巧克力的诞生 Chocolate Production
关键词： 巧克力的诞生 Chocolate Production
巧克力的诞生 Chocolate Production
的确如此，可可豆——世界上最美味的甜品巧克力的主要原料——是苦的。这就是为什么直到18世纪，一些部落还只是吃带甜味的鲜可可果。他们要么把珍贵的可可豆当作废物丢弃掉，要么把它当作一种特殊的“货币”进行流通，阿芝台克人即是如此。只有在世界上最热的区域，可可树才可以生长得枝繁叶茂。它的结果期主要在五月、十月或十一月，而收获期也大约在这一期间。
Yes, the cocoa-bean -- the heart of the sweetest delicacy in the world -- is bitter. This is why, up to the 18th century some native tribes ate only the sweetish flesh of the cocoa fruit. They regarded the precious bean as waste or used it, as was the case among the Aztecs, as a form of currency. The cocoa tree can flourish only in the hottest regions of the world. The main fruit seasons are in May and in October/November, and it is usually at these times that the crop is harvested.
■ 可可的品种 The Varieties
所有不同种类的可可，都可以被划分为两种截然不同的大类：克里奥洛可可和福拉斯特洛可可。最纯正的克里奥洛可可树主要分布在厄瓜多尔和委内瑞拉。这种可可豆的质量要高于福拉斯特洛可可豆。克里奥洛可可豆突出的美妙、温和的芳香使之成为生产高档巧克力的必备之选。然而它的产量只占世界可可豆总产量的10％。90％的可可豆属于福拉斯特洛可可这一大类，其中包含很多杂交品种。福拉斯特洛可可主要出产于西非。
There are two quite different basic classifications of cocoa, under which practically all varieties can be categorised: Criollo and Forastero cocoas. The pure variety of the Criollo tree is found mainly in its native Ecuador and Venezuela. The seeds are of finer quality than those of the Forastero variety. They have a particularly fine, mild aroma and are, therefore, used only in the production of high-quality chocolate and for blending. However, Criollo cocoa accounts for only 10% of the world crop. The remaining 90% is harvested from trees of the Forastero family, with its many hybrids and varieties. The main growing area is West Africa.
■ 可可的收获 The Harvest
可可果在被采摘下来后，要立即进行处理，以免腐化。当可可果被打开，无论是在丛林，还是在收集场所，发酵都在无时不刻地进行着。
Immediately after harvesting, the fruit is treated to prevent it from rotting. At fermentation sites either in the jungle or at, collecting points, the fruit is opened.
■ 发酵 Fermentation
发酵过程对可可的品质起到了至关重要的作用。不同的发酵技术则取决于可可原产地的不同技术。
The fermentation process is decisive in the production of high quality raw cocoa. The technique varies depending on the growing region.
■ 脱水 Drying
发酵后，可可中仍含有过多的水分（约为60％）。其中大部分水分要被去掉。把可可豆铺在露天的地面上进行脱水是最天然的做法。大约过一周左右，可可中的部分水分就会被蒸发掉。
After fermentation, the raw cocoa still contains far too much water; in fact about 60%. Most of this has to be removed. What could be more natural than to spread the beans out to dry on the sun-soaked ground or on mats? After a week or so, all but a small percentage of the water has evaporated.
■ 可可产区 The Cocoa Producing Areas
可可产区都位于赤道附近，并以南北回归线为界限。湿热无风的热带雨林气候为可可树的生长提供了良好的环境。最古老的种植园位于南美洲的北部地区。墨西哥、委内瑞拉、厄瓜多尔都被认为是可可的原产地。之后，可可的种植向南扩张。主要扩展到了巴西。上个世纪末，可可种植扩张到了西非赤道区。现在，象牙海岸、巴西已成为可可豆的主要产区。加纳，曾经是最重要的生产国。但由于种植园老化，正在失去其昔日的重要地位。尼日利亚和喀麦隆也在步其后尘。东南亚的一些岛国，可可的种植历史也十分悠久，但极少出产高品质的可可豆。
These all lie in the vicinity of the equator, and are bounded to the north and south by the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This region of tropical rain-forests, with its moist, windless climate and constant warmth provides ideal conditions for the growth and well-being the cocoa tree. The oldest plantations are in the northern areas of South America; for, after all, Mexico, Venezuela and Ecuador are regarded as the original home of cocoa. At a later date the cultivation of cocoa spread southward, mainly to Brazil, and at the end of the last century, spread to the equatorial regions of West Africa. The Ivory Coast and Brazil are today the most productive areas in the world. Ghana, once the most important world producer, is losing its importance owing to ageing of the plantations. These are followed by Nigeria and the Cameroons. In the islands of South-East Asia, cocoa was established very early, but only small quantities of good quality are produced.
■ 储藏 Storage
当可可豆到达瑞士后，将要进行严格的质控程序。如果生可可豆检验合格，将被运往巧克力厂，这是深加工前的首次储藏。
After arriving in Switzerland, the imported raw cocoa is subject to a strict quality control. If the result of the test is satisfactory the raw cocoa - particularly in larger chocolate factories - is first stored before undergoing further processing.
■ 清洁 Cleaning
在加工之前，生可可豆将被彻底地用滤网和刷子进行清洁。最终，木头、黄麻纤维、沙子甚至是最细的灰尘都会被真空设备吸走。
Before the real processing begins, the raw cocoa is thoroughly cleaned by passing through sieves, and by brushing. Finally, the last vestiges of wood, jute fibres, sand and even the finest dust are extracted by powerful vacuum equipment.
■ 烘焙 Roasting
随后的烘焙过程主要致力于把可可豆中的芳香发掘出来。整个的烘焙过程都是在10英尺高的炉子里，130 °C的高温下由机器自动完成的。
The subsequent roasting process is primarily designed to develop the aroma. The entire roasting process, during which the air in the nearly 10 feet high furnaces reaches a temperature of 130 °C, is carried out automatically.
■ 碾碎去壳 Crushing and shelling
现在，烘焙后的可可豆已经经过碾碎机的处理，裂成几块了。
The roasted beans are now broken into medium sized pieces in the crushing machine.
■ 混合 Blending
在磨粉之前，碾碎的可可豆将被称重，并依照独有的配方进行混合。每一个巧克力厂都有各自混合不同可可豆比率的秘方。
Before grinding, the crushed beans are weighed and blended according to special recipes. The secret of every chocolate factory lies in the special mixing ratios which it has developed for different types of cocoa.
■ 磨粉 Grinding
被碾碎的可可豆还相当的粗糙，它要被磨粉设备加工，之后，放入滚筒中磨成细糊。在压力和摩擦力的共同作用下，可可脂（大约含50％的可可豆）被加热、融化，产生出粘稠的气味强烈的深棕色混合液体。在冷却的过程中，它逐渐凝固，这就是可可泥。此时，生产方法被分为两种方式，但很快又会趋同。一种方法是对可可泥加压，榨取出可可脂；另一种方法是在加入可可脂的同时，对其进行多种混合精炼程序。之后，这两种方法趋同。
The crushed cocoa beans, which are still fairly coarse are now pre-ground by special milling equipment and then fed on to rollers where they are ground into a fine paste. The heat generated by the resulting pressure and friction causes the cocoa butter (approximately 50% of the bean) contained in the beans to melt, producing a thick, liquid mixture. This is dark brown in colour with a characteristic, strong odour. During cooling it gradually sets: this is the cocoa paste. At this point the production process divides into two paths, but which soon join again. A part of the cocoa paste is taken to large presses, which extract the cocoa butter. The other part passes through various blending and refining processes, during which some of the cocoa butter is added to it. The two paths have rejoined.
■ 可可脂 Cocoa Butter
可可脂可以起到很重要的作用。它出现在巧克力的配方中，使巧克力口感细腻、外观光泽。
The cocoa butter has important functions. It not only forms part of every recipe, but it also later gives the chocolate its fine structure, beautiful lustre and delicate, attractive glaze.
■ 可可粉 Cocoa Powder
可可脂被加压后，所形成的可可饼依据不同强度的压力仍旧含有10％到20％的油脂。可可饼会被再度碾成细粉，并经过若干步骤，就成为了香浓的可可饮品的主要原料。可可泥、可可脂、糖以及牛奶是制作巧克力的重要成分。不同种类的巧克力，会采用不同的配方，进行混合。以下是主要的三种巧克力的名称及配方：
•纯巧克力：可可泥+ 可可脂 + 糖
•牛奶巧克力: 可可泥 +可可脂+ 糖 + 牛奶
•白巧克力:可可脂 +糖 + 牛奶
After the cocoa butter has left the press, cocoa cakes are left which still contain a 10 to 20% proportion of fat depending on the intensity of compression. These cakes are crushed again, ground to powder and finely sifted in several stages and we obtain a dark, strongly aromatic powder which is excellent for the preparation of delicious drinks - cocoa. Cocoa paste, cocoa butter, sugar and milk are the four basic ingredients for making chocolate. By blending them in accordance with specific recipes the three types of chocolate are obtained which form the basis of ever product assortment, namely:
• Plain chocolate: cocoa paste + cocoa butter + sugar
• Milk chocolate: cocoa paste + cocoa butter + sugar + milk
• White chocolate: cocoa butter + sugar + milk
■ 捏合 Kneading
拿牛奶巧克力打个比方。捏合过程就是将可可泥、可可脂、奶粉或浓缩奶、糖、添加剂（如香草）放入搅拌器，进行磨粉捏制。
In the case of milk chocolate for example, the cocoa paste, cocoa butter, powdered or condensed milk, sugar and flavouring - maybe vanilla - go into the mixer, where they are pulverized and kneaded.
■ 搅拌 Rolling
搅拌机中有三到五个垂直的钢棍向不同的方向旋转。在重压下，将可可和糖研磨成极小的颗粒（大约在30微米左右）。
Depending on the design of the rolling mills, three or five vertically mounted steel rollers rotate in opposite directions. Under heavy pressure they pulverize the tiny particles of cocoa and sugar down to a size of approx. 30 microns. (One micron is a thousandth part of a millimetre.)
■ 搅拌揉捏 Conching
此时的可可泥还不足以满足我们的味觉要求。但在两到三天内，它就会发生变化。在这一期间，巧克力泥会被巧克力搅拌揉捏机变得十分细腻。巧克力揉捏机（源于西班牙词“concha”，是海螺的意思），它可以同时容纳搅拌100到1000公斤的巧克力泥，并加热到80 °C，在向其中添加可可脂和卵磷脂之后，使之变得柔滑细腻。在这一过程中，可可泥的苦味逐渐消失，香味被完全地释放出来。巧克力不再是沙质的，而是很快能在舌头上融化掉。巧克力的纯度给予它很高的荣誉。
But still the chocolate paste is not smooth enough to satisfy our palates. But within two or three days all that will have been put right. For during this period the chocolate paste will be refined to such an extent in the conches that it will flatter even the most discriminating palate. Conches (from the Spanish word "", meaning a shell) is the name given to the troughs in which 100 to 1000 kilograms of chocolate paste at a time can be heated up to 80 °C and, while being constantly stirred, is given a velvet smoothness by the addition of certain amounts of cocoa butter and of the very valuable lecithin. A kind of aeration of the liquid chocolate paste then takes place in the conches: its bitter taste gradually disappears and the flavour is fully developed. The chocolate no longer seems sandy, but dissolves meltingly on the tongue. It has attained the outstanding purity which gives it its reputation.
■ 回火 Tempering
在定型之前，巧克力浆将被加热到50℃，然后再根据不同的产品，冷却到不同的温度（大约在30℃以上一点）。
Before the forming process, the chocolate paste must be heated to 50 °C and then cooled to a specific temperature a little over 30 °C depending on the product. |
|
