Cacao: The Sacred Source of Dark Chocolate
Alison Lingwood
I feel in awe writing about such a wonderful gift that nature is happily sharing with us. I have always loved dark chocolate and eaten it when I felt flat and used it to lighten my mood. So, what a perfect way to open my heart further to actually be working with cacao and getting to know her essence even more. Cacao is also a superfood with many proven health benefits which I will talk about in another blog.
On the Big Island of Hawaii the chocolate industry has been gradually expanding over the last 10 years. The state of Hawaii is the only US state that grows cacao. The 3 main varieties of cacao all grow on the island; Trinitario, Forastero and Criollo. The first is a hybrid variety of the other two. Criollo is said to the hardest to grow and has the lowest yield but perhaps the most complex flavour and with the least bitterness.
The art of making chocolate is complex and getting to know the unique properties of your beans and the climate and soil will take us a few years. It is a little like wine making I am told.
I share with you our initial investigations and efforts at producing ceremonial cacao and later on another post the beginnings of tempering chocolate and making chocolate bars.
We were offered 51 cacao trees to look after on the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano. The four year old trees have a wonderful view of the Pacific Ocean overlooking Kealakekua Bay, pathway to the Gods. The trees are still young and will continue to produce up to 25 years old. This is the first time they had been harvested.
Picking the pods
Initially we did not know when they were ready to pick. Some were green, some yellow and and others red. Scraping the skin and seeing if any green was present indicated that the pod needed further ripening. Any brown or excessive drying on the skin usually meant it was overripe and we would find the seeds inside already with shoots ready to be planted ! As time went by we became seasoned pickers able to judge more easily which fruit had the maximum pulp on for the best fermentation. When cut open there was a sweet fresh smell and the pulp translucent rather than creamy.
Fermentation
We emptied the pods placing the fruit and pulp into 5 gallon food grade buckets. The fruit were of different sizes and shapes but at this stage we were happy to includeall. This fermentation takes between 5- 10 days depending on the temperature in the middle of the fruit pile. It must reach over 100F.
One of the perks and delights of this first stage is the delicious thick sweet nectar which is released and collected via the small holes at the bottom of the bucket. It tastes amazing and is full of nutrients including potassium, iron, zinc, copper and vitamin C and B3,B5, B6 and biotin . It is 80-90% water so is good for hydration. It is rich in antioxidants that help to neutralise the free radicals that our body releases through metabolism which in excess can harm our cells.
To check fermentation is complete we cut open a bean to see if there are fissures running through it and that a purple ring has developed around the outside.
Drying
We dry the beans on wire racks in the sun. It is amazing how they change colour and initially dry so quickly when put on the racks. It is important to make sure they do not stick together so gently stirring every few hours and separating is important. Keeping the skin intact ensures that the beans do not burn when roasting.
Roasting
This stage is important to remove any potential mould or bacteria on the skins and to bring out the flavour. Initially we roasted them in a little oven, a few at a time until purchasing an oven with a small rotating drum, this ensures even roasting. The time and temperature vary on your bean and the type of flavour profile wanted. We are still experimenting! The main criteria for knowing when your beans are ready is when you can hear them start to crack and smell chocolate brownies. Having made a good few brownies for my children that was an easy part!
Winnowing
This stage involves creating nibs from the whole beans and removing the husks. We used an old champion juicer to break them and then a hairdryer to blow away the husks followed by hand picking any skins that remained. It is quite laborious, and we are looking at other ways of doing this more effectively. We save the husks to make tea. The brewing industry also uses them to flavour beer.
Grinding
Once we have the ground the nibs twice we place them in the melanger. The conical granite stones rotate griding the nibs for 24 hours creating the chocolate liquor. The longer you leave the machine running the smoother the chocolate. At this stage the whole bean has been processed with nothing added or taken away. Approximately 40 % is cacao butter and 60% cacao mass. This liquor can be poured into moulds for use as ceremonial cacao or stored in airtight containers to be tempered into chocolate bars at a later date.
Tempering
This stage needs a whole post on its own. For now, I will share that we have tried different organic sugars, roasted almonds, salt, cherries and even rosehip power to flavour the chocolate.