What is Cocoa?
Cocoa powder is the sweet dark substance that produces a milky drink. Though for the bakers and chocolatiers, this means something very different. Exact and true cocoa can be produced from cacao beans and lacks. Therefore, cocoa powder is when cocoa undergoes cocoa pressing process.
How Cocoa Powder is Made?
Cocoa butter is normally taken out in form of fat when the cocoa beans are pressed. In the production of the chocolate liquor occurs when the cocoa nibs are pressed by thick stones. This liquor removes the great portion of fat from the bean when pressed resulting to the formation of the chocolate cake which is then broken down to form the powder.
Different varieties of the cocoa powder
Different varieties of the cocoa powder that can be used by the bakers and chocolatiers include: natural and alkalized. Natural cocoa is the brown colored powder. This can be formed by pressing of the nibs of the cocoa described above. Additives are present as the final product in the natural cocoa and are bitter when combined with flavors with chocolate flavor being strong. Colour variations can be created by alkalizing cacao nibs and the differences in the taste as it reduces bitterness of the end product powder. Dutched cocoa is more soluble than non Dutched type. This Dutched one is preferably used in drinking chocolate.
Both varieties of cocoa powder are normally used worldwide by bakers and chocolatiers for their recipes. Since the acidic taste brings out true chocolate flavor, bakers tend to optimize its usage in their cakes while others prefer alkalized cocoa as a chocolate flavor.
How to Tell if Cocoa Powder is Safe of Not
Most users would need to tell whether the cocoa powder is safe or not. This calls upon great analysis and tests. The cocoa powder cannot be kept forever since it could have been indulged or someone can just forget it inside the cupboard. The following signs can be used to determine whether the cocoa powder is safe for use or not:
The first one that is easily recognized is the presence of the odor. Bad odor sniffs in the nose due to weird and unpleasant smell tells someone that the cocoa powder is off putting. The growth of sugar bloom results when the sugar starts to crystallize due to exposure to enemy humidity or moving it hot temperature from clod environment. The manufacturer’s expiry dates should be checked always on the container.
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