110 FOOD VALUE OF CACAO, ETC. 



Sugar has been founrl. This large amount of sugar is accounted 

 ior by the tact that without this addition it does not sell. Not 

 a little prejudice exists as to the digestibility and indigestibility 

 ■of Cacao Fat, and this prejudice is taken advantage of by the 

 manufacturers in making their preparations. It is somewhat 

 curious to note however, that some of the fat extracted from the 

 preparation intended for use as a beve/age is used in the prepar- 

 ■ation of confectionery, suL-h as " Ohosolate Creams," when no 

 question whatever arises as to its indigestibilit}'. Many indeed 

 who object to a certain amount of fat with their breakf.ist cacao, 

 use ten times the amount of quite as indigestible a; fat, in the form 

 of butter, without a thought of indigestion. The value of 

 Chocolate Creams, Chocolate Stick, and other "Bon Bong' as a 

 food may V)e estimated from the analyses. They contain from 

 12 to 40 % of Cacao which has a large percentage of Fat, some 

 ■starches, and some albuminoids, and these added to the Food 

 value of 60% of sugar will yive total value which will be found 

 overestimated in the majoritj' of cases both bj- sellers and 

 consumers. If the pubUc could be persuaded to demand pure 

 Cacao, adding the sugar themselves they would be better served. 



Mandfactcee of Chocolate, 



The methods generally employed in Trinidad in manufac 

 turing Chocolate from the Cacao bean are extremely simple, and 

 the same in principle as those practised throughout Cacao 

 growing countries; but there are a few persons who produce an 

 article little inferior in point of manufacture to that produced ia 

 Europe. 



The bean after being cured and dried in a manner fit for 

 sale can be used at any time for manufacturing into chocolate. 

 The first process is to loast the beans in a cylinder over a slow 

 fire, until they assume a fine brown colour, but not to heat them 

 to such a degiee as to burn them, or to destroy the essential oil 

 which they contain, for Cacao-beans once burnt or scorched caa 

 never make up a cup of first-class chocolate. When browned 

 .sufficiently the. testa ea^^ilj' separates from the inner portion of 

 the seed and can be cracked ofi' and fanned awaj' as soon as the 

 beans are cool enough to handle. Car? should be taken to 

 grind quickly after roasting, as unce loasted, Cacao soon loses 

 flavour and aroma, and the manufactured article should always be 

 kept in sealed or clo.se fitting receptacles. 



The "nibs" are put upon a clean piece of free stoae 

 about 2 feet square, perfectly smooth, anothei piece of the same 

 raateiial. sonre«hat rounded, being used as a grinder, llubbed 

 for .some little tiirre and frequently turned with a small spalhula, 

 the beans are reduced lo a paste, the fat they contain assisting 

 the operaliun, but the grinding must be cunlinued until the 



