|
|
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is the fruit of a plant that comes from tropical America. It is contained in a berry that can reach 30 cm length and have a smooth or bumpy surface that tends to become harder as the fruit ripens. During its growth the berry changes colour and becomes yellow, red, vermilion and green according to the species. The fruit has to be picked with a knife and contains a mucilaginous pink pulp with 30-40 light purple or pink seeds made up by an almond, a tegument and a germ. The alomond is the only edible part and before being eaten it must be processed with different treatments since it is very bitter. This process requires different steps: fermentation, dehydration, roasting and grinding. Cocoa is collected twice a year. The plant develops in about 10 year and can give fruit for a maximum of 30 years. Ripen berries - that take from 4 to 6 months to ripen- are cut every 15 days, precisely when they change colour. Once collected, seeds are placed into wicker containers and stay there for some days for fermentation until they become soft. Inside them substances develop thanks to enzymes, and through the roasting process they will release the peculiar cocoa perfume.
At this point seeds are pulverized and ground to obtain cocoa paste that becomes cocoa powder and butter through further treatment processes. At the end of the process cocoa powder may contain a percentage of fats that varies between 10 to 20%.
|
|
ONCE UPON A TIME
Cocoa was born in Mexico where cocoa seeds are extremely important at social, economic, religious and obviously gastronomic level. It enjoyed its golden time during Maya age: according to some written finds Maya population used cocoa not only as energetic food but also as votive offer in funeral rites, as tribute and currency exchange (with 100 beans it was possible to by a slave). It was Hernan Cortèz the first who brought cocoa to Europe. When he landed in Mexico to conquer the New Land he was offered by Montezuma emperor the food of Gods: a drink whose main ingredient was cocoa with corn flour and chili pepper.
In 1737 the botanist Linn classified cocoa in the theobroma genusr, which means divine nourishment.
Around 1800 cocoa also reached Africa that nowadays is the main producer (Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Nigeria) together with South America (Ecuador and Brasil). The first chocolate bar dates back to 1847 in England, when it was launched into the market by Fry and Sons brand, that has the authorship of this delicious food obtained by mixing mixing cocoa butter, sugar and chocolate liqueur. In U.S.A. cocoa and chocolate diffusion is due to a certain Mr. Hershey, that opened a firm in Pennsylvania in 1888.
|
|
PROPERTIES
Cocoa aromatizes different kinds of food, first of all sweets: cakes, pies, biscuits, ice-creams, mousse and candies; it is also used to give flavour to milk and to produce excellent digestives and liqueurs. In some countries, for example Mexico and Spain, cocoa is used to prepare salty dishes: it is largely used to aromatize sauces to dress chicken, duck, turkey and rabbit, as well as sea fruits. Cocoa has an high content of starch and for this reason it is not easy to dissolve it: it must be first mixed with a cold liquid (if hot it would make grains) and with sugar in order to separate starch particles or it can be incorporated into different compounds by sifting it. Cocoa contains a substance called theobromine, similar to caffeine, which is quite fat: for this reason cocoa provides a great calory intake.
DID YOU KNOW?
An Aztec legend explains the origins of cocoa plant: it says that a young man, leaving for the war, left a treasure to his young wife, so that she would guard it until the day of his coming back. When enemies arrived, the young wife, despite threatened, did not give up and did not reveal the place where the treasure was kept, and so she was killed. From the blood of the young girl a beautiful plant was born and its fruits contained seeds: strong as she was, bitter as her sorrow and red as her blood. |
|
|
|
GRAND COCOA FUGAR 22/24 DARK
Grand Cocoa Fugar 22/24 is the perfect and final result of a long process that begins with the careful analysis and selection of suppliers.
It is made by a mix of 5 types of selected cocoa 22/24 coming from Ivory Coast plantations. It is characterized by a strong, pronounced and persistent taste, and only noble cocoa powders containing 22/24% of butter are used.
The strict policy of procurement and acceptance, the constant control of mixing time and humidity as well as sensorial/organoleptic analysis made on each batch of production ensure Grand Cocoa Fugar 22/24 high quality.
Each sale document comes with the relative technical/allergens report that ensures the absence of milk or milk derivates and absence of glute.
|
|
AWARDS
In 1994 Grand Cocoa Fugar 22/24 won the Italian Ice-cream Championship in Venice with the Chocolate Ice-Cream.
In 1997 Grand Cocoa Fugar 22/24 was awarded with a Diploma and Golden Medal by the prestigious Accademia Maestri Pasticceri Italiana (Italian Academy of Master Pastry Chefs) as it was used together with Fugar Hazelnut Round Gentle and Pistachio Smeraldo pastes by the Italian pastry team that won the World Pastry Cup in Lyon France.
|
|
|
