E033 – Using Data to Make Perfect Chocolate – Part 1

In the first part of this two-part episode, we do a data deep dive into a decadent vat of chocolate. We talk about history and how to make chocolate. In part two, we will talk about various stats and data with Brian Mikiten, former process engineer and founder of Casa Chocolates in San Antonio, TX.

History of chocolate
- Evidence dates back as early as 1500 BC
- Fermented beverages date back to 350BC
- Believed to have originated with Mesoamericans
- Made its way to Europe where sugar was added in 16th century
- In 1828, Dutch chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten used alkaline salts to process into “Dutch cocoa”
- 1847 – J.S. Fry and Sons created the first chocolate bar
- 1876 – Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter added milk powder to create milk chocolate
- 2/3 of cocoa today is produced in Western Africa
- Fair trade chocolate certifies that chocolate is not gathered with child or slave labor
Overview of chocolate making
- Harvesting – pods contain ~40 cacao beans
  
  Photo via TripAdvisor.com
- Roasting
- Cracking
- Winnowing
- Grinding
- Conching
- Tempering
- Molding