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Monthly Archives: December 2008
Cocoa Production: Ghana
Well I thought it was about time that we took a closer look at some of the biggest chocolate producing countries. As Ghana produces somewhere in the region of one-quarter of the world’s cocoa beans, I figured this would be … Continue reading
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How Chocolate is Made
Unfortunately, chocolate production isn’t something that can really be done in a domestic kitchen very easily. It’s a shame as it would be great to be able to whisk up a batch of chocolate bars on demand. For the time … Continue reading
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Chocolate Ingredients
Obviously, cocoa beans are a pretty important ingredient in chocolate but what else is required to produce your favourite sweet treat? Well, this isn’t actually a straightforward question to answer and it really depends on the variety and quality of … Continue reading
Processing the Cocoa Bean
So, how exactly does a knobbly looking pod, filled with a load of little beans end up being a delicious bar of smooth, creamy chocolate? Well, there’s a pretty complicated process involved and I’m happy to leave it to the … Continue reading
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The Main Cocoa Growing Regions
Despite originating in Central and South America, cocoa is now grown in a much larger area and the biggest producers are actually in West Africa. This is due to the expansion of production and the opening of new markets. It’s … Continue reading
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The Three Types of Cocoa Bean
Over the years the cocoa trees have merged and mingled in the process called cross-pollination and this has resulted in a diverse range of beans that have distinct characteristics. These produce a diverse range of flavours and are used for … Continue reading
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Cocoa Bean Growing Conditions
As we’ve already discovered, the cocoa tree is native to the forests of Central and South America, enjoying a hot, humid environment but also a little shade. It’s now grown in many more regions but it is still limited to … Continue reading
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History of Chocolate in Europe
For many years, chocolate remained a secret of the Americas as the Mayan and Aztec cultures enjoyed the fruits of the cocoa tree and supped away on cups of frothy chilli chocolate. However, with the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, … Continue reading
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Chocolate in Aztec Culture
The mighty Aztecs reined supreme over vast tracts of Mesoamerica and cocoa can take at least some of the praise for the later success of this great civilisation. In these days before bank accounts and dollar bills, cocoa was actually … Continue reading
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The Discovery of Cocoa
There can’t be many people who can resist the temptation of a delicious bar of chocolate. It’s one of life’s great pleasures and, if you ask me, it should be given out free of charge just to make people’s lives … Continue reading
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