’(green wrapper) developed by Samuel German in 1852.The plant was closed in the 1990s.
Today the major names in chocolate in the USA are Hershey(started in 1904(2nd time by Milton Snavely Hershey(d.1945),Mars started in 1911 by Ethel & Frank Mars in Tacoma,WA,then Minneapolis in 1920 to become the worlds largest confectioner by the end of the 20th century, Nestle started by Francois-Louis Callier in 1819 whose daughter married Daniel Peter who perfected the chocolate bar using condensed milk from his friend Henri Nestle.
Domingo Ghiardelli from Rapallo,Italy set up his chocolate shop first in Lima,Peru before moving to Stockton,CA for the ‘Gold Rush’ in California in 1849.later to Ghiardelli Square in San Francisco.
John Cadbury,a coffee&tea mrchant, with his brother Benjamin built a factory to process cocoa beans and in 1866 introduced”Cocoa Essence’ to produce a better chocolate beverage moving their plant to Bournville, England in 1879, and now part of Cadbury Schweppes .
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Hawaiian Vintage Chocolates started in 1986 by James Walsh using the Criollo variety beans planting 1350 trees per acre to maximize the yield and produce the ultimate flavor chocolate.
Timothy Moley started his company –Chocolove- using fine Belgian chocolate with added cocoa bean bits to increase the cocoa content making a delectable ultimate experience.
Cocoa bean processors(primarily making chocolate for candy manufacturers) are led in the USA by Blommer Chocolate Co.,started in 1939 by brothers Henry,Al,&Bernard in Chicago,IL and process nearly a third of USA processing in three plants – Chicago,Union City,CA, and East Greenville,PA.
Ambrosia started in 1894 by Otto Schoenleber in Milwaukee,WI using the name-meaning ‘Food of the Gods’ because he felt that was depictive of ‘chocolate’. L Russell Cook,pres.-1953/late1970s wrote the leading book on processing chocolate- Chocolate Production and its Use. Ambrosia, part of
ADM is a leading maker of chocolate chips.
WHY has chocolate changed?
The twentieth century saw larger manufacturers take over smaller makers, which in turn caused a phenomenon of likeness in cocoa bean formulas for the larger manufacturers since only a few countries had enough production to satisfy their needs. When there were more manufacturers the formulas were all a bit unique in having formulas not only with beans from large producers but from smaller producers. Today small processors have started to use small countries production to make ‘vintage chocolates’ using one or more small country producers beans.
As production declined in Brasil in the late 20th century,the growth was deleted and replaced in many formulas,which tended to change the character of many chocolates.Since the Bahia growth from Brasil had an astringent character a greater amount of sugar was needed in formulations.Were formulations changed to adjust for this factor?
As costs of production rose ,manufacturers tended to streamline production methods like conging which tended to make some chocolates more gritty to mouth feel. Should chocolate be aged and at what cost to the consumer for a mellower flavor. Should research be done to develop better flavor profiles by development of hybrids for yield using crossing of known varieties and or with wild varieties.
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COCOADAD was reared on a farm in Pennsylvania by his aunt and uncle from the age of 15 months, attended a one room schoolhouse starting at age of 5 ½ years graduated from high school at age 15 yrs. 3 months, attended Penn State University for a B.S.degree in Agricultural Economics followed by an M.B.A.degree from New York University.Most of his career in the last half of the 20th century was in the food/chocolate/cocoa trading industries.
The career covered commodity analysis with a multi-product food manufacturer as well as with a packaging supply company. He taught basic economics/basic statistics for four semesters at the college level.. He worked with two different chocolate candy companies in purchasing and industrial sales. He started three different trading companies and one foreign processor marketing company. Foreign travel took him to the following countries:
Brasil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dahomey, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany,Ghana, Holland, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Switzerland, Togo, Trinidad, and Venezuela.
He studied the agriculture of growing cocoa beans, estimating the crop and developed forecasting techniques, studied the processing of the cocoa bean into chocolate and presented research papers , worked in marketing cocoa products, studied and presented papers in trading/pricing cocoa beans, learned the basis of flavor profiles for chocolate, traded cocoa beans and semi-finished cocoa products between producers and manufacturers.with proper hedging techniques including hedging of interest costs.
Joseph Melhado, Edwin D.Becker, and Bernard S.Blumenthal were three bosses who encouraged cocoadad to be inquisitive enough to amass the information to gain the knowledge of cocoa/chocolate.The following people (now deceased) were motivators to expanding cocoadads knowledge:
Plinio Barreto de Araujo, L.Russell Cook, Alwyn N.Fischel,
Uriah Kwesi Hackman, Julian Hemphill, Fred Jacobsen, Eric Loeff,
William Stern, Frank Sweeney, Maurice Varsano, and Isaac Witkin.
Cocoadads devoted & caring spouse and family supported him through trials and tribulations. Cocoadad was a member of the New York Cocoa Exchange and the Cocoa Merchants Association of America and the National Confectionery Association – Advisory Board.
E-mail - cocoadad@mindspring.com
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by C O C O A D A D
What is chocolate? Chocolate is the modern day version of ‘chocolatl’ from the tree genus – theobroma cacao Linnaeus. The tree bears fruit called cocoa pods which contain 20-40 seeds-cocoa beans,which skins are removed and
the inside are called cocoa nibs – which contain 50-56% fat(called cocoa butter). The nibs are ground,usually in a stone mill, as the fiber is very tough and difficult to grind to fine particle size, to a product called chocolate liquor(no alcohol content) or called cocoa mass in Europe.The chocolate liquor can then be pressed to remove from 2% to 48% of the fat to make
cocoa cake (with 1% to 24% fat content depending on its use) and cocoa butter,primarily used in making chocolate.( Note cocoa butter is also used
in the pharmaceutical industry-such as in suppositories and in suntan lotions.Many of these uses attain the cocoa oil from the cocoa bean shell which doesn’t solidify unless well below freezing temperature.)
Chocolate liquor is often referred as unsweetened baking chocolate- no sugar
and contains flavanols, reputedly good for the heart. Dark chocolate is a mixture of sugar and chocolate liquor and a touch of vanilla ( usually vanillin (synthetic vanilla) which serves as a flavor enhancer. Milk chocolate is dark chocolate with milk solids(milk with the water removed).
Hot chocolate (modern day version) is finely ground cocoa cake to make cocoa powder,usually with a fat content of 22-24 % mixed with milk solids and vanillin to be mixed with milk or water and heated for a hot drink. Chocolatl was the original drink made by the Aztecs in Mexico by grinding cocoa beans with stones on stone and adding hot water and vanilla or a stick of cinnamon and generally reserved only for the elite in their society. This product idea was taken to Europe by the Spanish ,in the early 1500’s, bringing cocoa beans back from the New World and only used for the royal families, until finally smuggled out to other West European countries making a new industry where ‘cocoa houses’ were set up to serve the product,usually replacing afternoon coffee or tea breaks. The cocoa drink was usually served in cocoa pots made from porcelain. A collection of cocoa pots can be seen in the Chocolate Americana Museum in Lititz,Pennsylvania.
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Chocolate is considered to be all natural as fertilizers are generally not used in cocoa bean production.It is a nutritious natural product containing many nutrients(including minor minerals) needed by the body. Its flavor is naturally liked by everyone. Less than 1% of the population seem to have an allergy against chocolate, which is believed to be influenced by the natural theobromine content in cocoa beans,mostly in the shell.In the early 1900’s theobromine was transformed to caffeine and used in soft drinks like CocaCola, which later was synthesized.
Chocolate candy is usually accepted in two different forms – candy bars or boxed chocolates. Chocolate candy bars are usually either solid milk or dark chocolate or filled chocolate bars with nuts,fruit,caramel or nougat or any combination of the same. Boxed chocolates are usually made by hand or machine formed using chocolate to enrobe various centers of nuts, fruit, nougat, caramel, flavored creams, or solid chocolate ( which may be dark or milk and may be flavored with mint or liquer flavors).
Chocolate is sometimes referred to as “the food of the Gods” which emanates from the Aztec times when chocolatl was only served to the kings and believed to have an aphrodesiac effect ; hence why chocolate is often used as a gift between lovers and cravings for chocolate by pregnant women.
Chocolate improves with age ,like wine and cheese since it is a fermented food product. Aging tends to mellow the flavor,like wine. Chocolate liquor held in cool storage for over fifty years with no sugar has a mild delectable chocolate flavor better than many fresh dark chocolates. Some boxed chocolate makers have their chocolate held for a minimum of three months or more before using to make the boxed chocolate candies.
Chocolate flavor is influenced (like all fruits) by variety,soil type, climate, ripeness at time of harvest, time of fermentation, degree of drying, temperature and time of roasting,grinding of the nibs,milling of the chocolate, storage time and temperature, type of additives, flavor and type of products the chocolate is combined with . Note most of these influences are temperature related.
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WHERE does chocolate grow? The origin of chocolate is somewhat controversial as history proclaims the Aztecs and/or the Mayans attained their cocoa seeds from the Big River The controversy is where is the big river – the Amazon in Brasil or the Orinoco in Venezuela? By deduction, both may well be correct. In the late 1900’s native cocoa was discovered in the headwaters of the Amazon and seemed to be similar to the cocoa generally grown in most of the major producing areas known genetically as Forestero/Amelonado variety. This variety is grown in Brasil and was taken to West Africa in the early 1900’s and has tended to be the most disease resistant.This variety tends to have a smoother skin and the pod tends to be shorter and fatter.When growing the pod is light green in color and ripens to a yellow/orange color.
The origin of the Criollo/Trinitario probably originated in the Orinoco river basin as it has primarily been grown in the Central Americas and in the northern part of South America. This variety produces a pod which is longer and narrower as well as having a ribbed,rough skin and tends to be more disease prone. In the mid 1900’s this variety was basically replaced in Ecuador by Amelonado/Forastero due to the disease – Ceratostomella.
This variety tends to be more aromatic and considered by some as being more flavorful. When growing this pod is a darker green and tends to ripen to darker red/orange color.
Cocoa beans in Mayan/Aztec times were often used as a medium of exchange equal to money in modern times. The cocoabean was sometimes referred to as an ‘almond’. There are varying accounts of using cocoa beans for money such as the daily wage of a porter in the 16th century in central Mexico was reported at 100 beans for which he could buy a hare(jack rabbit) or a good turkey hen.For three beans one could get a turkey egg or a fish wrapped in maize husks or a newly picked avocado. For a single cocoa bean was worth a tamale , a large tomato or a ripe avocado.
Counterfeiting of cocoa beans was also practiced with varying ways of deception using other seeds or pits and coloring with chalk then intermingling the deceptive seeds with regular cocoa beans.
The Aztec King Texcoco was reputed to require four xiquipillis (8,000 beans equal one xiquipilli) per day of which some were consumed as a drink and some used as money .
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HOW does cocoa grow? Theobroma Cacao L. is the proper name for the cocoa tree, which is an everbearing plant given adequate moisture and soil conditions. As in all plant life moisture seems most important and basically cocoa needs approximately 125 to 250 millimeters of rainfall per month preferably at night with sunshine during the day to maximize productivity,
naturally.Nutrients tend to be self-sustaining as the tree changes its leaves on a regular basis creating a mulch under the tree with the nutrients used to growing the tree returned to the soil, hence basically an organic crop – that is no added man-made artificial fertilizers used.
Rainfall tends to have a cumulative effect on productivity believed to extend to nearly a two year period until the ripe pod(fruit) is harvested with the earliest month (two years prior) having the least effect and the last five months having the greatest effect.
Pruning ( which is rarely applied in most of the worlds production ) shows a significant impact (potentially could increase production per hectare tenfold)
based on small research by increasing the number of trees per hectare as well as increasing the pod yield per tree ) . Most cocoa farmers are unaware of this common procedure as practiced in other fruit tree agriculture.
The beginning starts with tiny orchid like flowers(about ¼ inch in breadth when opened) sprouting on all parts of the tree when climatic conditions are adequate. The flowers may sprout singularly or in bunches on the trunk or on limbs of the tree. Approximately 1,000 flowers are needed to allow one pod to set. The flowers are fertilized only by crawling insects. Of every 100 pods set only about one pod ripens for harvest. The limiting factor on pod survival is soil moisture availabilty and the tree natural mechanism which limits a pod survival at two different stages in the pods development. The first stage is when the pod is about 1 to 1 ¼ inches in length and cherelle wilt dries up the pods which the tree can no longer provide for. The second stage of cherelle wilt occurs when the pod has almost reached its full length and is ready to start increasing in breadth(when the seeds(beans) inside begin to develop.
This stage is when the greatest demand for moisture is required to develop the cocoa beans.
Note since the tree is everbearing,given adequate moisture, the continuing demand for moisture at the various stages of production on the tree is the reason for the natural trees control of pod survival through the mechanism of
‘cherelle wilt’.The total time from pod set to ripe pod is about 4½ months.
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Pods should be harvested when fully ripe to maximize development of flavor and yield ,which is a basic truth for all fruit crops, but which practice is rarely followed in the worlds cocoa production.Harvesting pre-ripe pods causes 10 to 20 % loss in production,basis a Costa Rican study.
After the pods are harvested( note experiments have been made to offset premature(unripe pods) harvesting by aging or storing the pods before opening for the beans(generally unsuccessful)) they are opened usually with a machete(machines have been tried but not satisfactory) with about 20-40 seeds(beans) inside surrounded with a white mucilage material (slightly sweet to the taste) which is either piled in a small heap and covered with leaves(usually banana leaves) to ferment or placed in large wooden boxes
for a period of 3 to 9 days,during which time they are turned to evenly ferment and develop flavor. The time is dependent on the type of bean,the size of the bean and the shell thickness of the bean.During the fermentation the color of the seed changes from purple to brown ( note there is a small area of production of cocoa in northern Bahia (near the capitol – Salvador) where the seeds are creamy white inside instead of purple and convert to a creamy light yellow color when fermented) (production of these beans are extremely limited and if grown within about five miles of regular cocoa will transform to regular cocoa beans-i.e purple inside).The turning of the cocoa beans is to prevent overheating as temperatures can reach 50 degrees C.. The flavor development are the result of the fermentation hydrolysing the tannins and enzymes and breaking up the chemical compounds(estimated to be over 400 different ones) to make the chocolate flavor.
After fermentation, the beans are dried (usually sun dried on reed mats or on patios with rolling roofs in case of tropical showers.The moisture content is reduced from about 20 percent to approximately 7-8 %. Note the cocoa bean is hygroscopic and tends to re-absorb air moisture if dried too low by machine air drying. When air moisture is reabsorbed the beans are increasingly subject to mold growth.Drying also adds to development of the flavor precursors.
If the beans are stored in airtight containers the moisture will be reduced further and reduces the loss in roasting at the chocolate maufacturer, which has been proven with such storage facilities in the Ivory Coast,however such storage is very expensive to build and operate including financing costs.
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The cocoa pod is about ¼ to ½ inch thick and is rather fibrous but does contain nutrients and has been found to be usable as feedstock for cattle,when
chopped up fine and mixed with grain , particularly corn(maize). Other uses have been tried like grinding the pod up and then pressing into wallboard
for construction. However this experiment proved to be unusable since the pod is also hygroscopic and when put up as walls the board re-absorbed moisture making the boards swell and then popped the nails out so the boards fell down. In addition, the re-absorbed moisture caused mold to develop.
The use as feedstock has been proven to be best for cattle(ruminants) using the highest share of pods vs.grain,but also can be used for other livestock and poultry in lesser proportions.
However, in most of the cocoa producing countries farmers leave the cut open pods in heaps near the producing tree areas and then the pods rot causing mold spores to develop and harm unharvested pods causing ’blackpod’ or podrot(Phythopthera Palmivora). The pods could also be chopped up and returned to the soil as a mulch/fertilizer. Note, fertilizer of any sort has rarely been used in producing cocoa other than a few experiments.
The other generally used technique – pruning of trees to increase fruit yield – is rarely used in cacao production. Some have estimated per acre yields in cacao production could be quintupled if these techniques were applied.
Research to increase productivity by developing new strains or varieties has not been done in any long term manner,particularly when compared to other tropical tree crops like coconut or rubber (note rubber growing needs are very similar to that for growing cacao) or other fruit trees like citrus, apples, pears, peaches or plums.
One might conclude that cacao production is rather backward when compared to most modern day agriculture.
Some research was done in Trinidad in the late 1930’s on growing cacao ,but little has been done since either in growing procedures or in developing varieties to improve flavor or increase yields. Most research since 1940 has been on disease controls.
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HOW is chocolate made? The cocoa bean is shipped from the producing countries to the consuming countries in burlap bags weighing 50 to 69 kilos
Until the end of the 20th century when increasing portions of world production was shipped bulk in airtight containers ,particularly from Ecuador and Dominican Republic to the USA and bulk in the holds of ocean going ships from Ivory Coast to Western Europe. These means are limited for the moment due to finding assured means of quality control.
The beans may or may not be blended with other origins before they are given a light roast to loosen the husk or shell of the bean, with the shell/husk along with the germ then removed through a winnower.The remaining portion called the ‘nib’ is roasted further to desired specifications and then ground usually in a stone mill making a hot liquid called ‘chocolate liquor’ / ‘cocoa mass’ which solidifies below body temperature and contains 50-56 percent fat(called cocoa butter).
The chocolate liquor may then be put through a ‘press’ to remove part of the cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor producing cocoa cake to be further ground into cocoa powder and leave cocoa butter.
To make chocolate, cocoa butter is blended with chocolate liquor and sugar making ‘dark chocolate’ with vanilla or vanillin(synthetic vanilla)usually added to the blend as a flavor enhancer. Milk chocolate is made with the above blend and adding milk solids(milk with the water removed).
Many factors – bean blend,roasting temperature and roasting time – play a significant role in attaining the desired chocolate flavor profile for the ultimate consumer product.After the desired blend of ingredients are blended the mixture is then further processed through a ‘milling machine’ – which may be a ‘stone mill’ or a ‘steel roller mill’ to reduce the particle size to the desired fineness. Following the milling process, the chocolate is then ‘conged’ which is a process which assures a coating of cocoa butter is enrobed around each fine particle of solids to assure the greatest transfer of chocolate flavor to your taste buds. The cocoa butter acts mainly as a transfer agent of the chocolate flavor of the cocoa solid particle. Smoothness adds to this transfer of flavor which is the basic purpose of conging.The liquid chocolate is then ‘tempered’ (like tempering steel) by controlling the rate of cooling of the hot liquid chocolate to a solid chocolate which then has ‘snap’ when broken and which has an exterior sheen/gloss. (7)
HOW is cocoa / chocolate valued? In many countries where cocoa beans are grown,particularly in West Africa,the farmer price is fixed seasonally or annually by the countrys government and then either purchased from the farmers by a state buying agency or a state sanctioned private agency ,who after purchasing the beans from the farmers transport them to a port and ready the beans for export for an additional fee.In other producing countries independent shippers buy from farmers and sell to importer/manufacturers. The beans are then sold to an importer/manufacturer oftentimes at a differential versus the London terminal market or the New York futures market.The New York/London markets are open outcry marketplaces where bids and offers of future delivery positions are agreed upon values in
U.S.dollars/U.K. pound sterling per metric tonne(2,204.6 lbs.),which prices are changing from moment to moment during trading hours. At the end of the days trading , a closing value is posted for each position whether that position is traded or not and when a position hasn’t traded ,its value is based on the previous days relative value to other positions or based on the current days switch values when a switch has traded including that position. In both markets positions are traded for two years forward including five positions –March,May,July,September,and December for each year for a total of ten positions as a regular routine.Technically all months of the year are tradeable,but rarely do any of the other months trade.
The philosophy of each market(London & New York) tends to be opposing each other which creates an actual value difference between the two markets,
which is called ‘arbitrage’.New York basis is for the lowest valued growths of cocoa with varying premiums given for the higher valued growths, while London is based on the highest valued growth and discounts determined for other growths, however some smaller growths of cocoa are not tenderable on the London Terminal market.Other factors such as freight /relative distance from origin country/relative use of origin in each marketplace/relativechanging relationship of each currency plus the philosophic difference all contribute to an ‘arbitrage value’ which in essence becomes another market within the overall world cocoa market.The premiums /discounts tend to be related to the relative “chocolate” yield of the beans as well as their relative flavor profile. The actual market is invariably different from the tender value in both markets from year to year depending on any origins relative crop size and any changes in formulation by manufacturers usage and variations in freight costs.The main arbitrage value is based on the worlds largest producer (Ivory Coast) beanstrading at par in London and tendered at a $160 premium in New York (8)
The first futures trading market started in New York on October 1,1925 with the contract being 30,000 lbs.(considered a truckload then) and was traded in U.S. cents/lb..The London terminal market started in 1928 with a contract for five long tons(2240 lbs.) trading in U.K.pound sterling/long ton..
These markets were closed during World War II with prices fixed by government order at 8.9 cents per pound for Ghana beans and at 8.7 cents per pound for Bahia,Brasil beans, being the first and second largest producers at that time. The futures/terminal markets resumed after the war, but trading volume was limited until the late 1960s due to heavy speculation by some trader/manufacturers causing company boards of directors to desist from using the futures markets in the late 1940s.During the 1960s trading for coverage was accomplished by large manufacturers buying large quantities of beans (10,000 to 50,000 tonnes at a time) and then swapping the blocks of cocoa to dealers for futures to later trade for desired products. This tended to begin the proper expansion of the hedge markets – New York futures and London terminal – and by the 1980s the years volume was more than tenfold the size of the worlds crop. By the 1990s the open interest exceeded the worlds crop and encouraged speculative trading through large funds.
Different origin beans are traded against the futures/terminal market and vary from season to season as well as within the season. Cocoa semi-finished products (chocolate liquor,cocoa presscake,&cocoa butter) trade at a ratio to the futures market value.
External effects on cocoa prices are primarily from weather since rainfall from the 18th preceding month to final month prior to harvesting is believed to influence the crop development. Because the cocoa is a tree crop,weather as rainfall tends to be cumulative. The cocoa tree is everbearing and takes about five months from time the flower sets into a pod and the pod becomes ripe for harvesting.One can usually see flowers small pods ripe pods on a tree at one time. To maximize the use of the trees ability to produce, a natural phenomenon called cherelle(what a small pod is called)wilt limits the number of pods that can be maturing at any one time. The first stage of cherelle wilt is when the pod reaches about two inches in length and the second stage is when the pod reaches about four to five inches in length and just before the pod begins to fatten in circumference which is when the beans(seeds) inside begin to grow.
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Theoretically it takes the most energy from the tree after the pod has reached the fattening out stage and the beans(seeds) are forming inside The least amount of energy is when the pods are first forming from the flower. Once the pod is mature in size ,the ripening process needs a small amount of energy as well. Hence the rate of formation and pod setting is essentially controlled by the natural tree mechanism called ‘cherelle wilt’ which is similar to the natural process of fruit drop in apples and other fruit trees.One can see how climate conditions can have a significant effect on prices, as exists with all agricultural crops.
Supply/demand function then has its relative effect on the market along with speculative influences. Manufacturers length of coverage as well as producers willingness to sell in forward positions tend to also influence market levels.
Cyclical effects tend to range from 23 to 33 years based on recorded price history of cocoa beans with highs in 1921 - 1954 – 1977(record $ 5380/mt) and lows in 1940-45 - 1965 – late 1990s .As a general rule the market moves higher in about half the time it takes to move from high point to the low point in any cycle.Note each high and low tended to be higher than previous time.
Chocolate pricing starts with cocoa bean costs plus freight to the processors plant plus other ingredient costs plus bean processors cost/efficiency. Efficiency of processing beans as a general rule necessitates annual processing of 30,000 to 40,000 tons of beans per year to utilize efficiencies and chocolate manufacturer using lesser quantities would generally be better off buying their chocolate from another larger manufacurer or at least buying semi-finished products -–chocolate liquor and cocoa butter plus other ingredients to do their own milling and blending. One caution in buying semi-finished products is be sure the chocolate liquor is not over-refined or milled as this tends to harden the natural proteins which in turn makes it more difficult to blend in other ingredients –sugar and milk = satisfactorily.
Note the initial processing cost of any food product(including grains) is the low-profit end of the business,hence the need of volume to meet competition.
The caution of ‘protein hardening’ is the reason beans are shipped to consuming countries and blended to desired flavor profiles before processing rather than semi-finished products being shipped and blended at the consumer country level.Processing cocoa beans have a 20% loss in weight of moisture and shell which is significant in freight costings,but the technical factor-‘protein hardening’- outweighs the final result.
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WHO produces cocoa beans? Generally cocoa beans are produced within
10 degrees latitude from the Equator,except Brasil around 20 degrees S. At the beginning of the 21st century the largest producing country is the Ivory Coast (about 40% of the world total),followed by Ghana, Nigeria, Brasil, Indonesia, Camerouns, Malaysia, Ecuador, Papua-New Guinea. The remaining producing countries ,account for less than 10% of the total approximate 3,000,000 metric tonnes, are primarily in the Carribbean Islands – Trinidad,Grenada,Dominican Republic,Haiti and in Central America- Costa Rica,Belize,Honduras,Mexico,Guatemala,Panama along with Venezuela and Colombia in North part of South America.Small amounts are grown in Hawaii and Phillipine Islands.
Interestingly Colombia rarely exports cocoa beans as most of their production is consumed in their daily diet as a gravy over rice plus some traditional chocolate.
Generally small farmers with 2 to 10 acres produce most of the cocoa beans with larger plantations in Brasil of 40 to 100 acres and a few large plantations in some other countries.Cocoa trees generally are grown in lowlands – less than 1000 feet above sea level. Ideal conditions would have 5 to 12 inches of rainfall per month with sunshine during the day and temperatures in range of
70 to 90 degrees F.. Besides Hawaii having this nearly ideal climate ,the Eastern part of Indonesia – Irian Jaya (western half of New Guinea island) is believed to have ideal climate and soil conditions, with some test farms claiming up to fivefold yields compared to major producing areas.Perhaps as prices rise to the next high level(cycle-wise scheduled before 2010) ,Irian Jaya may be the next major producing area to entice cocoa farming and try different agricultural practices like ‘pruning’ and ‘hybrid development’ to improve yields as well as flavor.
Brasil tried to expand areas of production into the Amazon region in the state of Rondonia during the 1970s, but found difficulty to entice farmers to go there to live coupled with high freight costs to ship the beans to market. This area may also be lured into production,depending on prices and ultimate profitability. Historically, world production in the twentieth century grew from slightly in excess of 100,000 metric tons to about 3,000,000 metric tonnes.What will be the growth of production in the 21st century? Cocoa is basically organic and chocolate is well desired with nutrition being an added benefit.
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WHO makes chocolate?
The first chocolate was ‘chocolatl’ served as drink by removing the dry shell from the seed after searcing(roasting) and before grinding into a paste( which would be basically chocolate liquor in todays world) to which water(either hot or cold-which was heated later) was added and then stirred with a ‘molinet’ – (a round carved piece of wood with nubs/spikes left on the ball then put on a long stick) to beat the mixture until a froth appeared, then the froth or ‘scum’ was removed and the drink – ‘chocolatl’ was served in goblets to the kings or elite society. This drink idea was taken to Europe by the Spanish in the 16th century and despite trying to be kept a secret the idea moved to England and other countries in Europe with ‘Cocoa Houses’ built to serve the drink. The cocoa drink was usually served in fancy porcelain pots, a collection of which is on display in the Chocolate Americana Museum in Lititz.PA.started in 1972 by Penny Buzzard.
The first chocolate plant was started in 1765 by Dr.James Baker with John Hannon,who had learned chcolate making in England(d.1780), with continuation with Bakers son –Edmund and finally to grandson Walter naming the company Walter Baker Chocolate Co. in Dorchester,MA before moving nearly 200 years later to Dover,DE as a division of General Foods –
later Kraft Foods.The main products were Bakers No.1 premium baking chocolate in a blue/yellow package and ‘Germans chocolate’(green wrapper) developed by Samuel German in 1852.The plant was closed in the 1990s.
Today the major names in chocolate in the USA are Hershey(started in 1904(2nd time by Milton Snavely Hershey(d.1945),Mars started in 1911 by Ethel & Frank Mars in Tacoma,WA,then Minneapolis in 1920 to become the worlds largest confectioner by the end of the 20th century, Nestle started by Francois-Louis Callier in 1819 whose daughter married Daniel Peter who perfected the chocolate bar using condensed milk from his friend Henri Nestle.
Domingo Ghiardelli from Rapallo,Italy set up his chocolate shop first in Lima,Peru before moving to Stockton,CA for the ‘Gold Rush’ in California in 1849.later to Ghiardelli Square in San Francisco.
John Cadbury,a coffee&tea mrchant, with his brother Benjamin built a factory to process cocoa beans and in 1866 introduced”Cocoa Essence’ to produce a better chocolate beverage moving their plant to Bournville, England in 1879, and now part of Cadbury Schweppes .
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Hawaiian Vintage Chocolates started in 1986 by James Walsh using the Criollo variety beans planting 1350 trees per acre to maximize the yield and produce the ultimate flavor chocolate.
Timothy Moley started his company –Chocolove- using fine Belgian chocolate with added cocoa bean bits to increase the cocoa content making a delectable ultimate experience.
Cocoa bean processors(primarily making chocolate for candy manufacturers) are led in the USA by Blommer Chocolate Co.,started in 1939 by brothers Henry,Al,&Bernard in Chicago,IL and process nearly a third of USA processing in three plants – Chicago,Union City,CA, and East Greenville,PA.
Ambrosia started in 1894 by Otto Schoenleber in Milwaukee,WI using the name-meaning ‘Food of the Gods’ because he felt that was depictive of ‘chocolate’. L Russell Cook,pres.-1953/late1970s wrote the leading book on processing chocolate- Chocolate Production and its Use. Ambrosia, part of
ADM is a leading maker of chocolate chips.
WHY has chocolate changed?
The twentieth century saw larger manufacturers take over smaller makers, which in turn caused a phenomenon of likeness in cocoa bean formulas for the larger manufacturers since only a few countries had enough production to satisfy their needs. When there were more manufacturers the formulas were all a bit unique in having formulas not only with beans from large producers but from smaller producers. Today small processors have started to use small countries production to make ‘vintage chocolates’ using one or more small country producers beans.
As production declined in Brasil in the late 20th century,the growth was deleted and replaced in many formulas,which tended to change the character of many chocolates.Since the Bahia growth from Brasil had an astringent character a greater amount of sugar was needed in formulations.Were formulations changed to adjust for this factor?
As costs of production rose ,manufacturers tended to streamline production methods like conging which tended to make some chocolates more gritty to mouth feel. Should chocolate be aged and at what cost to the consumer for a mellower flavor. Should research be done to develop better flavor profiles by development of hybrids for yield using crossing of known varieties and or with wild varieties.
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COCOADAD was reared on a farm in Pennsylvania by his aunt and uncle from the age of 15 months, attended a one room schoolhouse starting at age of 5 ½ years graduated from high school at age 15 yrs. 3 months, attended Penn State University for a B.S.degree in Agricultural Economics followed by an M.B.A.degree from New York University.Most of his career in the last half of the 20th century was in the food/chocolate/cocoa trading industries.
The career covered commodity analysis with a multi-product food manufacturer as well as with a packaging supply company. He taught basic economics/basic statistics for four semesters at the college level.. He worked with two different chocolate candy companies in purchasing and industrial sales. He started three different trading companies and one foreign processor marketing company. Foreign travel took him to the following countries:
Brasil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dahomey, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany,Ghana, Holland, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Switzerland, Togo, Trinidad, and Venezuela.
He studied the agriculture of growing cocoa beans, estimating the crop and developed forecasting techniques, studied the processing of the cocoa bean into chocolate and presented research papers , worked in marketing cocoa products, studied and presented papers in trading/pricing cocoa beans, learned the basis of flavor profiles for chocolate, traded cocoa beans and semi-finished cocoa products between producers and manufacturers.with proper hedging techniques including hedging of interest costs.
Joseph Melhado, Edwin D.Becker, and Bernard S.Blumenthal were three bosses who encouraged cocoadad to be inquisitive enough to amass the information to gain the knowledge of cocoa/chocolate.The following people (now deceased) were motivators to expanding cocoadads knowledge:
Plinio Barreto de Araujo, L.Russell Cook, Alwyn N.Fischel,
Uriah Kwesi Hackman, Julian Hemphill, Fred Jacobsen, Eric Loeff,
William Stern, Frank Sweeney, Maurice Varsano, and Isaac Witkin.
Cocoadads devoted & caring spouse and family supported him through trials and tribulations. Cocoadad was a member of the New York Cocoa Exchange and the Cocoa Merchants Association of America and the National Confectionery Association – Advisory Board.
E-mail - cocoadad@mindspring.com
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