It goes without saying that the Cacao Bean is a sacred fruit. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia, growing mostly in South&Central America, Africa, and Asia. The earliest known documentation of using cacao seeds is from around 1100 BC during the Mayan period in ancient Mexico.
The Mayans sought after it for many purposes like cure, meditation, and a getaway for inner spirit and wisdom, praising it as “the food of the gods.” By roasting and grounding the cocoa seeds, the Mayans mixed them with water, chilies, and cornmeal to commence their rituals.
Fast forward to today, the list of ingredients on most chocolate products has expanded far past simply cacao. Chocolate is often seen in many products and is much used in the making of desserts and other confectioneries, making it a beloved ingredient for its flavor and versatility.
The cacao tree seeds have a very intense, bitter taste; they must ferment to develop the flavor. Once fermented, the bean is dried to remove the moisture caused by the fermentation. So it’s roasted at high temperatures. After roasting, the shell is removed to bring out the cacao nibs. The cacao nibs are grounded, and pure cocoa powder is formed, ready for use.
Quick tip: “Cacao” refers to the raw beans from the cacao tree, and “cocoa” is what you get after roasting and grinding the beans. Keep that in mind!
Chocolate making undergoes many stages of modifications and transformations, like tempering, melting, freezing, and more. At BRIX, we use chocolate in different forms, whether liquid or solid and in different saturations and ratios, for example, 70% chocolate and 30% dairy.
To celebrate World Chocolate Day, Chef Carmen shares her recipe to make the perfect chocolate ganache, which is a glaze, sauce, or filling that combines melted chocolate and cream. This velvety chocolatey creation is ideal for covering or drizzling over desserts like cakes or trifles and filling pastries and truffles. If you want to watch how chocolate ganache is being made, click here.
How to Make a Chocolate Ganache?
Ingredients:
210 g Espresso
10 g Trimoline
450 g Jivara chocolate
Recipe:
1. Place the Jivara milk chocolate in a jar.
2. Put the Trimoline and coffee in a pan and boil.
3. Pour over the chocolate and blend very well.
4. Once slightly cooled down, pipe into the chocolate molds or drizzle on any dessert of your choice.
If you’re in the mood for something chocolatey, visit brixdesserts.com to book one of our BRIXjourney experiences and try Indonesia’s Cacao Bean or Autumn’s dessert. You can also enjoy our chocolate-inspired Cacao Novelle as an a la carte item or order a box of decadent chocolate truffles from your home.