FROM BEAN-TO-BAR

		FROM BEAN-TO-BAR
		FROM BEAN-TO-BAR
		The chocolate making process may not be the first thing you think about when enjoying a cup of coffee and some good chocolate. You are, of course, aware that it is a delicious piece of chocolate, and you enjoy the combination, the moment and the flavour. However, you may not be conscious of just how far those cocoa beans have travelled from the wild jungle, to become the chocolate in your mouth. There are many processes that can be fine-tuned. This is why there is so much difference between chocolate. The process of making chocolate can be compared to the process of developing wine. An important factor is, of course, the raw material - its nature and origin, where it has grown and how it is treated during its growth. The next factor is the method and period of fermentation that the cocoa beans undergo, and how they are then dried. It is important that each bean in this early process is fermented to perfection and that the entire surface is dried, without any mould having formed.  The cocoa fruits are picked and each one is divided in two in order to take the seeds out. The cocoa beans are actually seeds! Hereafter the beans are fermented in baskets and dried in the sun for some days and afterwards sorted to remove dirt, small stones and any fruit remains. The beans are then roasted, which is essential for the development of flavour. It sounds nice to roast beans over an open fire, as they have done until now in the Bolivian jungle town of Baures, but roasting is an extremely important part of the process that the beans undergo. This is where the chocolate flavour is developed, just as when you toast pine nuts in a pan at home. The pine nuts must be toasted just enough to become golden and crisp, and to bring out the delicious nutty flavour, but roasting too much causes them to become rancid and burnt. They also have to be toasted evenly on each side. Here it is important to know your beans; not all beans need roasting for the same length of time or at the same temperature. During the slow roasting process, the beans begin to develop a chocolate aroma. The beans are then crushed, and become, what we call nibs. Roasting is a science that today’s advanced roasting machines can handle on a much higher and more sophisticated level than roasting over an open fire, or the more primitive versions of roasting machines. Europe is leading the advancement of this process with sophisticated equipment. The nibs are now dark brown, have a water percentage that has been reduced to below 1%, and an aroma of chocolate. The roasted nibs are then ground into a cocoa mass. Sugar is added to the cocoa mass, and soy lecithin is often used to get a uniform mass. With Oialla we have worked to avoid adding anything other than organic raw cane sugar, and we have succeeded. The two ingredients are combined in a large mixing vat, which is held at about 35-40 degrees. This ‘dough’ is then crushed in a mill with five rollers. From being a dough it now becomes a dry powder with a very fine grain size of 12-15 µm (1 µm = 1/1000mm). It is a complicated matter to adjust the rollers to get the most out of the flavour; the powder must be neither too dry nor too oily.  Grain size is very important for the flavour experience. The finer the grain, the better the taste is able to unfold itself and the stronger it becomes. The fine grain size also ensures that the flavour is distributed better and lasts much longer in the mouth, without being overpowering.  Oialla has a finer grain size than normal 70% chocolate.  The powder is now kneaded together in a conche at a temperature of 70-90 degrees. The conche is used to both achieve an even consistency, and to remove the strong acid taste, a normal characteristic of dark chocolate. Oialla has virtually no acid, so this kneading is solely to create a uniform texture. The water percentage is further reduced during this process, from approx. 0.5% to 0.1%, making the chocolate thin and easy to work with. The process takes about 36 hours and also influence the final taste of the chocolate. The kneading in the conche can be compared with the oxygenation of wine. The basic chocolate is now ready, and you can choose whether you will use it for coating, casting or otherwise. When Rasmus Bo Bojesen developed Oialla he reviewed this process with the chocolate factory eleven times! Malmo Chocolate factory is highly specialized factory working only with Organic chocolate. It is clear to see that during this process there are many opportunities for fine-tuning. Small adjustments are vital in the development of a chocolate that is in a class of its own. It takes time and requires a certainty about what one wants to achieve, as well as a tenacity to not give up in the face of adversity. Read a review of Oialla in the Chocolate Reviews blog  http://www.chocolatereviews.co.uk/bojesen-wild-bolivian/