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The Cocao Bean
The Heart of the Sweetest Delicacy in the World
By Madelyn Miller
If you ever seen a cocao bean, you know it is hard to
believe all the delicious things like truffles and other chocolate fantasties
come from this lumpy brown bean. It is the most important ingredient in the
boxes of chocolate you get at Valentines’ Day and all other holiday candies. It
can be an Easter egg, a hollow rabbit, a Santa Claus. In fact, the possiblities
for chocolate are only limited by the mind of the master chocolatier who blends
and molds the chocolate.
 The world’s most renowned sweet began with a little bean
known as “cocao.” The cocao bean, often confused with the “coco” bean because
of an early spelling error from English traders, comes from the fruit of a cocao
tree indigenous to warm, moist climates such as Mexico, Venezuela and Ecuador.
Cocao beans, believed to be first discovered in South
America by the Olmec Indians in 1500 B.C., are found in the center of the cocao
fruit. The yellow, green or violet pods are pulled from the trunk of the cocao
tree and the beans are scooped out. Once the beans are fermented and dried,
they are cleaned, roasted and hulled. The shells of the bean are removed and
the remaining contents, or “nibs,” are blended like coffee beans to produce
different colors and flavors.
 Nibs are then ground until the cocao butter is
released. Heat from the grinding process causes this mixture of cocao butter
and finely ground nibs to melt and form a free-flowing substance known as
chocolate liquor. From there, different varieties of chocolate are produced.
Raw unprocessed chocolate is gritty, grainy and not
suitable for eating. Take my word for it. If someone offers you unprocessed
chocolate, politely decline.
It was Rodolphe Lindt that discovered conching, a process
of rolling and kneading the raw chocolate substance to give it a smoother,
richer quality that chocolate is known for today. What a genius. Now that I know
who is responsible for turning the gritty bean into smooth creamy chocolate, I
will bless his name every time I have chocolate.
Conching is the Magic Word
 The name “conching” comes from the shell-like shape of
Lindt’s rollers. In the conching troughs 100 to 1000 kilograms of chocolate
paste can be heated up to 80°C, while constantly being stirred. The chocolate
paste develops a velvety smoothness with the addition of a cocao butter and
lecithin formula. Through aeration of the liquid chocolate paste, the bitter
taste gradually disappears and the flavor is fully developed and has attained
the outstanding texture that chocolate lovers admire today. Ultimately, the
longer chocolate is conched, the more luxurious it will feel on the tongue.
This makes me think of chocolate beans being massaged. I am a lot less bitter
when you rub me the right way.
Depending on what is added to—or removed from—the chocolate
liquor, different flavors and varieties of chocolate are produced. Each has a
different make-up, and the differences are not solely in the taste:
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Unsweetened or baking chocolate is simply cooled,
hardened chocolate liquor. It is used primarily as an ingredient in
recipes, or as a garnish.
-
Semi-sweet chocolate is also used primarily in recipes.
It has extra cocao butter and sugar added. Sweet cooking chocolate is the
same, with more sugar for taste.
-
Milk chocolate is chocolate liquor with extra cocao
butter, sugar, milk and vanilla added. This is the most popular form for
chocolate. It is primarily an eating chocolate.
-
Coco is chocolate liquor with much of the cocao butter
removed, creating a fine powder. It can pick up moisture and odors from
other products, so it must be kept in a cool, dry place, tightly covered.
There are several kinds of coco:
 White chocolate is somewhat of a misnomer. In the United
States, in order to be legally called “chocolate” a product must contain cocao
solids. White chocolate does not contain these solids, which leaves it a smooth
ivory or beige color. Real white chocolate is primarily cocao butter, sugar,
milk and vanilla. Some products on the market call themselves white chocolate,
but are made with vegetable oils instead of cocao butter. Chocolate lovers
should check the label to avoid these imitations. White chocolate is the most
fragile form of chocolate, so when cooking, consumers should pay close attention
to it while heating or melting it.
 Decorator's chocolate or confectioner's chocolate is a
chocolate flavored candy used for things such as covering strawberries. It was
created to melt easily and harden quickly, but it isn't technically chocolate.
Using decorator's chocolate provides ease and speed for recipes, while using the
real thing requires a little more patience.
The aroma, the texture and the taste are all dependant on
the specific recipes and the quality of its preparation. Thanks to the patented
Lindt conching process, chocolate remains a popular delicacy enjoyed around the
world.
More Fantasies for Chocoholics
Chocolatier Magazine
Great way to get your monthly chocolate fix
125 BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP RECIPES
From cookies to cakes, muffins & more
By Jullie Hasson
www.juliehasson.com
125 BEST CHOCOLATE RECIPES
Recipes designed for maximum impression with minimum fuss
By Julie Hasson
www.juliehasson.com
101 PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
By Gwen Steege
Storey Books
www.storey.com
BITTERSWEET
Recipes and Tales from a life in Chocolate
By Alice Medrich
Artisan Books
www.artisanbooks.com
THE EVERYTHING CHOCOLATE BOOK
By Laura Tyler Samuels
A chocolate lover’s dream collection of cookies, cakes, brownies, candies and
confections. Over 300 recipes
Adams Media Corporation
www.everything.com
BAKE AND FREEZE CHOCOLATE DESSERTS
By Elinor Klivans
120 recipes to make now and enjoy later
www.bdd.com
ALL ABOUT CHCOCOLATE
The ultimate resource for the World’s Favorite Food
By Carole Bloom
McMillan USA
www.mgr.com
CHOCOLATE CRAZY
By Slvia Balser Hirsch
The celebrated Miss Grimble presents more inspired Desserts—all chocolate
MacMillan Publishing Company
Mr. Food Simply Chocolate
Think chocolate goodies are hard to make? Not when you make them Mr. Food’s
way
William Morrow and Company, Inc.
The Chocolate Lover’s Guide
To the Pacific Northwest
By Bobbie Hasselbring
Wordsworth Publishing
CHOCOLATE from the CAKE MIX DOCTOR
By Anne Byrn
Workman PUBLISHING
WWW.workman.com
365 Great Chocolate Desserts
by Natalie Haughton
Harper Collins Publisher
THE TOTALLY CHOCOLATE COOKBOOK
By Helen Siegel and Karen Gillingham
Celestial Arts
CHOCOLATE
THE CONSUMING PASSION
By Sandra Boynton
Workman Publishing
www.workman.com
THE LITTLE BOOK OF CHOCOLATE
By Katherine Khodorowsky and Herve Robert
Published by Flammarion
Distributed by Rizzoli through St. Martin’s Press
CINNAMON MORNINGS AND CHOCOLATE DREAMS
By Pamela Lanier
Lanier Publishing
www.travelguides.com
SOUNDS OF CHOCOLATE
Music from the Chocolate Lands
Unforgettable songs from countries where chocolate originates
produced by Putumayo
www.putumayo.com
GOOD DEEDS WITH CHOCOLATE
Chef Hilly Blondheim has put his culinary skills to good use and turned a simple
boyhood treat into a life-saving instrument in the fight against breast cancer.
Whether its sprinkled on top of fruit or ice cream, to enhance the flavor of
coffee or a smoothie, blended into waffle or pancake batter, used in a chocolate
martini, sampled as fondue, or simply to make the best cup of hot chocolate you
have ever tasted, the possibilities for this gourmet chocolate mix are endless.
www.chefhillyskitchen.com
CHOCOLATE TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES
"The Chocolate Society café and shop at 36 Elizabeth Street, SW1 London. A
mecca for the chocoholic. Celebrating chocolate as a gourmet delicacy, there are
handmade truffles, biscuits and all sorts of other chocolate-based goodies. The
shop is open from Monday to Saturday - for more information call 020 7259 9222."
GREAT CHCOLATE MOUSSE FESTIVAL
New Brunswick, Canada
Sutton Place Hotel weekend chocolate buffet
Toronto, Canada
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Norwegian Caribbean Lines
afternoon chocolate buffet
Chocolate tea buffet
Mark Hotel, New York
Chocolate Festival
Poconos Manor Inn and Golf Resort
Pennsylvania
The Lofts Hotel in downtown Columbus, Ohio is now offering
chocolate lovers the opportunity to enjoy the ultimate chocolate experience,
while indulging in the luxury of The Lofts. Featuring everything from a
chocolate body massage and a lesson in how to make luxurious hand-dipped
chocolates to a souvenir DVD copy of the movie “Chocolat”, the Pure Imagination
Chocolat Lovers Package is a sweet escape.
The Pure Imagination Chocolat Lovers Package starts at just
$349 per couple and includes:
--Deluxe overnight accommodations at the incredible Lofts
Hotel
--Two consecutive 30-minute chocolate massages
--The Pure Imagination Chocolat Experience: private
chocolate making lesson with renowned chocolatier, Daniel Cooper, teaching the
couple how to make hand-dipped chocolates. Guests will take home four
hand-dipped chocolate-covered strawberries and a gift package of European hot
chocolate
--Dinner for two (a $50 value)
--Nightcap of a bottle of champagne and fresh, hand-dipped
truffles
--Breakfast for two in bed
--Souvenir DVD copy of the movie “Chocolat”
To top off this romantic getaway, couples can have a photo
and a sweet message placed on the jumbo 18’x 32’ ADTV (Arena District
Television) screen, located just a block west of The Lofts in the Arena
District. Guests can even have a proposal or “I love you” message strategically
timed for unveiling to a loved one. The cost of ADTV is $35
MADELYN’S FAVORITE CHOCOLATE TREATS
Doubletree Hotel chocolate chip cookies
THE VERY BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES IN THE WORLD
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/February04/WheretoGettheVeryBest.htm
Fairytale Chocolate Brownies 800-fairytale
www.brownies.com
Chocolate Cowboy Crunch from Bumblee Bee’s Baja Grill.
505-820-2862, Santa Fe, New Mexico. You can buzz through and buy them for $2.50
per package. Other irresistible treats are the Cowgirl kisses made of white
chocolate and Espresso Brownies.
MADELYN’S FAVORITE CHOCOLATE DESSERTS
Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity in New York
Lollipop Tree at DavidBurke and Donatella in New York
(okay, it is not ALL chocolate but it is so wonderful I am making an exception)
CHOCOLATE HOTEL
The Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas offers a chocolate replica of its signature
location at Reunion Tower. The Landmark Tower is a decadent dessert filled with
Berry-chocolate ganache and Champagne Mouse on a sea of mango sauce and berries.
At $13 it is a lot better deal than downtown real estate. This stellar sweet is
more than enough for two serious chocoholics and worth every penny for the WOW
factor
Chocolate Sushi at Steel Restaurant in Dallas
TOTAL BODY CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCES
The Golden Door Spa in Carefree, Arizona offers the Chocolate Champagne Body
Wrap. This Valentine's Day-inspired treatment teases the senses with
tantalizing aromas while rejuvenating the skin. The treatment begins with a
double exfoliation using chocolate, Ayurvedic herbs and natural fruit acids. An
anti-oxidant mask of vitamins, green tea, chocolate and fruit of choice is then
applied to the body and spritzed with champagne or healing vanilla water. The
guest is wrapped like a delectable morsel while the active elements begin to
renew and restore the body. Following a light shower, the body is caressed with
an intensive hydrating cream. This unforgettable sensory adventure concludes
with the guest's choice of custom-made chocolate in the same taste as the body
treatment.
At New Orleans Belladona Day spa you can almost OD on
chocolate
But then I believe you can never have too much chocolate.
be a chocoholic: the choco-palooza body deluxe
3 hours - $225.00
This was designed for those who have that never-ending fascination with anything
chocolate. The Choco-palooza begins with a serenely romantic still bath, laced
with chocolate and raspberry sprinkles, nourishing almond oil, exquisite salts,
and healing extracts. Romantic music sets the mood. Scrumptious chocolate
truffles are there for the nibbling. Following the bath, a massage therapist
begins a light exfoliation using a raspberry scrub, rich in vitamin B and aloe
vera. This gentle scrub enhances the appearance of the skin and is preparation
for the Chocolate Surrender Body Treatment, a chocolate body mask rich,
soothingly smooth and great for any skin type, especially after a harsh winter.
While the face is cocooned in the mask, the therapist massages the face, neck
and scalp. After a shower, the therapist applies "raspberry syrup" to eradicate
stress. Belladonna’s special Relief Gel gets at those difficult spots in the
back, and a decadent chocolate paraffin melts away the last resistance. A
50-minute massage utilizing Belladonna’s chocolate syrup massage oil completes
the Choco-palooza.
mini choco-palooza
90 minutes - $125.00
For those who don’t have time for the deluxe treatment, the abbreviated
Choco-palooza is an option. This mini-version of the previous service entails a
scrumptious exfoliation using a raspberry scrub to enhance and prepare the skin
for the Chocolate Surrender Body Treatment. This chocolate body mask is rich and
lusciously hydrating to winter-ravaged skin. After a shower the next step is the
Chocolate Stress Relief utilizing a chocolate whip crème, a silky moisturizer
rich in willow and aloe vera followed by an application of Relief Gel and
chocolate paraffin. A massage with chocolate whip crème follows. And it’s
all calorie-free.
manicure au chocolat
1 hour - $40.00
This delicious manicure completely pampers with chocolate and raspberry products
designed to treat and repair the hands. Belladonna’s chocolate nutty scrub is
a luxurious way to smooth away dry flaking skin and allow the rich avocado oil,
vitamins and nutritious meadow foam seed oil to do their thing. After a massage
using "raspberry syrup," rich in anti-oxidizing vitamins and extracts, the hands
are submerged in the utmost of decadence -- chocolate/raspberry paraffin --
known for its hydrating benefits. This manicure’s finishing touches are an
application of Chocolate Whip Crème and polish. All are calorie-free except the
delicious truffles on hand for nibbling.
pedicure au chocolat
1 hour - $55.00
This sweet treat for the feet utilizes the utmost in decadent chocolate
products. The feet are gently soaked in chocolate sprinkles, which will raise
anyone's spirits and relax the mind. Rough, dry skin is then exfoliated with
Chocolate Blizzard, a natural sea salt scrub infused with rich oils and extracts
to assist in revitalizing dull skin. A delicious cocoa aroma enhances the whole
experience. Raspberry syrup caresses the feet and legs to release all remaining
stress. The Chocolate Surrender Mask soothes the feet. Chocolate truffles are
served and a Chocolate Whip Crème application provides the finishing touch.
CHOCOLATE DRINKS
The Chocolate Jacuzzi Martini
Balcony Club 1825 Abrams Rd @ La Vista Dr. Dallas, TX 75214-
6617 214-826-8104
MOST EROTIC CHOCOLATE OPPORTUNITY
Todos Santos in Santa Fe, New Mexico offers a chocolate kama sutra set. Since I
visited right after Valentine’s Day, they were sold out. Not surprisingly, they
cost $69. They can ship them anywhere with a weeks notice. I am sorry I could
not photograph them to give my readers a titillating preview.
Another interesting offering is “after dinner saints”. You
could also use them after any sin. Saint boxes cost $28 for a box of four, $56
for a box of eight and $84 for twelve saints. I wonder what sins you commit
would need a dozen saints for redemption?
Todos Santos Chocolates and Confections, 125 East Palace
Avenue #31, Santa Fe, New Mexico (505) 982-3855
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