Cacao to Chocolate - Tastefully Done!

Cy Olney, representing Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker gave a presentation on the origins of chocolate, the details of processing chocolate, and qualities to look for in a fine chocolate.

 

Mr. Olney opened his presentation by questioning members about the source of cocoa beans. They are the fruit of a cacao tree growing only in the tropics. Seeds are contained in pods and are surrounded by a gelatinous, sweet paste that is favored by subhuman primates and other mammals in its native state. The beans are not consumed by the primates and are left to dry and ferment resulting in a bean that can be roasted, shelled and eaten..

 

The cacao trees can produce 2 crops a year. Most of the beans procured by Scharffenberger to make their chocolate are purchased from small farmers, usually cultivating 1-2 or 3 acres. The farmers separate the beans from the pod and allow them to ferment and then dry in the sun. This produces the richest quality of cacao. His company, has one of the 3 experts in the world on tasting raw cacao beans who is able to determine the quality of the chocolate that they will ultimately produce, with all of its nuances. His company only buys beans that have been fermented in their native country by natural means and have been allowed to dry slowly in the sun. The beans are purchased in small quantities and are identified by their plantation of origin. These small batches flow through the process of making chocolate without being mixed with beans from other areas or of differing qualities.

 

The normal process of commercially preparing chocolate involves separating the beans from the pod, allowing them to ferment, sometimes with temperature manipulation, drying them, roasting them, and then removing the shell which leaves something called cacao nibs which is actually what is ground-up to an emulsion and extruded as cocoa butter which is then further refined in a device called a conch were additives  ( mainly sugar) .

are mixed with it resulting in the final product – fine chocolate.

 

The most common additive to the mixture at this time is sugar. Most of the commercially available chocolate products such as Hershey's, Nestlé's, etc. contain between 10-15% cacao. Products made by Scharffenberger contain as much as 82% cacao which results in a very strong and dark chocolate. Other solids may be added to the product including milk to give it a smoother and more subdued flavor.

 

Mr. Olney is working on pairing chocolate and wine, and presented each member with 4 pieces of chocolate of varying degrees of cacao content along with a small amount of port wine which made for a very pleasant and exhilarating taste experience.

 

The company for which he works has been purchased by Hershey's, but they have been allowed to continue to procure their beans and to process them according to their original process which sets them apart from the standard Hershey bar of chocolate that is available at grocery stores etc. Scharffen Berger products are available at Big John's Market in Healdsburg, Molsberry’s markets and at Ferrari-Carano Winery.