Everything has its origin. Did you know that even the process of making chocolate has a history? This may be your favorite thing to do now on your pastime. Or you may be even addicted to the taste of such treat. But this piece will not add up to that craving as it tries to give you a better view as to how it all started.

The Theobroma Cacao or the food from the Gods is what you all know as the cocoa tree. Its origin can be traced on America's rainforests, specifically in Central America. But historians are still debating about certain facts about this tree.

Xocolat, Anyone?

There are arguments that the Mayans first grew such tree in 300 AD. And the Aztecs had their turn in cultivating such in 1100 AD. The chocolate that you all know now used to be called Xocolat. This was a special beverage that was made out of chilies, anise seed, vanilla, cornmeal and some more spices. Only royalties get to be treated with such delight at the time. It was served using golden cups that were to be used only once.

Save the Chocolates

The cocoa tree is sensitive to its surroundings. It will most likely grow in the shades of the canopy of the rainforest. For this reason, chocolate lovers must unite in the goal of saving the environment, especially in saving the rainforests where the cacaos will most likely survive.

This tree is unique in the sense that its fruits grow on its branches and trunk. The reason for this is because of midges. These are the tiny insects that cause the pollination process during nighttime.

Did you know that the cacao tree can have approximately 10,000 blossoms but only about 10 to 50 of those will mature into fruits or the pod? This is because like an intelligent human being, the tree of cacao can regulate its blossoms to the amount that it can handle and grow.

The cacao tree self regulates in this process to be able to sustain its good health. It knows what it can contain and handle. It knows just how many is enough and too much. The tree does this to preserve its internal systems and to prevent its branches from breaking or falling apart.

The cocoa beans come from the fruit or the pod from the intelligent tree. Harvesters wait for the pod to ripen. They will handpick the trees and crack up the pods until they see white pulpy elements that surround the seeds. The pulps are then trashed while the seeds are kept because those are your cocoa beans, the source of your chocolate treats.

These seeds are actually bitter during such time. For this reason, these will go through the fermentation process for about three to seven days. This method will cause the seeds to go through some chemical as well as physical changes. The result of this will then be used for the royalties' treat, the Xocolat.

The beans need to go through several procedures after which before it can be used for the traditional making chocolate purposes. Now that you know where it came from, you'll never look at your favorite chocolate the same way ever again. Or probably not. Whatever it has been through, chocolates will remain a favorite among children and child at heart.

Learning how to make chocolate is not that different from knowing how to bake cookies or cake. There are books that you can read and related material online. But if you want to learn from one of the professionals, you have to go to school and sign up for one of the short courses.

Most of the chocolate courses you will fine cannot be completed in a week. This is because before you get your hands dirty, you have to understand the history and the chemistry before you are taught the various techniques of making them and how to sell them.

You also have to remember that there is a science to making a quality product that people would want to have after they have tasted it for the first time.

For those who want to make their own product instead of just melting blocks, you will need to learn how to outsource beans, creating your flavor profile and then producing these in bulk.

There are also courses on quality control to make sure those who decide to go into the business are able to sustain what they have started.

Another program that is like a master's degree in chocolate making has classes and tours to chocolate factories not only in the US but in Canada, Belgium, France and Italy.

For those who don't have the time to give up their regular jobs, they can learn about making chocolate online.

Schools that offer this make sure the curriculum is offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can start and stop anytime you want so you are able to remember everything that is taught before moving on to the next module.

After finishing the program, you can use your knowledge to start your own business or look for work within the backing, catering, confectionary or food service industry.

This isn't bad even if you have never taken baking classes before because the learning process takes you from basic skills to more advance work. Some of these schools also offer internship programs so you can practice what you have learned under the direction of a master chocolatier.

But nothing compares to education right there inside the kitchen. You just need to make the time and if you can't make it to classes on weekdays, see if there are those being offered on weekends.

The cost of tuition in chocolate making schools varies depending on the type of program and also if this is done in the kitchen or at home. For those who decide to learn in the kitchen, they don't have to worry because all the materials they need will already be provided. For those at home, they have to buy these from the craft store and make do with what they have.

Learning how to make chocolate with the help of trained professionals is much better than trying to perfect how it is done through trial and error. After all, it is an exact science when it comes to mixing the ingredients and a little bit of marketing if you are planning to sell this product in the market.

Once you get the hang of things, you can try some experiments to make concoctions of your own. After all, chocolates do not always come in boxes.

As a parent, you always try and think of ways to entertain your kids while keeping them close to you. Making chocolate can be a real bonding moment that you can share with your off springs.

Children love the mess. And parents like to keep things tidy and clean. For this activity, you can all make an agreement to treat the process as messy as it can be. But all of you should also contribute to the cleaning part after the activity is done.

If you are a parent who is running out of creative juices on how to stop your toddler from running all over the house, then you must try this with the kid. Enjoy such moment while educating your kid that value of hard work and having rewards after.

If you don't know anything about the methods, do not be sad. It will be more fun to be at the same level where your kids are when it comes to such activity. They will see you their equals and all of you can start the learning venture.

The most important part here is that you get to spend quality time with your kids. Actually, this activity can be done by the whole family. Allocate a budget to buy the ingredients and simple equipments for you to be able to head on with the process.

Your kids will definitely love you for it. While doing the task, you can explain to them some trivia, some facts and a lot about the processes of making chocolates. You can even inspire them to hone such talent to be able to profit from it when the right time comes. Through this, you will be able to instill to them proper values while they are enjoying themselves and learning from what you are all doing.

As a parent, it is also your duty to control your kids' intake of the finished products. This will not be too hard especially that you have gained your kids' trust when you have taught them about chocolate making. After the process, you must explain to them very clear that they should take chocolates at a minimum numbers.

You must take the extra effort of researching about the good and bad effects of chocolates to their bodies. This way, the craft is really becoming more of a learning process that your kids will surely thank you for when the right time comes.

Do not mind the mess as this can get really messy. Just ask your kids to promise that they will help out cleaning after the mess to be able to get to eat some of what you all have done.

Good parenting can be achieved in so many ways that you can think of. Sometimes, it takes extra effort to enjoy a fun-filled day with your kids. Do not mind the money for this activity. Seeing the happy faces of your kids will definitely erase all those doubts on you.

So head on to the grocery store. You can even ask your kids to come with you. You can start the process from there. You can remind them of tips and tricks in making chocolate. And as you all trail home, for sure, everybody will be looking forward into making their own treats while all is having a good time.

This will be a fun-filled bonding time that you will be able to feed the childhood memories of your children, just one step into good parenting.

Chocolate has its timeless charm which hooks many a person with a sweet tooth. Then again, some of the chocolates are really expensive. In reality, given a few tips and tricks, you can actually create your own chocolate and save yourself money and increase your delight because of your self-creation.

Essentially, making chocolate begins with the conversion of cacao beans into the bars of chocolate we see in the supermarket shelves. Some other people enjoy eating the cacao beans in its raw form, since it has the basic component that we crave for in the processed chocolates.

A chocolate maker must have persistent attention to detail and dedication to constant practicing. This guide will not ensure to make a chocolate factory out of your kitchen, but it will surely give you the basic idea-- just enough for you to enjoy a bar or two of chocolate at any time you wish without hurting your budget. Moreover, since you are directly involved in making your chocolate, you get to know the materials and amount of calories you are placing in every bar.

It begins with Cocoa Beans

If you are familiar with brewing coffee, it is similar to the beginning of the chocolate-making process. You need to roast the beans. But then, do not roast it too much. Initially, place it in a high temperature, then slowly diminishing the temperature afterwards. Turn the heat off right before the moment the beans hit their cracking or breaking point. You can do this either on your oven.

Or if you are planning to feed many people with your chocolate, have a larger container to accommodate the huge number of beans. From time to time, test the taste of your chocolate. The moment you start tasting chocolate from the cocoa, it is also an indicator to turn off the heat.

After roasting, the beans must be cracked open, removing the hard husks. You can do this by hand or with use of a small hammer. Depending on the size of your beans, you can use other tools for cracking, since the husks are not that useful for eating. Once the husks are removed, you can now grind the remaining portions until it liquefies. You must thoroughly liquefy the said concoction in order to help you become a home chocolatier.

Coco gets refined over time.

The process of conching involves the refinement of chocolate. It may require you to have certain equipment such as the Sancha refiner, which is a common favorite among home chocolatiers. This is where you start adding sugar and milk as part of the delicious chocolate mixture.

You will need to refine and conch for a long time, approximately 10 to 30 hours in length, until you achieve the balance of the ingredients. Excessive refining will turn your chocolate into gum, so be very careful. At this point, even when you let the mixture rest, it must not solidify yet.

Packaging Chocolates: Tempered after refinement.

When you are finished refining your chocolate, you need to make sure that it is under the right temperature before you place it in the mold. Not doing this meticulous tempering process will make your chocolate lumpy and unbalanced.

The rich, creamy quality of most chocolate bars in the market comes from effective tempering of the chocolate after refinement.

How do large companies make chocolate? For one, they need capital to be able to buy the equipment they need and also the ingredients.

Given that there are not that many places in the US to harvest cocoa beans, these companies go to South America, the Ivory Coast and as far away as Ghana because deep in their jungles likes the cacao tree.

These trees grow a melon like fruit that is harvested by hand and inside, there are 20 to 40 seeds which are the cocoa beans.

Once the cocoa beans are removed, they are placed in large heaps or piles in a process known as fermentation. This usually takes a week giving the shells time to harden, the beans darken and the cocoa flavor develops. Afterwards, these are then transported to the chocolate factory.

Since companies that import cocoa beans order these in vast quantities, it is more practical to transport these back to the US by ship than by air. Once they reach the dock, it is then transferred to rail road cars on the way to the factory so they can be cleaned and stored.

Chocolates as we know taste different and this depends on the country of origin of the beans. The first step in converting these into chocolate is to roast these in large revolving roasters at high temperatures.

Next, a special hulling machine dries it so the shell of the bean is removed and its content known as the "nib" is the one that is actually used in making chocolate.

The next step is to turn the "nibs" into its liquid form. This process is known as milling and to give you that added taste, other ingredients are added and these include chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and milk.

Chocolate liquor is a combination of milk and sugar. The end product of this coarse brown powder called a chocolate crumb. As for milk, this is taken from the farm where it is tested, pasteurized and mixed with sugar until it turns into thick, taffy like material.

You then throw in cocoa butter to bring out the rich taste and creamy texture of the chocolate. Another machine known as steel rollers grinds and refines the mixture to make it smoother.

After all that, the mixture becomes a thick liquid often referred to as chocolate paste. Since there still may be some gritty particles, it is placed inside another machine called the conche for 24 to 72 hours. 

When the paste has been smoothened, this is the time that the liquid chocolate is poured into the mold. The process is very fast inside a factory as some produce about a thousand of these a minute that is something that can never be done manually. If the chocolate comes in many varies, this is also the time that almonds and peanuts are added.

In the machine, air bubbles are removed so the chocolate is able to settle evenly. They then make their way through a cooling tunnel so the liquid chocolate is turned into a solid candy bar.

The last step is obviously to wrap this up, put these in boxes and then deliver it to stores. Customers then buy these off the shelf and then enjoy its yummy taste without ever thinking for one moment how do large companies make chocolate.

Making chocolate is often viewed as something that you can only do through cookbooks and offline demonstrations. Au contraire, you can actually find more and more chocolatiers embracing the online way of earning savoir faire about chocolate making. And why not? There are many advantages to having online chocolate learning. It truly harnesses the technology made in this age for making delicacies and sweet treats like chocolate.

A Diverse Support System

You will find that if you are learning how to make chocolate and getting your sources online, you don't just get information but you are also rewarded with a diverse support system that will encourage you in your pursuits of becoming a chocolatier. The support system is not limited to your local limitations, nor is it bound by certain ways of doing things.

With the diversity and variety of techniques from the Internet, you will find that you are exposed to different styles that can finally help you improvise and find your own chocolate making style. Whether you are a novice to chocolate making or someone waiting to upgrade their chocolate making skills, you will be richly rewarded by people who can help add to your wealth of information regarding chocolate making. 

Visuals and audio combined

Videos uploaded online, as well as images of chocolates from all over the world, provide you with perspective and ample motivation. This multimedia form of learning will also ensure that your learning of making chocolate is meticulous and done in good taste. Both the art and science of chocolate making is something that you can find even when there are few words used to describe it. Through pictures and video and audio, you will find that chocolates are really a universal treat and can evolve over time with technological advancements.

Excellent Follow up

Mentors online find it easier to manage their contacts. You can also have numerous mentors, as opposed to the limited number of people you can learn with when you are in an actual classroom setting. With online methods, you own your time, and you can learn your chocolate making even in the wee hours of the morning without having to worry about disturbing your neighbor. At any given time of day, there is bound to be a perky chocolate lover, up and ready to assist you.

No inhibitions and continuous learning of making chocolate

When you are making chocolate through online learning, there is distance and more inhibitions are diminished with this distance. It may make you feel safer to admitting disasters in your kitchen or other booboos that novice learners of chocolate making may commit as they master their craft. The thing is, online people are less inclined to judge your work but they are just more supportive and welcoming about your shortcomings in making chocolate.

Opportunity to branch out into other forms of making food

Whoever said that learning is limited to making chocolate? You may also find it an added pleasure that the links may lead you to other learning pursuits that are not far from making chocolate. The good thing with online learning is that you can easily transfer from one pursuit to another or even do them simultaneously without much of a hassle.

You can also regulate your learning to accommodate other forms of food making for your personal satisfaction.

Ever wonder how chocolate is made? The short story is that these are made from bitter cacao beans and then molded into chocolate bars. If you were a chocolate company like Hershey's, you would need a lot of them and to give you an idea how it is made, here is a guide in the production process.

The first thing that needs to be done is to harvest the cacao beans. Large companies buy these from farmers or buy the farm and harvest these themselves. They then put these in an oven at a temperature between 120 to 163 degrees Celsius that is about 250 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 35 minutes.

Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack.

There are two reasons why cacao beans stay in an oven at varying times.

First is to prevent them from burning. Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack. Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack.

Second, the cooking time of cacao beans varies depending on the type of bean that is being used. 

Since companies produce chocolates in vast quantities, the cacao beans are stored in drums and then rotated over a gas grill. After they are roasted, the beans must be cracked into small bits better known as nibs while those that can't are removed.

The next step is to grind the nibs into a cacao liqueur.  For that, you will need a machine to liquefy this and at the same time separate the remaining husks that were not removed after roasting.

You then conch and refine the chocolate so you are able to give the chocolate its distinct taste. This is what makes Hershey's chocolates different than for example M&M which can be achieved by using a powerful wet grinder.

You first have to melt the chocolate and the cocoa butter in the over at about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You should then mix non fat dry milk powder, sugar, lecithin and a vanilla pod for about an hour. This mixture is then poured into a grinder together with some heat to keep the chocolate in liquid form. This should be refined for at least 10 hours but not more than 36 hours.

When it is ready, you then temper the chocolate so it looks shiny and soft enough to easily melt in your hand.

The second to the last part in making chocolate is to mold this into whatever shape or form that you would like. To produce these in vast quantities, chocolate companies but custom made molds. The chocolate is then poured there and after this is cooled, this is then packaged and ready for delivery to stores.

Some companies even sell these in the form of blocks so people can buy them, melt it and mold this to whatever shape they desire.

Making chocolate is easy as long as you have the equipment and all the ingredients needed. It doesn't matter if this is produced in large volumes or in small quantities because the principle behind it is the same. If you want to learn more about making chocolate, sign up for some classes.

Most people love eating sweets. This is why chocolates are a booming biz and have continued its prominence through time. If you know your way into making chocolate, you might as well earn from the process.

It is easy to market such treat because you will find people who love it anywhere you go. All you need to remember now is how you will be able to market your products the right way and the most beneficial towards your end.

The Four Ps of Marketing

Consider this strategy when you are on the planning stage of your sweets biz. If you are just starting out and just want to make extra income through the product that you will also enjoy, here's a brief explanation of this concept.

Product

The first P is the product. You have to know your product well, in this instance, your chocolates. To be able to tell people good things about what you are selling, you must know first and foremost everything about it.

Yes, it is a good idea if you will take time to research about the scientific background of this treat. But you can also just focus on what you want to sell. You may want to focus on chocolate cakes. Or how about chocolates in gift baskets? There are many options that you can try for such reason.

Place

Where are you located? Who lives in your neighborhood? And how often do you think they will buy? You have to think about those things to be able to plan out accordingly what will be a big hit for these people. You must give them what they are looking for. You must present them with new ideas that you are very sure that they will like.

It is a good thing that you are from the area. You no longer have to resort on hiring people to do a market analysis to know who these people are. Just spread your wings and increase your public relations. This will also increase the probability that these people are going to buy from you.

Price

You must offer your products at rates that your target market can afford. To decide easily about this matter, you must study your direct competitors. You no longer have to hire someone to do this. All you need is to buy their products to know about their pricing. You must not be too far away from their strategies. People are looking for quality products at rates they can afford. So the best thing that you can do is to give them what they are looking for.

Promotion

Your biz, however small it is, will not survive without venturing into promotions. As a startup of a small business, you can start the buzz about you through word of mouth. To achieve this, you must first come with a very good product. Give those out to people the first few days. If you are confident with what you are selling, for sure, people will also like it. They will be your good source of free advertising.

Turn your hobby of making chocolate into a fun-filled and profit generating venture. Consider the abovementioned in starting up your biz. Create a noise for yourself and establish your name in the industry.

In time, you will find your niche. You never know, your hobby can turn into one money-making road to your own success.

Anything that you eat will become yummier or a delicious treats depending on its presentation. This is also true in making chocolate. That is why as of today, you will enjoy such type in many forms and sizes. It all depends on the moldings that were used to create such impact.

Groovy Treats

Chocolates are known to be given as gifts to loved ones, to friends, even to your bosses or peers. The shape in which you buy such treat will depend on who are you going to give this or present such as a gift.

Did you know that since in the late 1800s, molds were already used by those who make chocolates? The more popular form at the time is the moldings that were made from metal. But through time, such type was replaced by those that were made out of plastic. If you'll ask why, well, it is mainly because of the price. Those that were made from metal become too expensive especially for people who only want to make chocolates at home for personal consumption.

When you are out shopping for chocolate molds, be careful with what you buy. Choose a brand that is known for its quality and durability. You must also take time to hold the pieces that you will be purchasing as if imagining that you will be taking out your chocolates from there.

Make sure that the one that you will avail can be bended easily so as you can get your chocolate products without any hassle. Also, if you are out shopping for the perfect mold, choose the one that will last long.

You never know, your hobby can turn into one profitable venture. And your moldings should see you through it. So invest on good and quality products than choosing the cheaper materials for their price.

You must also have an eye for the right design. Choose those that will give your chocolates the perfect shape and mould them to look better and give justice to its taste. Of course, the molds cannot do anything with the taste factor. This will all be up to you. But you will be inspired to come up with better products when you see the shapes that you can come up with through the molds that you have invested real well with.

Plastic molds must be cleaned properly after each use. Do not wash them with soaps. This can contribute to the taste of your product. As a better option, you can use hot water to clean the molds. Just make sure to wipe it dry after using a clean cloth.

This will be easy to maintain. You will only need to put a little bit of grease every once in a while. This will only be applicable when you put some more ingredients into your mix like marshmallows, cookies and candy sprinkles.

Putting in fillings for your chocolates will take more effort. You must study such task in order to perfect the craft. This will be beneficial on your part if you'd like to take your hobby into another level or if you want to make a business out of this venture.

The good thing about taking in a hobby of making chocolate is that you don't waste your materials. You can re-use things over and over again as long as they are still in good condition.

Making chocolate cake is a pleasure not just for kids but also for adults. It is one of the universal favorites and making it can certainly give you an edge and flair when hosting certain occasions. Except for the rare few who are allergic to chocolates, chocolate cakes can cause one to have a better mood, as attested to by scientific research on endorphin hormones which come in larger proportions from chocolate. The endorphin rush can also be attained by having fun in creating your own chocolate cake.

Here are the basic steps for making chocolate cake.

Les Ingredients (The Ingredients)

The basic ingredient for chocolates include coffee powder, chopped butter, dark chocolate, water, brown sugar, cocoa powder, flour, lightly whisked egg, cocoa powder, and cachous for decoration. Proportions vary according to the level and degree of sweetness you prefer for you chocolate cake. The amount also varies based on the required number of servings you need.

The Steps

As with any cake preheating to about 160 degrees Celsius. The base must also be created and greased to about 20 centimeters for standard size. After settling this, you can now add the coffee, butter, chocolate, sugar and water in a pan. Place it only on low heat. Stir this for the next few minutes until it melts and balances. Once this is established, set it aside for a few minutes and let it cool down.

Grab a bowl and transfer the entire mixture. Do some sifting and get the cocoa powder and combined flours. Add the almonds in this particular stage. After mixing all these, add the eggs and fold the flour. Keep stirring and pour it into the pan.

After all this is finished, bake the cake for at least one hour. If at all possible, monitor the progress of your cake by using a skewer. Once this is finished, take the cake out of the oven and prepare it for icing. The icing must be made of fresh cream and chocolate placed in a bowl, stirred to smooth perfection. Place the icing in the middle of the cake and in the outer surfaces, ensuring uniformity and balance in the elements. Add the decorations afterwards.  

Some Additional Pieces of Advice

Cooling is essential in every stage of making chocolate. You need to make sure that the chocolate is cooled before you decide to add any more ingredients. You must also exercise caution in establishing proportions of the ingredients so that there will not be overpowering elements in your chocolate cake. Have somebody test your cake from time to time and practice doing it to refine your style and speed in making chocolate cake. 

At the outset, you must have high quality chocolate to begin with. Your techniques come in secondary to the quality of your ingredients, so make sure that you are making your chocolate with the best ingredients there is in the market. It can also be made more fun if you share the chocolate cake making activity with friends and family to make the affair and learning even sweeter.

Other techniques may come in but essentially, it is advisable to look for the perfect manner with which you can do your best cooking or baking skills and at the same time, maintain the richness of excellently made chocolate cakes.