Broma process facts for kids

The Broma process is a special way to get cocoa butter from cocoa beans. This method helps make delicious chocolate bars and even white chocolate. It was first used by a chocolatier named Domingo Ghirardelli.

What is the Broma Process?

The Broma process is a simple but clever technique used in making chocolate. It focuses on taking out the natural fats, called cocoa butter, from roasted cocoa beans. This process is important because cocoa butter is a key ingredient in many chocolate products.

How Does the Broma Process Work?

Imagine you have a bag full of roasted cocoa beans. In the Broma process, these bags are hung in a very warm room. This room is kept at a temperature just above where cocoa butter melts. Cocoa butter melts at a temperature slightly warmer than a typical room.

As the cocoa beans get warm, the cocoa butter inside them starts to melt. It then slowly drips out of the beans and is collected below. This method is a gentle way to separate the valuable cocoa butter from the rest of the cocoa bean.

What Happens After the Cocoa Butter is Collected?

Once the cocoa butter has been removed, it can be used in different ways:

• It can be added back into chocolate to make richer, smoother chocolate bars. This extra cocoa butter gives chocolate its creamy texture.
• When mixed with powdered milk and sugar, cocoa butter is the main ingredient for making white chocolate. White chocolate doesn't contain cocoa solids, which is why it's not brown.

The cocoa beans that are left after the Broma process are still very useful. These dry beans are usually ground into cocoa powder. This powder is what many people buy to make hot cocoa or use in baking.

The Dutch Process: A Special Step

Sometimes, after the Broma process, an extra step is added called the Dutch process. In this step, the cocoa beans (after their butter has been drained) are soaked in an alkaline solution. This solution helps to make the beans more chemically neutral.

The Dutch process changes the flavor and color of the cocoa powder. It often makes the cocoa darker and less acidic, giving it a milder taste. This is why some cocoa powders are labeled "Dutch-processed."