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Saturday, July 27, 2013

Cacao bean also known as ...



For over 3000 years, chocolate, like gold, has been highly prized.
Cacao bean also known as cocoa bean often simply cocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty bean.
A cocoa pod (fruit) has a rough and leathery rind about 3 cm thick (this varies with the origin and variety of pod). It is filled with sweet, mucilaginous pulp enclosing 30 to 50 large seeds that are fairly soft and white to a pale lavender color. While seeds are usually white, they become violet or reddish brown during the drying process. The exception is rare varieties of white cacao in which the seeds remain white.
Cocoa can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; to cocoa powder, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids; or to a mixture of cocoa powder and cocoa butter.
Do u know to make 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of chocolate, about 300 to 600 beans are processed, depending on the desired cocoa content. In a factory, the beans are roasted. Next they are cracked and then de shelled by a "winnower". The resulting pieces of beans are called nibs. They are usually sold in small packages at specialty stores and markets to be used in cooking, snacking, and chocolate dishes.
Chocolate and cocoa is considered to be a rich source of antioxidants.
FACTS . .
Cocoa, from which chocolate is created, is said to have originated in the Amazon at least 4,000 years ago.
Chocolate, derived from the seed of the cocoa tree, was used by the Maya Culture, as early as the Sixth Century AD. For the Mayas, cocoa pods symbolized life and fertility...
Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree that are roasted, husked, and ground (without removing the fat) and often sweetened (with sugar) and flavored (with vanilla).
Dark chocolate contains about 55% sugar and 45% cocoa solids.
Milk chocolate is the most popular kind of chocolate. It consists of 50% sugar, 35% milk solids, and 15% cocoa solids.
White chocolate is made from sugar, cocoa butter, dry milk solids, and flavoring.
The flavor of milk chocolate begins to deteriorate after about 6 months.
The flavor of dark chocolate improves with time for up to 18 to 24 months.
Nine out of ten people like chocolate. It is said that the tenth person probably lies! So many people eat chocolate when they are sad or feeling down. Others crave the stuff, claiming they are addicted to chocolate.

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