Foods, their selection and preparation

As early as 1550 chocolate factories of con¬ siderable size existed in the southern parts of Europe. The first factory in the United States was at Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1765. At the present time the United States leads the world in the manufacture and consumption of chocolate and cocoa. Manufacture. Both cocoa and chocolate are manufactured from the seeds of the cocoa bean. The term cocoa is a corruption of the word cacao. The large pulpy pods contain up to 40 seeds, imbedded in a mucilaginous substance. When matured the pods are split open and the seeds removed, fermented, dried, and cleaned. In the fresh stage, the seeds are very bitter, and, like coffee, the beans must be roasted. The finished product depends upon the roasting process. After roasting, the beans are cracked, the germ is removed, and the shells are separated from the bean fragments by means of fans. The portions of the beans are sorted for size by screening. These kernels or cracked beans, freed from shells, are known as cocoa nibs. In this form, chocolate and cocoa are im¬ ported into this country. The nibs from dif¬ ferent species vary in fat or cocoa-butter content, color, acidity, and bitterness, and, like coffee, are blended for certain results. They are then ground at a temperature suf¬ ficiently high to melt the mixture to a thick oily paste, known as chocolate liquor , which is the foundation of the various chocolate products. Bitter or plain chocolate is made by run¬ ning the paste into molds and cooling it. Bit¬ ter chocolate contains close to 50 per cent fat and may run higher. Sweet chocolate contains some kind of sugar, and may have cocoa butter and flavor¬ ing added to the plain chocolate. These are all mixed well and rolled into cakes of various sizes. Milk chocolate is made from either bitter or sweet chocolate by the addition of milk, whole or skim, evaporated, condensed, or dried — with or without cocoa butter or milk fat and flavoring. Cocoa is made from chocolate by putting the thick, oily chocolate paste into a hydrau¬ lic press and removing a part of the cocoa butter. The cake then is pulverized, and there results a rather dry powder, known as cocoa. This may be as low as 8 per cent fat, although its average is nearer 30 per cent. The fat content must be stated on the label. Breakfast cocoa is a high-fat cocoa. It must contain at least 22 per cent fat. It may be spiced or flavored. Dutch process cocoa differs from that pre¬ pared by the regular or natural process in that it has been treated with an alkaline solution, such as potassium, ammonium, or sodium. This makes the Dutch cocoas darker in color, less acid, and less bitter than natural cocoas. All these chocolate products must have their composition stated definitely on the label of the package. Composition and Nutritive Value. The composition of chocolate and cocoa is more important than that of tea or coffee, since they are added directly to the liquid and become a part of the beverage, contributing appreciably to its energy value.