Facts About Cocoa Butter
September 30, 2010
One of the reasons we love chocolate so much is because of the way it melts in our mouth. The velvety, luxurious melting characteristics of chocolate come from the cocoa butter.
When cacao beans are ground and pressed, cocoa butter and cocoa powder are separated. While both cocoa butter and cocoa solids are essential to making chocolate, the cocoa butter is responsible for the smooth mouth-feel and chocolatey flavor release.
The two most unique qualities of cocoa butter are its melt point and its ability to contract.
Cocoa butter becomes a solid at room temperature but melts quickly at around 90°F - 95°F. This melt point is just below our body temperature of 98.6°F and is the reason for the delightful sensation of “melting in your mouth.”
During the process of solidifying chocolate, the liquid cocoa butter becomes solid and contracts. This is important when molding chocolate because it allows it to “pop” out of the mold and retain its shape at room temperature. Contraction means we can make chocolate into Easter Bunnies, candy bars, and valentine hearts.
While we call it cocoa butter, it is actually not butter at all. It is not an animal fat like butter, it is a fat derived from the plant, Thoebroma cacao. Because it comes from a plant, cocoa butter does not contain cholesterol.
Research shows that cocoa butter has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels. In my book, that makes cocoa butter a good fat! Plus, it is a naturally occurring fat, not man-made and hydrogenated like so many other fats in our diet. Oh, since we're on the subject, cocoa butter does not contain any trans-fats either.
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