Chocolate Glossary 2

What are Cacoa Nibs?

Cacao nibs also known as cocoa nibs, are roasted cacao beans that have been cracked (broken into smaller pieces) and winnowed removing of the outer vale. Although technically they can be defined as chocolate, they are bitter and require further refining and flavouring before tasting like conventional chocolate.



What is a cocoa press?

The hydraulic cocoa press is the machine that revolutionised chocolate making. Invented by Coenraad Johannes van Houten (or Conrad van Houten as he is more commonly known) 1829, it enabled the pressing out of much of the fat (cocoa butter) from the chocolate liquor. The cocoa press is considered to be responsible for beginning of the industrialization of chocolate making.


What is Conching?

Conching is a system of refinement for cocoa in the chocolate making process. The cocoa liquor (chocolate's main ingredient) is pressed to remove the cocoa
butter and the remaining powder or cake (as it is often called) is placed in large vats where it is slowly stirred and aerated for a few hours (in some cases
up to 12 hours for really fine chocolate). The movement produces heat which helps to melt the substance into a paste. The self-generated heat also causes
unwanted acidic tones to evaporate. This process of careful refinement produces a smoother and creamier tasting chocolate. The name 'Conching' comes from the early apparatus's similarity to conch shells.

What is Chocolate Dutching?

Dutching is a chocolate treatment pioneered by the Dutch chocolate maker and inventor Conrad van Houten. It is the process of adding an alkalizing agent to cocoa powder to neutralize unwanted bitter tasting acids, improve its appearance and enable better solubility in water. It is commonly used in drinking chocolate and cheaper chocolate products as the process improves the taste of cheaper/lesser quality cacao beans.
Chocolate Dutching is also known as Dutch Process chocolate and Dutched chocolate.

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