One of the most popular foods in the world, chocolate comes in different forms, including artisanal and industrial. How to make industrial chocolate? In this document, we’ll take a detailed look at the industrial chocolate-making process, adding additional instructions at each step.
Required Ingredients
In general, to make industrial chocolate, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Cocoa beans: Cocoa beans are the main ingredient in industrial chocolate. They are rich in antioxidants and essential nutrients and are responsible for chocolate’s unique flavor.
- Cocoa butter: Cocoa butter is extracted from cocoa beans and added to give chocolate its smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Sugar: Sugar is added to soften its natural bitterness and create a more pleasant taste.
- Milk powder: Adding milk powder can give chocolate a creamy texture and further mellow the flavor. Soy lecithin: Soy lecithin is added as an emulsifier and prevents the chocolate from separating.
- Vanilla: The addition of vanilla gives the chocolate a more complex and delicate flavor.
Industrial Manufacturing Steps
- Cocoa Bean Roasting – The cocoa beans are first roasted to remove the outer shell and release their natural flavor. This step is crucial because it determines the flavor and aroma of the final chocolate. Cocoa beans can be roasted at different temperatures and times to create unique flavors.
- Grinding – The cocoa beans are then ground into a liquid cocoa mass, called “cocoa liquid” or “cocoa paste.” This paste is very bitter and is often mixed with sugar and other ingredients to make chocolate.
- Pressing – The cocoa mass is pressed to extract the cocoa fat, known as cocoa butter. This step is important because cocoa butter is used to give chocolate its smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Blending – Cocoa butter is blended with sugar, milk powder, and soy lecithin to form a homogeneous paste called “chocolate.” This paste is then heated and churned in a machine called a “conqueror” to improve its texture and flavor.
- Conching – The chocolate spread is then heated and churned in a machine called a “concher” to improve its texture and flavor. The length of this step depends on the type of chocolate you want to produce.
- Tempering – The chocolate is then cooled and reheated to a specific temperature to give it a smooth, glossy texture. This step is important because it allows the chocolate to harden properly and have a pleasant texture in the mouth.
- Molding – The chocolate is finally molded into various shapes and sizes before being packaged and prepared for sale. This step may include the addition of nuts, dried fruit, or other ingredients to create a unique flavor.
It’s worth noting that recipes can vary between chocolatiers and brands. However, with these basic steps, you can produce industrial-quality chocolate. Moreover, efficient industrial chocolate production requires professional chocolate processing equipment!