On a recent trip to Quebec City, a visit to Erico’s Chocolate Museum gave a glimpse into the history of this delectable delight. The self-guided tour began with a look into the cacao plant itself, and its native roots in Central and South America. Needing much rain and little direct sunlight, the tree itself produces fruit from 5 years of age to 50. Of the 100,000 trees that flower annually, only about 25-40 thousand actually bear pods, each pod containing about 30-40 beans.
The History of Cacao
A Mayan legend states that one day a man saw a monkey sucking on pulp from a plant, so the man tried the same. Liking it, he began experimenting with his new discovery and leading him to dry and roast the beans as well. Eventually this led him to grind the beans and make a drink from it. Later on, the Aztecs would improve upon this method and eventually this would come to be used as currency.
By the 10th century Quetzalcoatl reigned over the Toltec people. He became revered as a god because he passed the knowledge of harvesting cacao to the general public. Wanting immortality, Quetzalcoatl went to the sorcerer Tezcatlipoca, who turned out to be jealous of the king. The sorcerer gave the king a potion that caused him to go mad, therefore fleeing on a raft. As he left, the king said he would return, bringing misfortune to the land when he did.
Bringing Chocolate to Europe
In 1519, Cortes came to the New World and was easily able to overrun the native inhabitants who thought that the Spaniard was indeed the returning Quetzalcoatl. Taking the knowledge of the cacao plant with him to Europe, cooks began experimenting with different flavors including adding vanilla and cinnamon. By the 17th and 18th centuries, it was being used to cure ailments ranging from digestive disorders and chest congestion. The final step to perfection was the discovery of tempering, the process of making chocolate undergo a series of temperature changes to ensure uniform crystallization therefore giving chocolate the appealing sheen.
Tempering Chocolate
The process of tempering begins with melting the chocolate to 40-50 degrees Celsius. Once heated, the liquid is spread on a marble slab and solid pieces are added to cool the mixture to 27 degrees. The mixture is then again heated to 32 degrees and kept between 30-31 degrees. Once cooled completely, a clean break is a sign of good tempering.
The Color of Chocolate
When choosing chocolate, it can range from 0% cacao to 100%. White chocolate, the byproduct of making chocolate, contains no cacao at all. Milk chocolate contains anywhere from 33-40% cacao and mid-dark from 50-59% cacao. For those who like a more bitter taste there is dark chocolate, containing 60-66% cacao. For the chocolate purists, there is extra dark, ranging from 67-85% cacao.
Before you bite into a piece of chocolate, reflect on the long journey this sweet has made, not just the distance the bean itself has traveled but also the evolution of the dessert itself, from pulp to candy.
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