The origins of the praline: from the cocoa tree to chocolate

Whether in a sensual and invigorating hot drink on cold winter days, in a sweet chocolate bar that serves as a delicious snack between meals, as a delicious addition to milk or as an ingredient in a delicate bar of chocolate: hardly anyone can resist the tempting pleasure of cocoa . But where and how is cocoa actually obtained?

Cocoa is a luxury food and foodstuff obtained from the seeds of the cocoa tree – Theobroma cacao. This was originally native to the tropical rainforests of Central America and the tropical rainforests of northern South America. Since cocoa trees need a tropical climate, i.e. a lot of warmth and moisture, to be able to thrive, the cultivation area of ​​cocoa is limited to regions around the equator, e.g. Equatorial Africa or Southeast Asia. Today, the majority of global cocoa production occurs in West Africa, where Ivory Coast (the world’s largest cocoa producer with over 1.3 million tonnes of cocoa beans) and Ghana are the main cocoa producing countries. Cocoa production in the regions of origin of the cocoa, i.e. Central and South America, nowadays takes place mainly in the countries of Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia. Other producers include Indonesia, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Dominican Republic. Interesting side facts: First traces of theobromine, a component of cocoa, were found on potsherds from 1100 BC. excavated in present-day Honduras. The Mayas used cocoa beans for rituals and as a means of payment, the Aztecs as a luxury (but mostly only for people from the upper class) and for trading. Spanish conquerors brought cocoa to Europe, where it has enjoyed great popularity since the 17th century.

Around the world, around 5.5 million small-scale cocoa farmers grow cocoa on small plots of 2 to 5 hectares. Cacao cultivation is very labour- and care-intensive. Since the cocoa tree flowers all year round and is susceptible to diseases and pests, it needs a lot of care and attention and its fruits, the pods, have to be harvested by hand more often throughout the year. The greenish, yellow or red-violet colored pods, which are 15 to 25 cm long and weigh up to ½ kg, contain only around 20 to 30 seeds: the cocoa beans that are used to produce cocoa. With the annual harvest of a cocoa tree, about half a kilo of cocoa can be produced. After the farmers have harvested the pods, they open them with a machete to reveal the pulp of the pod and scrape out the individual beans. After the harvest, there is a long journey of various processing steps: In order to remove the remaining pulp from the beans, they are stored in wooden boxes or between banana leaves for a few days. This is where the fermentation of the beans begins. They develop up to 50°C, causing the remaining pulp to evaporate. The beans germinate, develop cell sap and die. In this step, the cocoa-typical taste and the chocolate color of the beans develop, as the bitter substances contained in the beans are softened by the spread of the cell juice. The beans are then spread out on mats and placed in the sun for around two weeks, allowing them to dry. Finally, the farmers pack the dried cocoa beans in sacks and prepare them for shipment. Arriving at the intermediary, the beans are prepared by them for further processing steps: cocoa powder or chocolate is now made from cocoa. And depending on what the manufacturer wants to produce, the cocoa beans are roasted at different temperatures and for different durations. While chocolate requires temperatures of around 100 to 115°C, cocoa powder requires temperatures of up to 150°C. At high temperatures, the cocoa beans are only roasted for about 15 to 20 minutes, at low temperatures, roasting can take place for over an hour. The roasting finally creates the typical cocoa taste and removes more moisture from the bean, which makes peeling much easier. Once the beans have cooled down, they are broken up into small pieces in a crusher, while a gentle stream of air blows away the broken shell parts. The so-called broken cocoa nibs are then carefully checked and freed from impurities. Now the grinding process in cocoa mills can begin. During this process, cocoa butter escapes, which turns the bean pieces into liquid chocolate. With the addition of ingredients such as sugar or milk, the mass is stirred and then finely rolled. The rolling produces chocolate that is a few thousandths of a millimeter thick. Machines conch this product for up to 48 hours and repeatedly heat it up to 90°C in batches, which further refines the cocoa taste. In a final step, this mass is filled into molds and left to cool The end product: chocolate