Cocoa butter is one of the components extracted in the chocolate making process. Cocoa butter has many benefits and uses besides cooking needs, such as for cosmetics and medicines. In fact, this cocoa butter is considered the food of the Gods .
Through this article, you will read about what cocoa butter is, its function in making chocolate, and the various benefits of cocoa butter. Check out the full discussion below.
What Is Cocoa Fat?
Cocoa butter is a natural vegetable fat derived from cocoa or cocoa beans. Despite its name in English which is cocoa butter , this fat has neither butter nor chocolate in it. After the cocoa pods are harvested, the beans inside are fermented, dried and roasted in the sun.
The roasted cocoa beans will then be ground. This grinding process is what allows the cocoa butter to be created, where the cocoa butter will separate from the cocoa mass (which is usually used as the main ingredient in cocoa powder). Cocoa butter is also commonly referred to as Theobroma oil because it comes from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao plant.
Cocoa butter has a slightly sweet taste and aroma like chocolate. However, the aroma of the cocoa butter is stronger than the taste. Cocoa butter is also never eaten directly or eaten alone, but only used as one of the ingredients in recipes.
Even though it is in the form of oil, cocoa butter will remain solid when stored at room temperature. When you want to use it, you have to melt the cocoa butter first. However, cocoa butter has a low melting point. In addition, cocoa butter also won't give off a brownish taste when used even though it has a chocolate-like aroma.
How to Separation of Cocoa Fat
Pure cocoa butter is extracted from cocoa mass by horizontal pressing process. After the cocoa beans are separated from the cocoa pods, they are fermented, dried and roasted in the sun. Then, the beans are pressed using a hydraulic machine to extract the cocoa butter.
Once the cocoa butter separates, the solids that remain from the cocoa bean are cocoa powder. Later, the cocoa butter will be shaped like butter and have a slightly off-white or light cream color.
Function of Cocoa Fat in Chocolate Making
Cocoa butter and cocoa powder are two things that are created from the same thing, namely cocoa mass . In the chocolate-making process, the cocoa butter and cocoa powder are recombined, along with several other ingredients such as sugar and/or milk, to make chocolate.
Cocoa powder plays a major role in the manufacture of chocolate, such as color, flavor, caffeine and several other beneficial chemicals. However, cocoa butter plays a role in the density and consistency of the chocolate. In addition, cocoa butter is also the reason why chocolate can melt in the mouth.
Cocoa butter has properties that are resistant to oxidation. Therefore, couverture chocolate will experience less sugar bloom due to the cocoa butter content in it. In contrast to compound chocolate which does not contain cocoa fat in it.
Compound chocolate does not contain cocoa fat in it, but uses other vegetable fats such as coconut oil or palm oil. Because of this, some chocolate experts do not consider compound chocolate to be real chocolate because cocoa butter is considered to be the main ingredient that makes chocolate 'chocolate'.
2 Other Uses of Cocoa Fat
Cocoa butter is the main ingredient in couverture chocolate (both dark and white chocolate). However, there are several other uses for cocoa butter. Following are some of the other uses of cocoa butter apart from making chocolate.
1. Drugs
Over time, pharmaceutical companies began to make extensive use of cocoa butter because of its highly beneficial properties. As a non-toxic solid at room temperature that melts at body temperature, cocoa butter is considered an ideal base for medicinal suppositories.
2. Cosmetics
Cocoa butter is ideal as an ingredient in cosmetic products and other beauty treatments because it solidifies at room temperature. Cocoa butter also contains natural antioxidants that can provide it with a long shelf life. Plus, cocoa butter feels velvety soft on the skin, making it perfect for ointments, lotions, lip balms , and many other types of cosmetics.
With its many uses, it's no wonder that cocoa butter is considered the food of the Gods. In addition, its solid nature at room temperature and melts easily also makes it very useful for various things.
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