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Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is the pale-yellow, pure edible vegetable fat of the cacao bean. It is the substance used to make solid chocolate bars. It is mixed with varying amounts of cocoa powder to produce solid pieces of chocolate. Cocoa butter is extracted from the cacao beans and can be used to make chocolate, pharmaceuticals, ointments, and toiletries.[1] Cocoa butter has a mild chocolate flavor and aroma.
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Creation
Cocoa beans are ground into chocolate liquor and pressed to separate the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids [2]. Cocoa butter can alternately be extracted from whole beans by the broma process.
Uses
Cocoa butter can be mixed with milk and sugar to make white chocolate but most of it is used to make milk chocolate, which can contain more cocoa butter than cocoa liquor.
Because of the melting temperature of cocoa butter, it is often used in pharmaceuticals as a base for suppositories. It is able to be stored at room temperature, but readily melts at body temperature, releasing the medication.
Cocoa butter is one of the most stable fats known, containing natural antioxidants that prevent rancidity and give it a storage life of two to five years, making it a good choice for non-food products. The smooth texture, sweet fragrance and emollient property of cocoa butter make it a popular ingredient in cosmetics and skin care products, such as soaps and lotions.
Chemical properties
The most common form of Cocoa butter has a melting point of around 34 to 38 degres Celsius (93 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit), rendering chocolate a solid at room temperature that readily melts once inside the mouth. Cocoa butter displays polymorphism, having α, γ, β', and β crystals, with melting points of 17, 23, 26, and 35–37 °C respectively. The production of chocolate typically uses only the β crystal for its high melting point. A uniform crystal structure will result in smooth texture, sheen, and snap. Overheating cocoa butter converts the structure to a less stable form that melts below room temperature. Given time, it will naturally return to the most stable β crystal form.
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References
- ^ "Cocoa butter -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Britannica Encyclopedia article (July 1998). Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
- ^ Cocoa butter pressing
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 6 October 2008, at 13:02.
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