After a few trips in the year 1502 Columbus brought Cacao with him to Spain and the history of chocolate as we know it began. Drinking chocolate soon became the new fashion among the nobles in Spain.
Around 1520 , The Aztec ruler Montezuma II had approximately 24,ooo Cacao grains in one of his treasuries. Cacao was used as currency by the Aztecs as well as the Mayas. Therefore the seemingly strange need to count out the exact amount of beans. The beans were as valuable as any coin. Therefore only the rich and noble could afford to drink Chocolatl. As late as the early twentieth century, Cacao grains were still used as money in Nicaragua.
Carl von Linné gave Cacao the name Theobroma cacao, which translates as Food of the Gods.
It is believed that these seeds or beans originated in the Amazon River basin, later found their way into Southern Mexico and eventually into Venezuela. After Cortez enjoyed his first Chocolatl drink, the Cacao production had spread to Europe and around the world.
While growing on the tree Cacao beans are housed in a hull that resembles a football. It is called a pod which is about (25 to 30 cm) long. Nestled inside each pod are dozens of Cacao beans (20 to 40). Once the outer skin is pulled away to reveal the Cacao bean it appears to be twice the size of almonds.
Many consider it a delicacy to eat raw* or lightly roasted Cacao beans. When the beans are broken into small pieces they are known as (Raw Cacao Nibs)*.
Africa currently yields seventy percent of the world's production of Cacao, it is of low quality and called a hybrid strain. The typical large scale process in Africa is to allow the pod to lay in the sun for several days to dry. This techniques generates a high fermentation level which creates a very pungent, almost rancid alcohol odor to the pod, although this method eases the work of separating the Cacao bean from it's pod.
During fermentation it is the pulp being fermented not the Cacao beans. This gives heat to the bean. From the bean, through the skin escapes a variety of liquids and moisture until the bean is optimally dry at seven percent moisture.
Cooking and roasting the Cacao beans at high temperature eliminates the strong alcohol odor and the earthy dirt like taste caused by this fermentation method.
Typical hybrid strain of Cacao beans has a poor quality. And it requires a tasteful balance to counter any bitterness from fermentation. This is accomplished by adding milk and sugar to make it palatable for consumption as chocolate.
Most companies around the world produce their chocolate by roasting Cacao at high temperatures and this typical process is used to mass-produce most of the chocolate enjoyed around the world.
An ideal process cycle would be to:
- Have the Cacao seeds grown on trees on smaller farms in the Rainforest.
- Hand picked Cacao pods
- Hand peeled Cacao pods
- Slow mill process to avoid heat build up in the bean
- Allow several days for the pods to dry at low altitude to reduce carbon dioxide exposure
- Ensure low fermentation levels.
- Only use hand-processed beans,
- Process at low temperatures to allow the enzymes to remain intact and alive.
- Highest quality strain of Cacao
- Ideal chocolate flavor
- Natural aroma, healthiest, and best quality chocolate
The Cacao Tree has been cultivated in South and Central America within 20 degrees North or South of the Equator for about 3,500 years give or take a month. The best source of Cacao grows in it's natural habitat which is the Rainforest.
* raw also means to be fermented
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