Why is baking chocolate so bitter?
Baking Chocolate – pure cocoa liquor which has been allowed to solidify or packaged in liquid form. Baking chocolate is bitter and not intended to be eaten in itself. The word “cacao” is the name of a tree which produces large pods (up to 10 inches long). Each pod contains up to 40 seeds which are commonly referred to as “cacao beans.” The beans are fermented, dried in the sun and then roasted. The roasted beans are then “winnowed.” This process removes the meat (also referred to as the “nib”) of the cocoa bean from its shell. The meat or “nibs” are then ground. Cocoa beans are almost 50% fat and the grinding process actually creates a liquid referred to as “chocolate liquor.” This liquor is a bitter tasting, pure, unsweetened chocolate. If the liquor is allowed to cool and solidify, the result is the chocolate which is found in stores as “baking chocolate.” The liquor can also be pressed and the fat removed. The resulting two products are a dry cake of cocoa which when ground is calle
