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Loretta Orosz

Rylen Feeney

Wholistic Nutrition II

October 23, 2016

Loretta and the Chocolate Factory: One Girl’s Journey Rediscovering Chocolate As a Whole Food,

Told Here in Words and Pictures

Theobroma Cacao: the scientific name for the tree that produces the cacao

fruit. Common name: cocoa, cocoa tree. Class: Equisetopsida. Subclass:

Magnoliidae. Superorder: Rosanae. Order: Malvales. Family: Malvaceae. Genus:

Theobroma.1

Theobromine: n. a bitter, colorless alkaloid, C7H8N4O2, present in cacao

beans and in smaller amounts in tea leaves, kola nuts, and other plant parts, and used as a diuretic,

vasodilator, and myocardial stimulant.2

Theo: chocolate makers based in Seattle, Washington since 2004; pioneers in organic, fair trade,

bean-to-bar chocolate making, releasing their inaugural run of organic chocolate in 2006.3

Yes, I’m talking about chocolate. From the tree it comes from to the bar it’s made into, and a few

places in between.

My research in chocolate started at a young age. There is

documentation as early as 1975 showing me in my Easter

dress gnawing the head off a chocolate bunny (fig. 1). On a

historic note, back then those bunnies were made of solid

chocolate. It took us days to get through one! The bunny in

this photo is made of white chocolate, which is not “real”

chocolate. Looking back, I realize most of the chocolate I

grew up with was also not “real” chocolate, but chocolate

candy. (I will go into this more in later paragraphs.)

In the following pages, I will share with you findings

from my ongoing research into chocolate, starting with an introduction to the cacao tree from which

chocolate originates, and a brief exploration of the origins of chocolate itself. I will explain a bit

about where cacao is grown today and how local chocolate makers source their beans. The next step

Figure 1. Me, researching chocolate at a young age

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is following the transformation of cacao beans into chocolate, a process that starts at its source and

continues after they arrive here in Portland. I was lucky enough (ok, I paid them) to get a behind the

scenes look at how two Portland chocolate makers perform their magic. Creo Chocolate on NE

Broadway gives tours and offers a chocolate class if you want to immerse yourself more. They love

sharing their passion for chocolate! Ranger Chocolate on NE MLK also offer tours and tastings.

Both showered me with bits of wisdom.

After seeing the artisan way of handling chocolate in its most whole and complete form, we will

then break it down. The science of analyzing chocolate is but a drop in the bucket of its timeline, but

the information acquired is useful. I will go over its nutrient profile, explain cocoa butter, and

perhaps shed a light of understanding on that white chocolate bunny candy of mine. I will even

present my unfinished efforts in making my own chocolate food stuff the old-school way. Here we

go, enjoy the ride.

Chocolate, or cacao, comes from the seed of the fruit of a tropical tree. The

cacao tree is native to Mesoamerica, what is today much of Mexico and Central

America. It has since been spread through trade and conquest to grow in other

parts of the world, such as the Philippines and Ivory Coast. It can only grow in

tropical climates 20° above and below the equator in an area that is sometimes

referred to as “the cacao belt.” (fig. 2) The only places within the United States that are growing

cacao are Hawaii and, more recently Puerto Rico. At this time, prices are too high from these

regions for local chocolate makers to consider their use.

Cacao has been classified into three

main types: Criollo or “native”

originated in Central America;

Forastero or “foreigner,” “stranger,”

the most common; and Trinitario, a

hybrid of the two developed in

Trinidad. Criollo was described by the

people of Ranger Chocolate as the

Pinot Noir of cacao, as it is challenging

and finicky. It accounts for about 1% of

all chocolate consumed. At Ranger it accounts for 50% of their products. Within these

Figure 2. Map indicating the “cacao belt” Warning; for educational use only within the context of this work. Not to be used for actual navigation. Map credit: bought by the yard at JoAnn Fabrics.

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classifications exist many varieties, and each variety is diverse – from crop to crop, from season to

season, from tree to tree. A tree will produce pods twice a year, and each harvest will be a little

different depending on environmental factors, harvesting time, etc.

The transformation of cacao into chocolate has historically been credited to the Maya a good

thousand years before the Spanish invaded, or discovered, the “New World.” More recent findings

have shown evidence of even earlier use of cacao for consumption. To be clear, we are not talking

about the sort of bar chocolate we are familiar with today, but rather a beverage made from the

ground up bean with very little added.

The Olmec civilization predates the Maya. They

inhabited a region around the Mexican Gulf Coast from

about 1500 B.C. to 400 B.C.4 What has survived in this

tropical climate as far as archaeological objects are their

Colossal Stone Heads (fig. 3) and ceramic pieces and

vessels. Chemical analysis of scrapings from these

vessels detected traces of theobromine and caffeine,

both present in cacao, suggesting they were used for

some form of cacao or chocolate beverage.5 6

I am not too concerned with the actual factual

details of the exact origins of chocolate, but I love the

lore, the stories of the elixir. Each culture was eating

locally, organically, mindfully, and farming with biodiversity before these words were ever conjured

up to describe healthy living.

Where do the beans come from? Most of the large chocolate manufacturing

companies, such as Mars Inc., will get their cacao from Africa, mainly West

Africa which is the largest producer of cacao globally. Unfortunately, African

nations are likely to use slave labor in their farming methods. For this reason,

many local bean-to-bar chocolate makers prefer to work with farmers in South

or Central America. Creo Chocolate uses direct trade. This means they work directly with their

farmers, Samuel and Anita, who grow an heirloom variety of cacao in the Los Rios region of

Ecuador. This builds a relationship and gives them more control over the quality of their product

and how their farmers get compensated. Fair Trade is another way to ensure that small-scale

Figure 3. Semi-colossal Olmec Head Replica, circa 2013, Portland, Oregon. Artist, Scott Foster.

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farmers are treated well, but it often costs the farmers to participate in the program. Worker owned

co-ops are another growing movement. Fair Trade is also supported by local chocolatiers, such as

Theo Chocolate in Seattle, Washington. Theo partners with

Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) in the Democratic Republic

of Congo, where they source some of their beans. The ECI

works with the Congolese people to create economic

opportunities that will benefit the community. The

partnership encourages the farmers to produce a high

quality bean and ensures they will be paid a better price than

the fluctuating world market value.

Creo’s cacao farmers are also partnering with other

farmers to create a plantation of cacao trees in an effort to

preserve the natural habitat of the spider monkey. The fruits

of this crop will be used to create a new chocolate bar called

Washu, which I was lucky enough to taste before its release

(keep an eye out)!

“Since cacao trees thrive in the shade of larger trees, responsible growers can create, in

effect, a double canopy forest that supports a much greater diversity of wildlife than other

tropical crops.” 7

How is the cacao seed turned into chocolate? Fermentation is the first of many

steps of transformation. After the pod is harvested from the tree the pods are

cracked open with a machete and the pulp and seeds are removed from the

rind, piled in heaps or in boxes, traditionally covered with banana leaves from

the trees that shade them, and allowed to ferment for several days. This process

kills the seeds and stops germination. It also causes chemical reactions which begin the process of

developing that wonderful chocolate flavor.8

The cacao seeds, or beans as they are usually referred to at this point, are then dried in the sun

traditionally, or over a gas fire. After a few days, the beans are ready to be shipped out or distributed

locally for further processing. At this point, the words “cacao” and “cocoa” are often used

interchangeably. Although “cocoa” usually refers to a more finished product, there is no set

definition. Throughout these pages I mostly use the word “cacao.”

Figure 4. Sacks of cacao beans, bursting full of potential chocolate, waiting to be awakened by a loving chocolatier. (At Ranger Chocolate Co.)

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The next step is roasting. Contrary to the belief

that “raw” is better, the cacao seed cannot be eaten

raw. It is too bitter. This is how nature ensures the

proliferation of the tree. The pulp around the seed

is sweet and tasty (so I’ve heard) to many

vertebrates, such as spider monkeys and humans.

They crack open a pod, suck out the pulp and spit

out the seeds, spreading them around to grow

more trees (that produce more pods, that have

more seeds, that will grow more trees).

There is a lovely account in Bread, Wine,

Chocolate, of the author Simran Sethi experiencing

the taste of raw cacao seeds in her eagerness to

have chocolate at its source. “After sucking off the

flesh, I gently bit into the soft seeds, reasoning that

if the pulp didn’t hold the taste of chocolate, the

seeds surely would. But the astringent seeds that buried themselves in my molars held no promise of

chocolate, no hint of what the bean would become. The flavors I sought would only emerge once

the seeds were fermented and dried, and reach their full potential once roasted. I stuck my dirty

fingers into my mouth and dug the remnants out of my teeth.” 9

My first experience eating roasted cacao beans, or nibs, straight-up was at The

Meadow, a lovely chocolate and salt shop on North Mississippi here in

Portland. There on the counter for tasting they had roasted cacao beans from

Woodblock Chocolate. I rolled one between my fingers to peel off the thin

shell, popped it in my mouth and savored the flavor. This was it! Chocolate in

its pure form, from the source! My second experience eating roasted cacao nibs straight-up was at

Creo on a tour of their factory. They have a different cacao source and a different roasting method,

affecting the taste in a distinct way I would not have imagined.

My third experience eating straight cacao nibs (this sounds kind of bad, but really it’s oh so

good!) was at Ranger Chocolate on a factory tour. They source their cacao mainly from the

Chulucanas region of Peru, which tends to have a higher cocoa fat content. They are also

Figure 5. Cacao pods cracked open to reveal the pulp and seeds. Photos courtesy of Ranger Chocolate Company.

Figure 6. Cross section of a cacao pod, cut to reveal the insides of the raw seeds. Photos courtesy of Ranger Chocolate Company.

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incorporating a new bean with an even higher fat content. The taste difference between these beans

is amazing. Ranger’s roasting method is light or “rare” to bring out the fullest chocolate flavor with

the least toasted flavor. The higher fat bean was definitely richer and creamier, yet still held its bitter

edge. Local bean-to-bar chocolate makers will work with cacao beans from a single origin and

embrace the uniqueness of each batch. Larger mass market producers of chocolate will combine

cacao from several different sources in order to reach a consistency in their products.

Now what happens? The fermented and dried beans have arrived in Portland in

large burlap sacks, what do we do with them? Most will go through the same

steps to get from cacao bean to chocolate bar: harvest, ferment, dry, roast,

crack, winnow, conch, age, temper, mold. Since the harvesting fermenting and

drying are done on location, we will take it up from roasting and go through

the remaining steps via the Chocolate 101 class at Creo.

Initially I thought getting my hands in the process of chocolate making

would mean quite literally getting up to my elbows into a vat of chocolate,

mixing it up like a grape stompin’ wine maker, then licking my arms clean

like licking batter from a spatula. But alas, alack, it wasn’t quite like that. It

was still a wonderful experience getting behind the scenes of a small batch

chocolate maker! First we sorted through a batch of beans picking out

any stray bad ones that may have slipped through the initial sorting

process that happens at the source, then spread them evenly on a tray and

popped them in the oven. (fig. 7) Roasting kills any harmful bacteria that

may be lurking, and it’s what brings out the chocolate flavor to its fullest. While the beans were

roasting, we cooked up a syrup of sugar and water to coat some already roasted and cracked nibs. A

perfect bitter-sweet condiment to sprinkle on…well, on anything!

After roasting, the beans are cracked and winnowed.

Cracking breaks off the shells and breaks up the cacao nibs.

Winnowing separates the shells from the nibs. The Straub

family is ingenious in their methods. Their homemade

“Frankencracker” (fig. 8) is made with parts fused together on

a cutting board and powered by a cordless hand drill. It was

very satisfying to operate. Their winnower was custom

Figure 7. Cacao beans fresh out of the roaster at Creo.

Figure 8. The Frankencracker at Creo.

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designed and created from parts made on a 3D printer. After winnowing, the husks, or shells, are

composted while the nibs move on to make beautiful chocolate.

(fig. 9)

The next step in making beautiful chocolate is conching and

refining, where the nibs are slowly ground for about three days (or

until ready). Conching releases the cocoa butter, the fat present in

the cocoa bean, mixing it with the cocoa solids to create a smooth

and creamy cocoa liquor (non-alcoholic, that’s just what it’s

called). It also evaporates off any fermented aroma. This is when

sugar is added, and any other ingredients if that is the case. The

people of Creo and of Ranger Chocolate add nothing but sugar in

the conching process. (fig 10)

Next the chocolate is poured into blocks, stored on a shelf

and aged to further develop its flavor, like a fine wine. But in

this case it only takes a few months, not years. Once aged to

perfection, the chocolate is ready for tempering. This process

heats and cools the chocolate to the perfect temperature,

activating the beta-5 crystals which bond together and line up in

a nice smooth row, so the finished bar will be shiny and smooth

with a nice, crisp snap. Now the chocolate is ready for the

mold. At Creo this chocolate is cacao (72%) and pure cane

sugar. That is all. Any flavor

bits are added when the chocolate is in the mold (fig. 11). I chose

ginger and allspice for one, raspberry and cacao nibs for another.

Now we’ve made our own chocolate bars, let’s sit down and do

a tasting. The Creo chocolate class ends in a blind tasting. We sat

down with eight pieces of chocolate on a placemat and learned to

experience their many qualities with all our senses, much like a

wine tasting. We evaluated the appearance, aroma, snap, texture,

melt, flavor, and finish. The chocolate makers included Spencer,

Dandelion (San Francisco), Woodblock, Escazu (Raleigh, NC),

Figure 9. The winnowing machine at Creo.

Figure 10. The conch machine at Ranger.

Figure 11. Making beautiful chocolate at Creo.

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Creo, and Hershey’s. I have long been a lover of

chocolate, but having to put down in words all

the subtleties of flavor, texture, feel, and smell,

broadened my appreciation.

At the end of the Ranger chocolate tour we

had a tasting of their own chocolate bars made

with beans from different areas of Peru, with

cacao content ranging from 70% to 100% (fig.

12). We could either have this tasting with a wine

pairing or finish with a drinking chocolate. Aside

from Swiss Miss Cocoa or a well-made mocha, I’ve never had a real drinking chocolate, so this was

my choice – and it was divine!

I guess it’s time to leave the chocolate factories and head into the laboratories. Let’s break down

the cacao bean and see what it’s made of.

Quality cacao contains many nutrients. Chocolate can also contain many

nutrients depending on how much cacao it contains. Some nutrients and

minerals include; copper, magnesium, zinc, selenium, phosphorous, potassium,

iron, and soluble fiber. Cacao is also packed with antioxidants; phytochemicals,

polyphenols, catechins (also found in tea), and flavanols.

Anthocyanins are phytochemicals found in dark colored

fruit (and cacao). The amount of polyphenols present in cacao

is higher than what is present in green tea or red wine (fig. 13).

The flavanols in cacao are said to help lower blood pressure by

relaxing the artery walls.

Cacao contains anandamide, also a neurotransmitter

naturally occurring in the brain, that binds with the same

receptors as cannabinoids, improving mood. Phenylethylamine

(also called phenethylamine or PEA) is another

neurotransmitter present in the brain in small amounts and in

Figure 12. Chocolate tasting and wine pairing at Ranger. I took

one for the team here, hope you appreciate my hard work.

Figure 13. Green tea, red wine, cacao beans. A polyphenol trifecta.

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cacao. It contributes to the release of dopamine and endorphins, and is said to boost serotonin

production.

The presence of two bitter alkaloids along with PEA is unique to the cacao bean and what makes

it identifiable in tests. One of these bitter alkaloids is theobromine, which acts as a diuretic,

vasodilator, and myocardial stimulant. It is found in very few other plants, the kola nut being one.

Caffeine, another bitter alkaloid we are probably all familiar with, is found in cacao but only in trace

amounts (less than 1%).

This is by far not a complete list. Cacao is

complex. Flavor components alone number in

the hundreds. It is difficult to find accurate

numbers relating to the nutrients etc. in cacao as

sources are likely to be testing different chocolate

products with a wide range of cacao content.

And let’s not forget about cocoa butter. Cocoa

butter is the naturally occurring fat which makes

up about half the cocoa bean. As we learned earlier at Ranger Chocolate, the percentage can vary. It

is comprised of stearic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid. It is shelf stable and melts at body

temperature. Stearic acid is a saturated fat, once a normal part of a healthy diet, later demonized as

artery clogging and unhealthy, has come back around and been proven to neutralize blood

cholesterol, even lowering LDL. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil.

Some chocolate makers boast a vegan chocolate. That’s great, but chocolate by

nature as a whole food is already vegan, unless something is added to it, like

milk solids, or bacon. Perhaps some confusion comes from the term “cocoa

butter” and butter is associated with dairy. But as I pointed out, it’s a natural

part of the bean.

In the early 1800s a press was invented by Dutch chocolatier Conran van Houten, that could

press the beans to remove most of the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids. The cocoa solids could

then be dried and ground into cocoa powder to make a more appealing drinking chocolate. The

cocoa powder can also be combined with other ingredients, such as cheaper low quality fats,

emulsifiers, sugars, and other flavors to make a cheaper eating chocolate. The FDA requires a

product labeled milk chocolate contain no less than 10% cocoa mass, sweet chocolate must contain

Figure 14. Dried cacao pod on display at Creo.

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no less than 15% cocoa mass.10 This means that 85 to 90% of it is…well, other things. And those

other things may not include cocoa butter. This is what makes chocolate a candy and less healthy

than true cacao. (fig. 15)

The cocoa butter is considered of high value

and can be sold off at a nice price for use in beauty

products, medicinal products, or it can be added to

higher quality chocolates creating an even richer

flavor and texture. It is also the main ingredient of

white chocolate, like that bunny I was gnawing the

head off earlier. The cocoa butter is mixed with

other fats and sugar and flavors, and is considered

more of a confection without the cocoa solids.

Some manufacturers will break down cacao even further, extracting nutrients and selling them as

a health product. For example, Mars Inc. has developed a product called CocoaVia® a cocoa extract

supplement that can conveniently be taken daily to receive the benefits of cocoa flavanols without all

the fat and sugar of chocolate.11 Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll take the chocolate.

Upon near completion of this paper, I ran across a product called Good Day Chocolate sitting

on the shelf at the check-out line at New Seasons. They appear to be nutraceuticals mixed with

chocolate to provide different benefits – sleep, energy, calm, vitamin D – but further investigation

needs to be done.

Yes, ongoing research continues. While watching movies that include scenes of

the ancient art of chocolate making, or even grinding corn for tortillas, I

became mesmerized by the use of the metate y mano. A metate is a large stone

slab with a slight dip or slope that is used to grind grains. The mano is the long

stone rolled up and down the metate over the grains, crushing and grinding

them. I wanted one, I really did! To make my very own chocolate! But then reality set in. It’s hard to

find one for under $200, they are big and heavy, where would I put it? And really, how much would

I actually use it? So, I settled for a molcajete y tejolote, a Mexican style mortar and pestle. The metate

and the molcajete are traditionally carved out of lava rock, or basalt, from Mexico. The rough

porous texture is a perfect surface for grinding grains. A newly made molcajete needs to be cured

first, by grinding a succession of dried grains and white rice, to further smooth out the surface and

Figure 15. Candy.

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remove any loose grit (fig 16). Then it is seasoned by grinding a combination of flavorful herbs, such

as garlic, onion, chili pepper, coriander, and coarse salt. Since I plan to make a killer mole sauce in

mine, I also added cacao nibs (fig. 17). As of the (non) publication of this work, I am still piecing

together a perfect mole recipe. So, the saga of “As the Chocolate Churns” continues, hopefully for a

lifetime, because why stop learning?

In conclusion, chocolate is awesome! I would love to undemonize it for people

and help them see it as a food, and a spice, as well as a treat. Like many things,

we have strayed away from its source. Taken in as a whole food it has many

benefits. If a person has problems with sugar, they can still partake of chocolate

in a bar of 100% cacao, or snack on roasted cacao nibs, or add the nibs to a

food as a condiment. If they have problems with fat, cocoa powder with most of the fat pressed out

of it can still be a reasonable option. I would however, want to warn people of its bitter taste,

especially if they are used to the candy version of chocolate. And chocolate isn’t for everyone,

strange but true, not everyone likes chocolate *gasp*! But for those who do and fear that one little

bite size piece is going to ruin them, I would encourage them to open their minds. The good thing

about eating quality foods is we tend to enjoy and appreciate them more and indulge less, and we

seem to need less because they are more satisfying to our bodies and our minds. Happy eating!

Figure 16. Curing a molcajete with rice. Figure 17. Seasoning a molcajete with cacao.

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1 www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/theobroma-cacao-cocoa-tree 2 American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition 2016, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 3 www.theochocolate.com/mission#story 4 Coe and Coe, The True History of Chocolate, p34, 35 5 Coe and Coe, p36 6 Dreiss, Chocolate, Pathway to the Gods, p83 7 This is from the movie Chocolate, Pathway to the Gods, which precedes the book. 8 For more details on fermentation, see Beckett, The Science of Chocolate, p12-15 9 Sethi, Bread, Wine, Chocolate, p105 10 CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Volume 2, April 1, 2016. Can be found at www.fda.gov 11 More articles on their product can be found at www.cocoavia.com

Works Cited

Beckett, Stephen T. The Science of Chocolate. Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2000.

Béliveau, Richard Ph.D., and Denis Gingras, Ph. D. Foods to Fight Cancer. New York: DK, 2007,

p156-161.

Boynton, Sandra. Chocolate, the Consuming Passion. New York: Workman Publishing, 1982.

Coe, Sophie D., and Michael D. Coe. The True History of Chocolate. 3rd edition, New York:

Thames & Hudson Inc. 2013.

Dreiss, Meredith L., and Sharon Edgar Greenhill. Chocolate, Pathway to the Gods. Tuscan:

The University of Arizona Press, 2008.

Evens, Sarah Jane. Chocolate Unwrapped. London: Pavilion Books, 2010.

Hartvig, Kirsten. Healing Spices. London: Nourish (Watkins Media Limited), 2016, p39-41.

Planck, Nina. Real Food: What to Eat and Why. New York: Bloomsbury, 2007, p238-244.

Presilla, Maricel. The New Taste of Chocolate. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2001.

Sethi, Simran. Bread, Wine, Chocolate. New York: Harper One, 2014.

Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne. A History of Food. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009, p515-520.

Van Wyk, Ben-Erik. Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World. Chicago: Kew Publishing, 2013,

p272-273.

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Wood, Rebecca. The New Whole Food Encyclopedia. New York: Penguin Books. 2010, p88-90

Young, Allen M. The Chocolate Tree: A Natural History of Cacao. Gainesville: University of Florida

Press, 2007.

Websites

CocoaVia, www.cocoavia.com

Culinary Alchemy, www.culinaryalchemist.blogspot.com

Food Matters, www.foodmatters.com

Good Day Chocolate, www.gooddaychocolate.com

Homesick Texan, www.homesicktexan.com

Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, www.kew.org

The Mija Chronicles, www.themijachronicles.com

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, www.fda.gov

Local Chocolatiers

Alma Chocolate, Portland www.almachocolate.com

Creo Chocolate, Portland www.creochocolate.com

Missionary Chocolate Rx, Portland www.missionarychocolates.com

Moonstruck Chocolate, Portland www.moonstruckchocolate.com

Only Child Chocolate, Portland www.onlychildchocolate.com

Pitch Dark Chocolate, Portland www.pitchdarkchocolate.com

Ranger Chocolate, Portland www.rangerchocolate.com

Woodblock Chocolate, Portland www.woodblockchocolate.com

Xocolatl de David, Portland www.xocolatldedavid.com

*Photo Credits: All photos taken by me, except for the photo of me, most likely taken by my mom

(thanks Mom). Photos of other peoples’ photos or artwork are credited in the captions. All

illuminated letters made by me, Miss Loretta, using crushed cacao nibs from Creo Chocolate.