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Post by sugaralchemy on Jun 27, 2006 10:14:05 GMT -5
Does anybody have any good sources of quality cocoa powder?
Some projects require a good cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is simply liquor that has cocoa butter removed. Why oh why does so much of it seem to be of terrible quality? Over-roasted, poor flavor, strange off-tastes, etc. Most common is that it tastes just like a little of everything, all mixed together into some random mixture, resulting in a cocoa powder that is quite boring and bland.
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Post by Alan on Jun 27, 2006 10:19:35 GMT -5
Does anybody have any good sources of quality cocoa powder? Some projects require a good cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is simply liquor that has cocoa butter removed. Why oh why does so much of it seem to be of terrible quality? Over-roasted, poor flavor, strange off-tastes, etc. Most common is that it tastes just like a little of everything, all mixed together into some random mixture, resulting in a cocoa powder that is quite boring and bland. I always hear good things about Scharffen Berger cocoa powder (it's natural and not "dutched"/alkalized). You might try theirs. Also, Hershey's is always very popular with American bakers.
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Post by Alchemist on Jun 27, 2006 12:59:29 GMT -5
Does anybody have any good sources of quality cocoa powder? Some projects require a good cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is simply liquor that has cocoa butter removed. Why oh why does so much of it seem to be of terrible quality? Over-roasted, poor flavor, strange off-tastes, etc. Most common is that it tastes just like a little of everything, all mixed together into some random mixture, resulting in a cocoa powder that is quite boring and bland. You actually hit it on the head. Quite often, cocoa powder is a waste product - the "real" product is the cocoa butter they have extracted. I would not touch hershey's with a 10 foot pole. I have liked some from Koapa Kokoo very much. They make it with the goal being the cocoa powder. Personally, I don't care much for Scharffenberger - I find it over roasted, but that is my take.
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Post by sugaralchemy on Jun 28, 2006 14:12:37 GMT -5
Yes, I do know how cocoa powder is processed and how it is not really the greatest stuff. Hershey's is particularly maddening, it changes with every lot. I'm just curious as to people's favorites and such.
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Post by vivachoco on Oct 21, 2006 1:16:05 GMT -5
does any of you have experience / opinions about adding cocoa powder to your chocolate liquor while in the santha? i am just curious of what kind of dimension that could add to the chocolate flavor. is there any point? john i love the ghana forastero from koapa kokoo you carry. i would love to try their cocoa powder. any ideas of how to get some of that stuff? i agree with sugaralchemy that the cocoa powder out there in the stores is maddeningly mediocre. when you go through trying to make the best chocolate to your liking... it feels disappointing to roll newly made fantastic truffles in some store bought crap
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Post by Sebastian on Oct 21, 2006 15:27:53 GMT -5
Actually, sometimes the butter's the waste product. It's a ratio, and demand fluctuates. There are times when the value of CCB is high and that of powder is low; or times (like now) where the value of powder outstrips that of butter. There are literally *hundreds* of types of cocoa powder - most folks simply aren't aware of the breadth and depth of what's available. The flavor profile you choose depends hugely on your application, and as with everything we eat, your preferences. A recent phenemenon in the western hemisphere is the emergence of many asian suppliers, who differ significantly in quality vs their eastern counterparts - but they are very cheap, which is why you're starting to see them appear on the shelves of stores (actually, the customer has no idea where the powder is from, they assume the name on the tin they buy it in represents the manufacturer as well...). Some of the asian suppliers are even supplying what they call 'whole pod powders' (entire cocoa pod ground up, shells of beans, etc and made into a powder) as cocoa powder(!). Lots of issues with this...
Your choice of cocoa butter should be influenced by it's flavor (which is driven by many, many things - origin/s, processing, fat content, alkalization, degree of alkalization, type of alkalizing agent, etc), color (again, many influencers), lecithination, etc. Generally speaking, most people prefer an alkalized powder, both because the color is generally regarded as richer and the flavor can be as well. Tread ye gently, however, as alkalization is a spectrum, and w/in that spectrum (from light to burnt), can be found the good, the bad, and the ugly...
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