We have loved the taste of chocolate since childhood. As adults, we do not forget him. But few people think about what chocolate is made from, how the bars that we buy in our usual form are obtained.

Types of chocolate

There are several types of chocolate:

• bitter;
• lactic;
• white;
• porous;
• chocolate powder;
• chocolate for diabetics.

It is well known what chocolate is made from - cocoa beans and cocoa butter. Depending on the type, various ingredients are added to it: nuts, raisins, puffed rice. There is chocolate with the addition of cognac, coffee, pepper, vanillin, etc.

How is chocolate made?

First prepare the chocolate mass. It contains components that strictly correspond to the recipe: ground cocoa beans, cocoa or palm butter, lecithin, flavorings and filling.

• Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa beans (up to 75%) than milk chocolate, which is why it has a slightly bitter taste. The sweet or bitter taste of chocolate depends on the amount of sugar it contains.
• Milk chocolate is made with the addition of milk powder or cream powder, so it is lighter in color and sweeter in taste.
• Chocolate for diabetics is prepared with sugar substitutes - xylitol, sorbitol, etc. Therefore, it can be consumed by people with diabetes.
• Porous chocolate is produced using a special technology. The chocolate mass is poured into molds, without adding ¼. Then the molds are placed in vacuum boilers, where the chocolate mass is kept, remaining liquid, for at least 4 hours. The vacuum creates the effect of expanding air bubbles, thus creating porosity in the chocolate.
• Chocolate powder is made from grated cocoa beans with the addition of powdered sugar. Powdered milk or cream can be added to this powder. It comes in two types: dessert or regular.

Few people know what white chocolate is made from, much less know that it is not chocolate at all. White chocolate has a very simple composition: milk powder, called film milk, sugar, cocoa butter and vanillin flavoring. Due to the absence of cocoa beans, chocolate has a light shade, but not white, but rather creamy. The flavor bouquet is special due to powdered milk that has undergone special processing.

Chocolate storage

When purchasing chocolate, you need to check the production date, as it has a limited shelf life. Don't buy expired chocolate, it won't be good for your health. It is best to store it in a cool, dark place, but avoid storing it in the refrigerator. With a sharp change in temperature, condensation forms on it - droplets of moisture, which, evaporating, leave white streaks of sugar on the chocolate bar.

Opening another chocolate bar, few of us think about the question: How is this chocolate made?

will give you a short tour and introduce you to the main processes chocolate production.

Everyone knows that Cocoa beans are the raw material for chocolate., which grow only in South and Central America, West Africa, Australia and some islands of Southeast Asia. Therefore, according to the place of origin, cocoa beans are divided into African, American and Asian.

After ripening, the beans are cut, the grains are removed from the fruit and peeled from the gelatinous shell that covers the entire grain.

The first stage begins, from which the entire process of preparing for the production of chocolate begins - fermentation, when the purified grains are placed in special wooden boxes with holes for air and stored for 8 days. As a result of this process, the specific chocolate aroma of the beans is enhanced. The beans are then dried, bagged and sent to chocolate factories.

Then cocoa beans are sorted by size, since the chemical composition differs greatly in grains of different sizes. Of course, the sorting process is not carried out manually, but using special machines.

The next step there is roasting sorted grains. At a temperature of 120-140 degrees, the grains are not only sterilized, but excess moisture is removed from them and the husk is easily separated.

After roasting the beans, saturated with chocolate taste and smell, are broken, crushed and crushed, resulting in a heterogeneous mass, into which sugar, flavorings and cocoa butter are added at this stage.

Then proceed to the next process - rolling. Using special mills, the resulting mass is mixed and becomes homogeneous.

Then it starts conching process, when the finished mass is intensively stirred for 3 days at a temperature of 50 - 80 degrees.

Then the chocolate mass is poured into heated molds, or stamps, and cool.

The final stage is the packaging of finished chocolate bars in foil and paper packaging.

At all stages chocolate production strictly monitor temperature and humidity. Otherwise, it will negatively affect the appearance, taste and shelf life of the finished product.

According to the technology described above produce all types of chocolate, with a slight deviation that depends on the variety and type of chocolate. For example, during production, another stage or process is added when milk powder is added to the chocolate mass.

Often many chocolate manufacturers omit the first stage - preparing cocoa powder and cocoa butter. Because this process requires special production facilities, it is therefore more profitable for smaller chocolate producers to buy ready-made ingredients.

Chocolate slices

Each of us has been familiar with the taste of chocolate since childhood, but do you know what chocolate is made from? Most will say that it is made from cocoa beans, and to some extent they will be right, because... The main ingredients for making chocolate are: sugar, cocoa mass and cocoa butter, as well as flavoring and aromatic additives.

Cocoa liquor and cocoa butter are the main ingredients of chocolate and are obtained from cocoa beans.

Freshly picked cocoa beans do not have the taste and aroma properties characteristic of chocolate and cocoa powder; they have a bitter-tart taste and are pale in color.

Cocoa liquor is obtained by processing cocoa beans into cocoa butter. Heated crushed cocoa nibs are converted into grated cocoa by fine grinding in special mills, from which cocoa butter is squeezed out under high pressure using hydraulic presses.

Cocoa butter is fat squeezed from grated cocoa - ground beans of the fruit of the chocolate tree, and also the basis for chocolate production.

Types of chocolate

There are several main types of chocolate:

• dark or bitter chocolate,
• milk chocolate,
• White chocolate,
• ruby chocolate.

Black or bitter

Dark or bitter chocolate is made from cocoa mass, powdered sugar and cocoa butter. By changing the proportions of powdered sugar and grated cocoa, you can change the taste of chocolate - from bitter to sweet. The more cocoa mass in chocolate, the more bitter the taste and the brighter the aroma the chocolate will have.

Lactic

Milk chocolate is made from cocoa mass, cocoa butter, powdered sugar and milk powder. Most often, film powder milk with a fat content of 2.5% or dry cream is used. The aroma of milk chocolate is given by cocoa, the taste is given by the addition of powdered sugar and milk powder.

White

White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, sugar, milk powder and vanillin without adding cocoa powder. White chocolate gets its unique taste from special milk powder that has a caramel flavor.

Ruby

Ruby chocolate made from cocoa beans grown in Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Brazil. No berries or colorings are added to the chocolate. This type of chocolate, called “ruby”, has a natural pink color and a berry flavor.

Thus, now you know that chocolate is a confectionery product based on cocoa butter, which is a product of processing cocoa beans - the seeds of the chocolate tree.

Chocolate is a worldwide popular confectionery product based on cocoa butter, obtained from cocoa beans - the seeds of the chocolate tree. Cocoa appeared in Europe in the 16th century, thanks to Spanish sailors who met the fruits of the chocolate tree in the New World (in America). After Europeans learned to add sugar to cocoa drinks in the 17th century, a fashion for chocolate began in Europe as a hot tonic drink based on cocoa powder. According to legend, at the French royal court of Louis XIV, a chocolate drink made from cocoa with sugar had a reputation as a love potion.

Since then, cocoa, and with it chocolate, has won the love of consumers and found recognition throughout the world. Nowadays, countless culinary masterpieces are prepared from chocolate, including at home. Among the most popular ingredients in chocolate recipes, in addition to cocoa powder itself, it is worth noting: nuts, raisins, coconut flakes, dried fruits, candied fruits and vanilla.

With the development of science, chocolate began to be classified not just as a delicacy, but also its antioxidant nature was discovered, because chocolate contains a large number of natural antioxidants. There are also amino acids, such as tryptophan, found in other proteins (dairy products, nuts, mushrooms). It is when the body processes tryptophan that an important neurotransmitter is formed in the body - serotonin, it is also called one of the “happiness hormones”. The higher the percentage of cocoa in chocolate, the faster a person will experience a slight feeling of euphoria when eating it. The dark or milk version doesn't make too much of a difference, although everyone agrees that dark chocolate can do it faster.

To make chocolate at home, you just need to know simple recipes, have the necessary ingredients in the kitchen and remember a few tips for making homemade chocolate:

• Ingredients: cocoa powder, butter, sugar or honey - must be of high quality and sufficient quantity, since the recipe for homemade chocolate cannot be approximate - it will not work.
• To prepare chocolate at home, you must strictly observe the temperature regime of heat treatment of the product, since chocolate does not tolerate a limit above +32 C. It is better to use a culinary thermometer or simply touch it with your hand to the burning limit.
• Due to the low heat treatment threshold, it should be carried out not over an open fire, but in a water bath or in a double boiler. Otherwise, it is difficult to keep track of the temperature limit and the food may be spoiled.
• Especially at first, at the stage when the first thing is lumpy, you shouldn’t go for a large portion of homemade chocolate. If everything goes well, you can move on to larger portions.
• When making chocolate candies with filling, it should be added in layers, alternating with chocolate.

To prepare a homemade chocolate bar, similar to the factory one, you cannot do without the scarce cocoa butter, which alone can give the chocolate delicacy a certain rigidity of its shape.

What additives are there for homemade chocolate?

As additives for homemade chocolate, you can use quite familiar ingredients, such as nuts: hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts or even pecans. Various candied fruits and dried fruits are also suitable as fillers: prunes, raisins, dried apricots, citrus zest, coconut flakes, waffle or cracker crumbs.

Most often, you can prepare these filling ingredients for homemade chocolate using a regular blender. The crushed fillings are added to the hot chocolate mixture, stirred until uniform, and only after that the liquid chocolate is poured into prepared molds.

Classic homemade chocolate recipe

This recipe is for lovers of classic chocolate, without any additives or flavorings, which can be considered basic for preparing other varieties of this dessert.

Ingredients:

• cocoa powder - 200 grams;
• cocoa butter - 40-50 grams;
• granulated sugar or powdered sugar - 100 grams;
• butter - 20 grams.

According to the classic recipe, you can make chocolate at home like this:

1. Melt butter and cocoa butter in a water bath and double boiler.
2. Add a mixture of cocoa powder and granulated sugar into the resulting homogeneous butter mixture, stirring until the mass is completely homogeneous.
3. At room temperature, allow the chocolate mass to cool slightly, pour it into molds and cool in the refrigerator.

Homemade vanilla chocolate recipe

Based on the classic recipe, you can prepare vanilla chocolate with the addition of dried fruits and nuts.

Ingredients:

• cocoa powder - 4 tablespoons;
• fresh whole milk - 100 milliliters;
• butter - 125 grams;
• granulated sugar - 1 cup;
• raisins, dried fruits and walnuts - 40-50 grams;
• vanillin - 0.5 teaspoon.

Here's how to make vanilla chocolate at home:

1. Heat the milk over low heat in a suitable container in a water bath.
2. Add sugar and vanillin to warm milk, heated over low heat, stirring constantly, until they are completely dissolved.
3. In a separate water bath, dissolve the butter and pour it into the mixture of milk with sugar and vanilla.
4. After mixing these ingredients, add cocoa powder with constant stirring to avoid the formation of lumps.
5. Keep the resulting homogeneous mixture over low heat in a water bath for 25 minutes.
6. During this time, prepare the filling and add it in crushed form, stirring until smooth, into the chocolate mass before pouring into molds.
7. To harden, place the molds with it in the refrigerator for several hours.

Original coffee chocolate recipe

At first glance, there seems to be no need to combine the smell of coffee and cocoa - they are good on their own, but there are lovers of such culinary experiments and tastes. An original recipe for homemade coffee chocolate just for such gourmets.

Ingredients:

• cocoa powder - 50 grams;
• butter - 250 grams;
• powdered milk - 250 grams;
• granulated sugar - 250 grams;
• ground brewed coffee - 1 teaspoon;
• lemon zest, dried fruits, nuts and vanilla - to taste.

According to the original recipe, you can make coffee chocolate like this:

1. Boil 3/4 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of natural ground coffee, add vanilla or lemon zest and hold for 4-5 minutes over low heat.
2. Remove the resulting coffee from the heat, strain it and bring to a boil, at which point add the cocoa and sugar mixture with constant stirring, and continue to cook it over low heat for another five minutes.
3. Into the resulting mixture, without removing it from the heat, add and stir thoroughly the powdered milk, after which, removing from the heat, add the dissolved butter.
4. All that remains is to add the filling prepared from the above ingredients into the chocolate mass, stir until smooth and pour it into molds in order to cool them in the refrigerator for several hours.

Homemade milk chocolate recipe “Tender”

Lovers of homemade milk chocolate will be attracted by this recipe for its simplicity, availability of ingredients and delicious results.

Ingredients:

• fresh milk - 100 milliliters;
• butter - 50 grams;
• cocoa powder - 4 tablespoons;
• granulated sugar - 1 cup;

According to the home recipe, prepare milk chocolate “Tender” as follows:

1. Pour the mixture of granulated sugar and cocoa powder into the milk heated in a suitable container, stirring constantly until they are completely diluted without lumps.
2. In a separate container in a water bath, dissolve the butter, pour it into the warm chocolate mixture and, stirring, bring to a boil over low heat, turn it to low heat and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
3. If there is a filling, add it to the still warm mass and, pouring it into molds, cool it in the refrigerator for several hours.

Homemade chocolate recipe "Lakomka"

The good thing about the recipe for this chocolate is that the homemade bar is not much different from the factory one, although it does not contain scarce cocoa butter and the other ingredients are simple and affordable.

Ingredients:

• whole milk - 5 tablespoons;
• cocoa powder - 150 grams;
• butter - 70 grams;
• powdered sugar or granulated sugar - 100 grams;
• premium wheat flour - 1.5-2.0 teaspoons.

You can make homemade Lakomka chocolate like this:

1. Gradually add the dry mixture of granulated sugar and natural cocoa powder into milk heated in a suitable container over low heat, stirring constantly until the liquid mass is completely homogeneous.
2. At the same time, in another bowl in a water bath, dissolve the butter and pour it into the milk mixture, stirring constantly, which is brought to a boil and removed from heat.
3. First dilute wheat flour sifted through a fine sieve in a small volume of chocolate mixture, then stir without lumps into the total chocolate mass.
4. Place the homogeneous mixture over low heat and, while stirring, without bringing to a boil, hold it until it boils.
5. Pour warm chocolate, similar to sour cream, into greased molds and place in the freezer to harden for 3-4 hours, after which the treat will bring chocolate pleasure to guests and hosts.

Quick recipe for homemade chocolate “For tea”

The effect of dark chocolate in this recipe is achieved by introducing the maximum volume of cocoa powder into its recipe, which will give it the natural bitterness of cocoa beans. In addition, changing the ratio of cocoa and sugar allows you to prepare complex chocolate treats.

Ingredients:

• cocoa powder - 100 grams;
• granulated sugar - 1 tablespoon;
• butter - 50 grams.

Prepare homemade chocolate “for tea” as follows:

1. Melt the butter in a suitable container in a water bath.
2. Mix cocoa powder and granulated sugar in a dry version and, while stirring, add to the melted butter, bringing to a homogeneous mass.
3. Bring the resulting chocolate mass in the form of thick sour cream to a boil and cook over low heat while stirring for 2 minutes.
4. All that remains is to pour the slightly cooled boiled chocolate mixture into the prepared molds, cool at room temperature and place in the refrigerator or freezer to harden the chocolate product.

Homemade chocolate recipe with honey

And although the process of preparing such a delicacy requires time, scarce ingredients and careful execution of the recipe, the end result will reward the home confectioner with delicious chocolate.

Ingredients:

• grated cocoa - 400 grams;
• liquid honey - 100 milliliters;
• cocoa butter - 200 milliliters.

According to a homemade recipe, prepare chocolate with honey as follows:

1. Melt cocoa butter in a water bath.
2. With constant stirring, pour grated cocoa into it in small portions, bringing the whole mass to homogeneity, then pour liquid honey into it while stirring, stirring evenly.
3. Heat the homogeneous mass in a water bath to +40 C, but no more, since above this temperature barrier honey loses its beneficial properties.
4. Pour the chocolate-honey mass into the prepared molds, let the chocolate form at room temperature for 8-12 hours until completely hardened.

• The bitterness and hardness of homemade chocolate depends on the proportion of cocoa powder in its recipe.
• When adding flour to the ingredients, you must strictly follow the recipe for making homemade chocolate, since if the norm is reduced, it may harden poorly even in the freezer.
• If it is possible to use brown cane sugar to make homemade chocolate, then you should prefer it to white beet sugar, because the former not only contains valuable minerals, but also makes the chocolate much tastier.

By the way, did you know that chocolate chilled in the refrigerator will be softer than from the freezer? Silicone molds are preferable for pouring chocolate, as it is easier to remove it from them.

The general name “chocolate” hides many of its varieties. The first chocolate, made by the ancient Aztecs, was a hot mixture with a bitter aftertaste. Its composition was strikingly different from the composition of today's chocolate. Modern chocolate is represented by three main types:

• bitter;
• lactic;
• white.

These three species not only differ in composition from each other, but also have many subspecies within themselves. The main ingredient that gives many different products the right to call themselves chocolate is cocoa beans and cocoa butter. What is real chocolate made of? Let's try to figure it out.

Origins. Composition of Aztec chocolate

Cocoa beans in their natural form have a tart flavor. And the ancient Indian tribes of South America did not try to sweeten this bitterness with anything. The first chocolate was a tart, bitter drink. The recipe for making it was quite tedious. Sun-dried cocoa beans were crushed with stones and then filled with cold water. For a fiery taste, hot spices were added, something like the familiar chili pepper.

Modern recipes for “Aztec chocolate” are far from the truth in their composition and presentation - they prepare it with milk and serve it hot. But they invariably contain cayenne pepper or chili pepper as a component.

Recipe

• Chili pepper - 1 pod.
• One vanilla stick.
• 700 ml milk.
• 100 grams of dark chocolate.
• Maple syrup - 2 tbsp. l.
• Glass of water.
• Cayenne pepper - a pinch.

Add pieces of peeled chili pepper and a vanilla stick to the water and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. In another container, melt the chocolate, pour in milk, syrup and, stirring constantly, heat until smooth. Add hot vanilla water to the chocolate and bring to a boil. Whisk, pour into cups and dust with cayenne pepper.

What does chocolate of our time consist of?

To get rid of a specific taste, cocoa beans undergo special processing at chocolate factories. The number of cocoa beans in chocolate determines whether it belongs to one type or another.

At least 55% - dark chocolate. Does the chocolate contain milk in addition to grated cocoa and cocoa butter? You can rest assured that this is a representative of milk chocolate. The bar has an unusual white or creamy hue, but in addition to milk and cocoa butter, it contains white chocolate.

Also crushed and whole nuts, raisins, wafers and, of course, sugar or its substitutes (as in diabetic chocolate) are added to chocolate to give it an original taste.

Chemical composition of modern chocolate

What beneficial substances are contained in cocoa beans?

Half of the composition (50%) of cocoa beans is fat, a tenth is nitrogenous substances. The remaining portion is distributed as follows:

• Fiber - from 3 to 9%.
• Starch - from 5 to 10%.
• Tannins and dyes - from 5 to 7%.
• Theobromine - up to 2.4%.
• Pentosans - up to 2%.
• Organic acids - up to 2%.
• Water - from 6 to 9%.
• Ash - from 2.5 to 5%.
• Caffeine - 40%
• Saccharides - 1%.
• Proteins - 11.5%.
• Other minerals and salts - up to 2.6%.

The shell of cocoa beans is rarely used in making chocolate, although it also contains a lot of useful substances.

Composition of cocoa butter

• Triglycerides of saturated fatty acids.
• Theobromine.
• Caffeine.
• Antioxidants.
• Aromatic and tannin substances.

Considering the chemical composition of the main ingredients of real chocolate, you begin to understand what its real benefits are. Only nature could give us such a complex of substances necessary for the human body, contained in such a tasty shell.