[Illustration: FIG. 10]
62. COCOA and CHOCOLATE are made from the fruit of the cacao, or
chocolate, tree. This tree is native to Mexico, where cocoa was first
used as a beverage, but it is also grown in South America and the West
Indies. The fruit of this tree was named _cocoa Theobroma_, which means
"food for the gods," because of its excellent flavor. The original
natives of Mexico and Peru used cocoa in place of money. When the
Spanish invaded these countries, they learned its use and took it back
to Spain, where it is still a popular beverage. In many localities in
Spain it became a fashionable morning drink, but it was also served at
other times.
63. PRODUCTION OF COCOA AND CHOCOLATE.--The fruit of the cacao tree is
in the form of pods from 6 to 10 inches in length and 3 to 4 inches in
diameter. These pods are filled with a white, pulpy mass in which are
embedded from twenty to forty seeds about twice the size and very much
the shape of kidney beans. Fig. 10 shows the three stages of the
treatment through which the seeds are put before they can be used for a
beverage. After they are removed from the pod, they are fermented and
then dried, when they appear as at _a_. In this form they are packed in
bags and distributed. The beans are then roasted to develop their flavor
and are crushed into small pieces called _cocoa nibs_, as shown at _b_.
The cocoa nibs are then ground fine, when they become almost a liquid
mass because of the very large amount of fat contained in cocoa. To make
the ordinary _bitter chocolate_ used so extensively for cooking
purposes, this mass is run into shallow pans, where it hardens as it
cools. It is often flavored and sweetened and then forms the confection
known as _sweet chocolate_. The application of pressure to bitter
chocolate extracts considerable fat, which is known as _cocoa butter_
and is used largely in creams and toilet preparations. The remaining
material is ground into a powder, as shown at _c_, and becomes the
_commercial cocoa_.
To prevent the formation of a large amount of sediment in the bottom of
the cup, cocoa is treated with various kinds of alkali. Some of these
remain in the cocoa and are supposed to be harmful if it is taken in any
quantity. The cocoas that are treated with alkali are darker in color
than the others. The Dutch cocoas are considered to be the most soluble
and also contain the most alkali.
64. SELECTION OF COCOA AND CHOCOLATE.--Chocolate is usually pure in the
form in which it is sold, because it does not offer much chance for
adulteration. However, the volume of cocoa can be easily increased by
cheaper materials, such as starch, ground cocoa shells, etc. Cocoa so
adulterated should be avoided if possible. Generally the best brands,
although higher in price than others, are free from adulteration, and
from these a selection should be made. The particular brand of chocolate
or cocoa to buy must be governed by the taste of those to whom it is to
be served.