This is how it turns out cocoa beansdelicious cocoa

Chocolates, chocolate bars, hot chocolate, the famous Sacher cake – if there were no cocoa, we would have to do without all these delicacies. For a long time, only the upper classes of society could afford the cocoa, today there are cocoa-containing products in various forms at affordable prices. Of course, this is not, because it takes a variety of steps until the chocolate or the cocoa powdercan be offered in the shop.

Everything starts with the cocoa tree. The thin, tall trees thrive optimally near the equator because they require a lot of heat and moisture. Originally, the cocoa tree comes from the Amazon region, now there are plantations in areas up to 20 ° south and north of the equator. The fruits sit directly on the trunk and are, as soon as they are ripe, cut off. Then the approximately 500 g heavy fruits are cut in half with machetes and spread. Inside the fruits sit the coveted seeds of the cacao tree. They are extracted and spread on leaves or filled in large vats. There it comes to the fermentation. Once the pulp is released from the beans, the cocoa beans are spread out to dry in the sun. In this form, a large part of the cocoa beans is shipped to many countries in the world for processing.

Further processing begins with roasting the beans. Subsequently, the roasted beans are broken so that the shells of the cocoa nibes – the fragments of the coveted core – can be separated. These fragments are ground and then pressed. In the process, an oil separates out – the cocoa butter. The cocoa butter is needed for the production of chocolate. From the remaining press cake, the cocoa powder is obtained, from which delicious cocoa drinks can be conjured and which also plays an important role in baking.

Chess or heavily de-oiled cocoa?

If you want to buy powdered cocoa today, you can choose from a variety of different products. However, it is better to avoid using instant products, such as those on supermarket shelves in large numbers. Cocoa-containing mixtures for the preparation of cold or hot drinks usually contain too much sugar and the taste experience is also only mediocre.

It is better to opt for pure cocoa powder. This is also available in every well-stocked grocery store. It is worth to take a closer look at the products offered. Cocoa powder is usually offered in two variants – ’slightly de-oiled‘ or ‚heavily de-oiled‘. From this information, it can be seen how much cocoa butter is still present after the pressing process. Slightly de-oiled cocoa contains at least 20% of the valuable cocoa butter, with highly de-oiled cocoa powder it should still be 10%. The higher the proportion of cocoa butter, the more flavorings are still contained in the cocoa powder. Strongly de-oiled cocoa has the advantage that it dissolves more easily in water or milk during the preparation of drinks.

The preparation of hot chocolate – so the popular treat succeeds perfectly

After a long walk through the snowy forest in a cozy environment to enjoy a hot chocolate, this is one of the real pleasures during the winter holiday. But lovers of sweet seduction do not necessarily have to go to the nearest café to enjoy hot chocolate. The preparation is much easier than most people think. Add 1 – 2 heaped teaspoons of cocoa powder with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar in one coffee mugand mix everything thoroughly before adding a little hot water. Stir again thoroughly and then fill the cup with hot milk. The addition of vanilla sugar, cinnamon powder or a hint of chilli gives the chocolate the last whistle.