Como agua para chocolate.

Water and chocolate do not mix, ever. Were does chocolate come from? How is chocolate made? What do we do with it besides eat it?

This is particular post is for my South American friends, oddly enough thats were chocolate comes from...

Feel free to translate the rest of the text if you are not a native Spanish speaker.

El chocolate (del náhuatl: xocoatl)1​ es el alimento que se obtiene mezclando azúcar con dos productos que derivan de la manipulación de las semillas del cacao: la masa del cacao y la manteca de cacao. A partir de esta combinación básica se elaboran los distintos tipos de chocolate que dependen de la proporción entre estos elementos y de su mezcla, o no, con otros productos ya sea como leche, colorante, y/o frutos secos.

El cacao ha sido cultivado por muchas culturas durante al menos tres milenios en Mesoamérica. La evidencia más tempran a del uso del cacao pertenece a la cultura de Honduras, Guatemala y de México, con vestigios de bebidas de chocolate que datan de 1900 a. C. Sin embargo, los olmecas de La Venta en Tabasco fueron los primeros humanos en saborear, en forma de bebida, las habas de cacao molidas, las cuales mezclaban con agua y le añadían diversas especias, hierbas y guindillas y también fueron quienes comenzaron a cultivar el cacao en México. De hecho, la mayoría de la gente mesoamericana hizo bebidas de chocolate, incluidos los mayas y aztecas.

Here is a fun little page with all the information you need on the propagation, cultivation and fermentation of cocoa​.

Finally lets get a grip on tempering chocolate. Later, I will do an article on techniques for using tempered chocolate.

Chocolate Tempering

Proper “tempering”—heating and cooling chocolate to stabilize it for making candies and confections—gives chocolate a smooth and glossy finish, keeps it from easily melting on your fingers, and allows it to set up beautifully for dipped and chocolate-covered treats.

Tempering Chocolate Method 1:

Grate or chop the desired amount of chocolate. Place two-thirds of the chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler. Heat over hot but not boiling water, stirring constantly, until chocolate reaches 110°–115°F.

Place the top pan of the double boiler on a towel. Cool chocolate to 95°–100°F. Add the remaining chocolate to the top pan, stirring until melted. The chocolate is now ready to be used for molding candies, coating, or dipping.

Tempering Chocolate Method 2:

Starting with a pound of broken chocolate, melt two-thirds of the chocolate over indirect heat, such as in the top pan of a double boiler. Melt just until the chocolate is liquid and smooth (at 110°–115°F).

When it is smooth, add the remaining one-third of broken chocolate and heat again until the entire chocolate becomes smooth.Pour the chocolate onto a marble or other cool, smooth, non-porous surface. Using a spatula, scrape and stir the chocolate across the surface to smooth and cool it. When the chocolate cools to 80°–82°F, return it to the top pan of the double boiler. Place over hot, not boiling, water. Heat and stir constantly, until it reaches 87°–91°F. Remove the top pan of the double boiler. The chocolate is now ready to be used for molding candies, coating, or dipping.

Thats all folks, greeting from Ecuador! Have a great week!