FOOD & DRINKS
How to choose the perfect chocolate
Chocolate comes in many forms. It can be dark, light or white, in thin and crispy flakes or large, chunky pieces. It is also made from different types of beans with different characteristics depending on where they are grown. Here's how to navigate the chocolate jungle.
What's so good about chocolate?
When Columbus visited America for the fourth and final time, his son, Ferdinand, noted how the natives would throw themselves at a cocoa bean if it fell to the ground. In 1521, Hernán Cortés discovered large quantities of cocoa beans in the royal treasury when he conquered Tenochtitlan. It turned out that cocoa was so valuable that the Mayans had their own cocoa god and the Aztecs used cocoa beans as currency with a higher value than gold and silver. And today, the Western world is almost unthinkable without cocoa and chocolate. What is it that makes chocolate so prized?
A natural product with clear origins
Many people have probably heard of chocolate factories, and it may almost seem as if chocolate is more of a product made in Charlie's Chocolate Factory than in nature. But this is not entirely true: Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, and cocoa beans are difficult to grow. They undergo natural processes such as fermentation and drying and also say a lot about where they come from. Cocoa beans are found inside the cocoa fruit that grows on the cocoa tree, which thrives best in the shade in tropical climates. This makes it difficult to produce cocoa beans on a large scale. Large, open plantations provide too much light for the cocoa tree to thrive, and the beans are therefore often produced by small farmers in the rainforest. The cocoa tree is also perennial and produces fruit all year round. When the cocoa fruit is to be harvested, careful selection of the fruit is therefore required. The farmers are also responsible for getting the beans out of the fruit. This is no easy task, because the beans are stuck in a slimy tissue. The beans are therefore fermented to break down this tissue, before being dried to prevent bacterial growth and rotting during transport to the chocolate manufacturers. In other words, chocolate is definitely a product with a close connection to nature, natural processes and manual labour. So close is the connection to nature that the type of cocoa bean and the place of growth are decisive for the character of the chocolate.
Should it be Criollo, Forastero or Trinitario?
Most manufacturers do not mention what kind of cocoa beans their chocolates are made from. But there are actually many different types. Forastero is the most common, and is therefore rarely mentioned. Criollo is the most exclusive; it gives a mild and complex taste and less bitter chocolate. Trinitario is something in between. Manufacturers who use Criollo or Trinitario often emphasize this.
Madagascar or the Dominican Republic?
Where the cocoa beans are grown also has a lot to do with the taste of the chocolate. Cocoa beans, like grapes, reflect where they come from. For this reason, you can find chocolates that are more fruity or more spicy or earthy.
Dark chocolates can also contain milk or other types of fat than cocoa fat. This affects how acidic the chocolate appears and how easily it melts on the tongue. Cocoa can taste a little acidic. Milk in the chocolate can dampen this acidic taste. Milk also makes the chocolate melt more easily on the tongue. However, if you like the chocolate to have a slightly acidic texture and melt slowly in your mouth so that you get a longer experience of the chocolate, you should choose chocolate with fat only from cocoa. Take a look at the ingredients list to determine whether it is only pure cocoa fat or other types of fat.
Conching - Should it be a waltz?
Chocolate is the result of many processes. One of the most important for taste and texture is conching. This is a process where the chocolate is kneaded in airy and warm conditions. Conching gives the chocolate a finer texture, dampens acidity, removes bitterness and develops flavours. Most chocolate undergoes conching, but there is a big difference in how extensive the conching is.