The most common is Forastero, which occupies about 70% of the market. This variety has a pronounced tart flavor and a characteristic bitterness or sourness. Its unpretentiousness and high resistance to disease result in high yield rates.
The Criollo variety has a magnificent multifaceted aroma with nutty notes, a noble taste, and barely noticeable bitterness. Unfortunately, it is highly susceptible to adverse environmental effects. It also has a low resistance to diseases. Therefore, Criollo accounts for only about 5-8% of the total amount of cocoa beans on the market.
Trinitario is a hybrid variety bred by crossing Criollo and Forastero. In terms of taste and aromatic qualities, it resembles the noble Criollo. It also has a high resistance to diseases, inherited from Forastero. Please note: flavor characteristics depend not only on the variety but also on the geography of cocoa bean growth.
Geography and flavor of cocoa beans
Caribbean islands: light tobacco and woody notes;
Madagascar: lower-calorie cocoa with fruity notes;
São Tomé: intense chocolate flavor, pronounced aroma, with bitterness and a slight earthy hue;
Java Island: spicy and peaty notes, noticeable acidity;
Brazil: pronounced bitterness/acidity;
Ghana: intense chocolate flavor, hints of cinnamon;
Côte d'Ivoire: strong chocolate flavor with earthy notes;
Harvesting and processing cocoa beans
Cocoa pods are still harvested by hand. They are carefully cut so as not to damage the tree bark. The seeds (the actual cocoa beans) and the pulp are extracted from the harvested pods. Next comes fermentation - a process of natural brewing. Thanks to fermentation, the beans acquire a pronounced flavor, aroma, and rich color. Then it's time for drying. The beans will dry in natural conditions - in the sun, until their moisture level drops to 7%. Not lower - otherwise they will not survive transportation.
Cleaning
It's time to clean the raw material from impurities and discard low-quality beans. Cleaning is carried out in several stages:
Roasting
The roasting process helps fully reveal the magnificent chocolate aroma and make the taste milder. Roasting also contributes to the final separation of the cocoa shell from the kernel. Depending on the variety, beans are subjected to heat treatment of varying intensity and duration. If alkalized products are planned to be made from the raw material, the beans are first crushed, then alkalized, dried, and only then roasted.
Cocoa products: production, application
Nibs. The name "nibs" is new for the Russian-speaking audience and is borrowed from English. These are crushed and roasted cocoa beans, peeled from the shell. Also known as cocoa nibs. They are mainly used as a crunchy texture, for making homemade chocolate, or for decorative purposes.
How to choose a quality product. Before buying cocoa nibs, inquire about the manufacturer. To reduce the cost, an unscrupulous manufacturer does not clean the beans from the shell. This significantly worsens their taste and appearance. We recommend paying attention to the products of the Belgian company Callebaut. Their main advantage is the control of the full production cycle, starting from growing cocoa pods. Plus multi-stage checks at each stage, thanks to which the products meet high quality standards.
Cocoa liquor. Crushed beans (cocoa nibs) are carefully ground in several stages. As a result of this process, the temperature of the raw material rises, the cocoa butter melts and turns into a liquid state. The quality of cocoa liquor also directly depends on the degree of cleaning of the bean kernels from the cocoa shell. The better the cleaning, the higher the cocoa butter content, and accordingly, the greater the fluidity. Cocoa liquor goes on sale in a solid form. It is mainly used in cosmetology and for making homemade chocolate.
Making cocoa powder and cocoa butter
To get cocoa butter and powder, liquid cocoa liquor is pressed and squeezed under high pressure. As a result, the butter separates from the cocoa cake, which is subsequently ground into cocoa powder. The longer the exposure time, the lower the fat content in the finished powder. For food use, cocoa butter is deodorized and steamed, which gives it a neutral smell and taste.
How to choose and where to buy cocoa butter and powder
Recommended brands: Cacao Barry and Callebaut.
If you need to increase the fluidity of chocolate or draw a pattern on chocolates, choose cocoa butter in the form of callets. Mycryo - powdered cocoa butter - is ideal for tempering. Cocoa butter is sold in cosmetology stores, health goods, and stores for pastry chefs. Buying cocoa butter for chocolate is easiest in specialized pastry shops. In other places, the product is presented in the form of blocks, which are not very convenient to use.
In addition, you will be immediately consulted on the types of cocoa powder, which is also not simple. Alkalized powder dissolves well in liquids and is excellent for making cold desserts and drinks. The percentage of fat content in cocoa powder is also a very important factor when choosing a product. Cocoa powder exists in various color variations. Black, brown, and even red. Farina online store has a wide range of cocoa products. You can buy various types of cocoa powder from us, as well as buy cocoa butter in Kharkiv, with delivery throughout Ukraine.
