How is chocolate made into so many delicious varieties?

Question

Can it be grown any place in the USA?
Does it come from only one plant?
What is 'conching'?
Do you know how to successfully sweeten it without sugars or chemicals?
What are your favorite flavors?

Answer 1

http://home.howstuffworks.com/chocolate.htm

http://www.chocolate.org/


http://www.askaquery.com/answers/qn580.h...

Answer 2

I joined a gourmet chocolate tasting group. It had a great post on what makes the different varieties of chocolate.

In summary, chocolate comes from cacao (cocoa). There are 3 kinds of cacao each with many different sub-genres just like any other produce. Each sub-genre has a slightly different flavor. Some are fruity, like citrus or red berries others taste more like coffee, etc. Changing the blend really changes the flavor.

The exception is grocery store candy. This mass produced stuff is trying to make each one taste like all the others. So they use cheap beans without a lot of flavor.

The group has a great post on the subject

Answer 3

The cocoa is broken down. Different amounts of sugars and milks are added for the variety of flavor. I think Hershey's has a website that will explain it.

My fave? Milk or white chocolate! Mmmmm

Answer 4

Yummy subject!

First link is a great site just to explain chocolate--where it comes from, how it is processed...

Here's just a little of what's on that link:
If the nibs are to become Dutch-processed cocoa they are treated with an alkali. If left untreated with alkali the chocolate liquor becomes cocoa powder. To make cocoa power a large press extracts all but 10 to 25 percent the cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor. The remaining cake is then ground and sifted through fine nylon, silk, or wire mesh. Low fat cocoa contains between 10 to 13 percent fat where high-fat contains 15 to 25 percent. Low-fat cocoa is usually used for cocoa drinks. The high-fat cocoa is used to flavor desserts.

To make unsweetened or "baking" chocolate the chocolate liquor is molded and solidified.

Dark chocolate is made by combining chocolate liquor with sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. To make milk chocolate chocolate liquor is combined with cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids or powder.

White chocolate is made without chocolate liquor. It is the cocoa butter that gives it the chocolate flavor. Dipping chocolate is made with more cocoa butter than regular eating chocolate.

2nd link is how much candy we as Americans eat (YIKES!)
Americans eat approximately 26 pounds of candy each year. This is split equally between candy and chocolate.

3nd link is about conching.
Conching is a long process of intense mixing, agitating, and aerating of heated liquid chocolate. During this 23 hour continuous process various off-flavored, bitter substances as well as water vapor evaporate away from the chocolate. The long intense mixing action assures complete coating of every solid particle with cocoa butter, giving the chocolate a well developed and delicious flavor and texture.

4th link are chocolate recipes from Baker's Chocolate--the oldest chocolate company in America (225 years).

I'm off to make something with CHOCOLATE! (probably dark.)

Answer 5

I don't have a recipe for chocolate made w/ Stevia, but will be checking back to see if someone else posts one!
Most of what I know about chocolate is found here:

Chocolate--From Bean to You
http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2005/3/22/article_01.htm

I prefer Very Dark Chocolate!

Answer 6

chocolate comes from cocoa tree and milk, vanilla, strawberry are the favorites