Indulge in the Art of Chocolate Making: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Own Sweet Masterpieces

• In an interview for The Diarychef chocolatier Edward Lujano explained the process behind the creation of a chocolate bar

Chocolate is a delicacy that comes from the cocoa bean, a food that is grown in various parts of the world such as South America, Central America, West Africa and Asia. Its pleasant flavor and aroma, as well as its health benefits, have made this product a favorite for many people.

According to recordsIn Venezuela, cocoa drink was the common food of indigenous and black slaves during the colonial period. Over the years, chocolate in the country took on different forms and flavors.

Chef chocolatier Edward Lujano explained for The Diary the process behind a chocolate bar and all the derivatives that can be obtained from a cocoa bean.

“Chocolate making begins at the plantation”

The cocoa industry specialist said that to obtain good chocolate, the process of planting, harvesting and fermentation of cocoa must be evaluated. In this regard, he said that Venezuela has one of the best cocoa in the world due to its aromas and flavors.

Our cocoa is high quality Criollo and Trinitario. We have the greatest biodiversity of Criollo cocoa in the world, with more than 30 categories. The chocolate making process really begins at the plantation,” he said.

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Lujano said that the producer selects the seeds from the best fruits to plant new trees. The best seedlings can begin to bear fruit in the third or fourth year. Although the first productions are small, they increase over the years.

According to the expert, the plant begins to produce cocoa through pollination that is only carried out by an insect called porciformia, which pollinates the cocoa flower so that it grows and matures in a range of four to six months.

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After obtaining the ripe cocoa pod, Lujano explained that producers are responsible for opening and shelling it. The seed is covered by a white layer called mucilage, a key complement for fermentation in sweet wooden boxes.

The cocoa is fermented for between four and seven days, depending on the type of bean, and then goes to the drying yard, where the beans receive sunlight for five to eight days. Once an optimal level of internal humidity is reached, which is measured by the producers, the beans are stored in sacks.

“The percentage of fermentation and humidity used when making chocolate will determine certain aromas and flavors that can be found in a bar of chocolate,” he said.

He added that this is an aspect that chocolatiers consider when purchasing cocoa beans.

How is chocolate made?

Edward Lujano highlighted that after carrying out the cleaning selection of the cocoa seeds and categorizing them into large, medium and small, the process for obtaining cocoa derivatives begins.

The process is as follows:

–Roasting or roasting of cocoa beans: from 100 to 120 degrees of temperature for between 20 minutes or an hour.

–Peeled: to separate the shell that covers the grain to leave only the seed.

–Grinding: passes through a coarse pre-mill and a medium one to grind the seed.

–Refined: It is made in a refining machine and sugar is added to obtain a smooth paste.

“In this refining process, a process called conching is also carried out, which is the constant agitation of the chocolate at a certain temperature that allows the lactic and acetic acids contained in the cocoa seeds to evaporate. This is really one of the greatest secrets for a good chocolate,” he stressed.

Once the refining and conching period has passed, the chocolate must be tempered to improve its texture. At this point, nuts or other ingredients such as raisins or sea salt can be added. It is then placed in crystallization molds and once hardened and wrapped, it is ready for consumption.

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Other derivatives

The chocolate expert said that the grinding and refining of cocoa results in what is known as cocoa paste or liquor, which is the product of grinding the nibs (seeds).

“We can further refine this cocoa paste and put it into a hydraulic or special industrial press, where it is hot pressed,” he explained.

From this pressing process, a solid block of cocoa is obtained, which is then ground and sifted again to obtain cocoa powder. On the other hand, cocoa butter is obtained from the pressing process, which is used to make white chocolate.

The differences between chocolate and candy

Gabriel Balbás, a sommelier who has been working with chocolate for more than 15 years, explained in a previous interview with El Diario that chocolate is a recipe of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sweetness of at least 1%. In this sense, he specified that if this formula fails, what is obtained is a candy, an analogue or substitute, which are different products.

Balbás said it is important for consumers to read the ingredients on the label before buying a chocolate bar. “If the word cocoa is not among the first three ingredients, that chocolate does not have the necessary quality to be called chocolate as such,” he said.

According to the El Chocolatero Venezuela website, candy chocolate is characterized by its high content of sugar, saturated fats and additives such as artificial coloring and flavoring.

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Types of chocolate

Edward Lujano explained that the percentages in chocolates refer to the amount of cocoa paste or liquor and sugar they contain. “When we talk about 80% dark chocolate, it indicates that this percentage is the amount of cocoa and the rest is sugar,” he said.

On the other hand, he explained that milk chocolate is made up of cocoa paste, sugar and milk, while white chocolate is obtained from a mixture of cocoa butter, milk and sugar.

“Once we have this chocolate, we can make processed bars, truffles or fine chocolates. It can also be used for bakery confectionery in very specific preparations,” he added.

The hot chocolate drink can be made from cocoa paste, which is widely sold in Venezuela in panelas or small cups, or with chocolate bars or cocoa powder.

Lujano reiterated that in Venezuela, more than 12 aroma and flavor profiles can be found in specialty and high-quality cocoa, which is of value to chocolate producers around the world.

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