Cacao
Aztec Indians and Christopher Columbus Use Cacao Beans for Different Reasons other than Chocolate Dessert Recipes
Criolla cacao beans are best grown in Central and South America. Although accounting for only a small portion of the world’s chocolate production, these beans are thought to generate the superior chocolate. The powerful but subtle aroma of the Criolla beans combined with the smooth mild flavor creates chocolate bars beseeching to the appetite. Christopher Columbus found the Indians of Central America using the cacao beans for money but did not realize that it was more than money. When Cortez conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico, he found the favorite drink of the ruler, Montezuma, was made from these beans.
Within this region of Central and South America, the various countries, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Ecuador, each claim their cacao beans are best. Probably the two biggest competitors are Venezuela and Ecuador. Chocolate from Ecuador is a mild tasting chocolate with a floral and nutty flavor which has a pleasing chocolate fragrance. As it melts in the mouth, the taste is balanced meaning it does not vary as it melts. The chocolate from Venezuela has a deep fruity flavor. As it melts in the mouth, it will vary in the flavor.
Today cacao trees are grown in countries around the world. West Africa and the Ivory Coast area is now the largest producer of cacao beans in the world, mostly the Forastero type. These beans have a strong bitter taste and are the cheapest to purchase. Surprising research will expose that many of our expensive famous brands of chocolate, found in our stores today come from this source. The great debate over the cacao industry of this region unfortunately, is not the quality of cacao produced but of the labor used. The majority is slave labor using children as young as nine or ten years old and working them ten or twelve hours a day. This makes it possible to sell the cacao at such cheap prices from this area. The large buyers of these cacao beans claim they cannot control the production using this slave labor.
A blend of the Criolla and Forastero flavors can be found in the Trinitario cacao. The Trinitario gets its name from the Island, Trinidad where it was first known to have been originally grown. This chocolate has hints of earth, spice and fruit in its flavor. As you taste this chocolate, first there is a noticeable sweetness in the taste, then a sourness followed by bitterness and it does not have a strong chocolate aroma. Only a small percentage of the Trinitario is used in the world chocolate. The Trinitario cacao beans were introduced to the Asian culture by the Spanish, who brought them from Mexico. The first planting in this region was in the Philippines where they had a long history of growing Criolla cacao trees on the island of Java. Asian chocolate differs from Trinidad’s by being known to have a well balanced flavor with a clean cocoa taste.
About the Author
Frances Moore, chef and author, along with the help from daughter, Kelly has created http://www.painlesscooking.com to teach everything there is to know about cooking. Learn to choose the right chocolate to make great chocolate cakes. Find delicious recipes here http://www.painlesscooking.com/chocolate-layer-cake.html
Portlandia s01e02 – Cacao excerpt
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