You definitely crave a cake dish with a thick chocolate flavor and color. The delicacy of this dish cannot be separated from the cocoa powder in it. Expert chefs or bakers are also skilled in choosing the type of cocoa powder that suits the needs and expectations of the end result of their dish.
The same needs to be applied if you plan to sell chocolate-based dishes. Yes, you have to get to know the different types of cocoa powder and their characteristics before choosing the right ingredients. How to? Find the answer through the discussion below.
Getting to Know the Origins of Cocoa Powder
Have you ever heard about the origins of cocoa powder? This chocolate ingredient is made from cocoa beans which go through a drying process, then are roasted, and finally ground to a ready-to-use chocolate powder. The process of processing cocoa beans into chocolate powder also requires a lot of time, even days.
Cocoa beans are harvested from the ripe fruit of the cacao tree. One cocoa pod can produce as many as 30-50 cocoa beans that are ready to be harvested. The cocoa beans are peeled, then go through a fermentation and drying process. There are also cocoa beans which are cooked first before being processed and ground into cocoa powder.
3 Types of Cocoa Powder Often Used in the Food Industry
There are many variations of the process of processing cocoa beans into cocoa powder. As a result, various variants of powdered chocolate products were created based on their characteristics. These types include Dutch process, Natural, and Black cocoa powder . What distinguishes the three types of cocoa powder?
1. Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
Dutch process cocoa powder , or Dutched cocoa , is cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkaline agent to change its color, neutralize its pH (acidity), and give it a lighter taste than "natural cocoa."
The alkalization process carried out on cocoa powder can reduce the bitter taste and increase solubility, which is very important when applied to beverage products. The alkaline agent used in the Dutch process varies, but usually potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate is used.
The characteristics of this cocoa powder can be seen from its soft texture, darker color, and smooth taste. Dutch process cocoa powder is ideal for use in cake recipes with baking powder . the reason, This material is not acidic ( acid ) so it does not need to go through a chemical process in the cake development process.
Why so? Dutch process cocoa powder processing has gone through the pH 7 neutralization stage. The harvested cocoa beans are washed first in a solution of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) to neutralize the pH. This processing step is known as the alkaline process or European style . After washing, the cocoa beans are ground into a cocoa powder which has no bitter and sour taste in it.
Dutch process cocoa powder is suitable for many modern chocolate treats. This product is considered one of the best cocoa powder to use in ice cream, hot chocolate and cakes because of its pleasant taste and not too bitter and intense color.
2. Natural Cocoa Powder
Natural cocoa powder is extracted using the Broma process. Cocoa butter is removed from chocolate nibs or chocolate liquor. Then, the remaining dry cocoa beans will then be ground to powder chocolate. Then, the cocoa powder can be directly sold to consumers to be used as a cooking ingredient.
Natural cocoa powder does not contain added sweeteners and is therefore marked as pure cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder on the label. You will often find this cocoa powder in the market or in any recipe. The characteristics of this material are seen from the bright brown color. The taste is bitter, slightly sour and fruity.
The processing of natural cocoa powder is as follows: the cocoa beans are separated from the cocoa butter, then it goes through the grinding process. The pH level, aka the acidity of this type of cocoa powder, is lower than the Dutch process cocoa powder , which is 5.3-5.8. The lower pH number makes natural cocoa powder more suitable for use with baking soda. Natural cocoa powder can cause a chemical reaction so that the cake batter expands too.
3. Black Cocoa Powder
Black cocoa powder is darker in color than natural cocoa powder, but has a finer texture. The processing of black cocoa powder is exactly like the Dutch process . The difference is that the cocoa beans are washed with a higher Dutch ultra or ultra alkaline process so that the pH level is reduced.
Ideally, black cocoa powder is used for decorating and serving dishes. The deep and dark brown color can add to the allure of the dish in the eyes of customers when it is served.
Also read: 7 Ways to Decorate Cakes with Chocolate
5 Uses of Cocoa Powder in the Culinary World
The use of cocoa powder is not limited to cake ingredients. Its function is very broad and can even be applied to various dishes and even decorations. What are the functions?
1. Baking Ingredients
Some cake recipes use cocoa powder as one of the main ingredients. It's just that, you need to add additional flavorings or sweeteners to enrich the taste of the cake. The reason is, the content of cocoa solids in cocoa powder is higher than chocolate bars.
2. Decoration Material
It's easy to make cocoa powder as a decoration . You can sprinkle it directly or sift it through a sieve over the prepared dish, whether cake or drink.
Also read: 5 best-selling chocolate snack ideas
3. Beverage Ingredients
Many chocolate drink creations use cocoa powder as the main ingredient. The manufacturing process also varies, so it's not just dissolved with hot water. For example, milkshakes are made by blending, mocha which is a mixture of coffee and cocoa powder, and so on.
4. Chocolate Snacks
Chocolate powder can also be transformed into a delicious chocolate snack to eat. There are many examples of dishes, namely chocolate pudding, chocolate balls, cookies , muffins , and so on. You can also combine it with other chocolate ingredients such as meises or Tulip Choco Chunks to enhance the look of the snack .
5. Chocolate Sauce
Finally, you can process cocoa powder into a delicious chocolate sauce. The recipe is also easy to make, just mix cocoa powder with butter and water, then cook until the ingredients are well blended. Chocolate sauce is ready to be used as a topping , filling , or a beautiful dish decoration.
Also read: Getting to Know the Ingredients in Different Types of Chocolate
There are many types of cocoa powder that can be used to create a variety of dishes. As a businessman, try to pay attention to the chocolate powder packaging before buying it.
Want to produce the best chocolate dishes? Just use Tulip Cocoa Powder as a superior chocolate ingredient in its field. We provide three variants of powdered chocolate products according to the percentage of cocoa content and color, namely Burgundy , Noir , and Bordeaux . Contact KioskCokelat to consult about the best types of cocoa powder and get reliable products only for your dish.