The cracked beans designated for each blend go first to the "mixer" and then to the "grinders," which reduce them to a thick, oily liquid.
If "plain" or "bitter" chocolate is being made, the manufacture is then complete. The liquid is cooled to the proper temperature and run into molds where it remains until cooled to hard cakes by refrigerating machines.
For "sweet chocolate," cocoa-butter and sugar are added to the liquid which comes from the grinders, and mixed in the "melanger" or mixer, and the resulting paste is sent through the "rollers," coming from them smooth, even and with all the air pressed out.
For "Vanilla Chocolate," some high-grade vanilla beans, and in some cases a small quantity of spices such as cinnamon and cloves, are added at the same time as the sugar.
In "Spanish Chocolate" and similar varieties, almonds are often used instead of vanilla and with the addition of cinnamon and cloves.
The paste which comes from the rollers is next weighed off and placed in molds— being thoroughly shaken down in them by automatic agitators.
For "Cocoa" or "breakfast cocoa," the liquid which comes from the grinders is deprived of some of its oil or butter, leaving a comparatively hard dry substance which is ground to powder and bolted through very fine silk screens. Only the fine powder passes through, the remainder being held to grind over again. This is put up for the market in various sizes of cartons and cans.
One of the distinguishing char acteristics of absolutely pure cocoa when ready for the market is a rich, reddish color, commonly known among artists as "cacao-red." When the powder is so dark as to appear almost black it is generally a sign that it has been artificially colored, or that it was made from imperfectly cleansed beans of a poor quality.
Cocoa contains a percentage of theobromine which corresponds to the stimulating properties of tea and coffee, but its high merit lies principally in its very large proportion of nutritive sub stances—roasted cocoa beans contain an average of 49% pure oil, 18% protein matter, 10% starch, and 7% other car bohydrates, etc.—contained in a form which is very palatable, however it is taken into the system—whether as a beverage or confection, in puddings, cakes, etc. Its value is highly regarded by all civilized governments—in Europe and the United States, chocolate is a part of the army ration as a food and of the navy ration as a beverage.
The United States is to-day the largest cocoa consuming country in the world. During 1910, more than 115,000,000 pounds of cocoa beans were imported into the United States—nearly one-third of the entire world production. The chief sources of the crude beans received here are the British West Indies (chiefly Trinidad), Brazil, Portuguese Colonies, Ecuador, San Domingo, Venezuela, East Indies, Dutch Guiana, Cuba, etc.
Some prepared cocoa and chocolate is imported froin Germany, Holland, France, Spain, Switzerland and other European countries, but, on the other hand, the United States is beginning to figure as an exporter of the prepared article.
Dutch cocoas are distinguished by their treatment with sodium carbonate or ammonium hydrate. The reason given is that the process makes a greater percentage of protein available as a nutrient by destroying the cellular tissues. The objection to the process is that it increases the proportion of mineral salts. The apparent result is to make the cocoa darker in color and more frothy when prepared for drinking.
By U. S. standards, Plain or Bitter Chocolate is the mass obtained by grinding cocoa nibs without the removal of any constituent except the germ, and contains not more than 3% ash, insoluble in water, 3.5% crude fibre and 9% starch, and not less than 45% cocoa fat. sweet Cocoa should not contain more than 60% sugar. No choco late or cocoa preparation should contain in the sugar-and-fat-free residue a higher percentage of ash, fibre or starch than found in the fat-free residue of Plain Chocolate.
The principal commercial classifications as they interest the consumer are : Cocoa: the ground cocoa bean, from which part of the oil or fat has been extracted, sold in powdered form. Because of the smaller quantity of oil, cocoa is more acceptable to many digestions than the richer chocolate. It may be added that the fact that the cocoa tin is not full when opened does not necessarily imply short measure. The tins used by manufacturers are larger than required for the weight called for, as cocoa fresh from the machines bulks a little larger than after it has been shaken down in commercial handling.