Guy Allan Davis: An Overview of the Chocolate Industry

Even though cocoa beans grow in the tropics in wet climate conditions, they are then shipped and processed into chocolate and cocoa products in Europe, where Guy Allan Davis studied, North America and elsewhere in the world. Cocoa and chocolate products can be divided into cocoa products, chocolate products, and confectionery coatings. Cocoa products do not have any added sugar. They include cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, cocoa butter and chocolate liquor. Chocolate products have various sweetener additives. They are usually highly processed and more refined compared to cocoa products. While prices for chocolate products vary, chocolate is usually not cheap. Confectionery coatings are very inexpensive. They are usually made of vegetable fats, sugar, and cocoa.

Chocolate and cocoa products must meet standards set by law. These standards specify the differences between various kinds of chocolate products, but they do not eliminate the astounding number of choices when it comes to chocolate products. The standards vary from country to country. For example, the definition of milk chocolate is different in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

Just like many other industries in the world, the chocolate industry went through a number of transformations. At a certain point, the industry consisted of small operations. Today the industry mostly has large players that process the bulk of the cocoa beans in the world. Because of the volume, these players manufacture consistent product at reasonable costs. One of the ways to maintain the consistency is to blend the beans from all around the world.

Lately, artisan chocolatiers have been producing small batches of high-quality products. They tend to use traditional methods of bean processing and create specialty products from single-origin beans.

While chocolate does have a rich and interesting history, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy it without the development of technology. Without technology, chocolate would never be able to become a quality product accessible to the masses. For example, the invention of the steam engine during the Industrial Revolution made it possible to transport cocoa beans at a reasonable cost. The invention of the cocoa press further decreased chocolate prices. Later Rodolphe Lindt invented a method of refining chocolate that enhanced the flavor of the product. Around the same time, the first milk chocolate was created. Developments in technology continue to this day and have a positive impact on the quality and accessibility of the chocolate that we consume.

One of such developments is the roasting process. It takes from several minutes to an hour and occurs at the temperature that ranges from 200F to 400F. Roasting conditions depend on the type of the bean and on results that a chocolatier like Guy Allan Davis wants to get.