Cocoa Day: discover the history and artisanal production of chocolate in Campo Grande | Mato Grosso do Sul

Ah, cocoa… considered a delicacy native to the Amazon, its fruit is the main raw material for chocolate and holds great economic and symbolic importance in history. The relevance of cocoa is so significant in Brazil that, in addition to being the subject of the soap opera Renascer, on TV Globo, it also has a day to call its own.

To celebrate National Cocoa Day, this Tuesday (26), g1MS took the opportunity to get to know this universe of aromas and flavors that surround the transformation of cocoa into chocolate. This time, our team went behind the scenes of an artisanal production in Campo Grande, saw a cocoa tree up close and tasted the final result of the treat.

The chocolatier – chocolate maker, translated into Portuguese – responsible for taking the report on this journey was Beatriz Branco, 36 years old. Resident in the Capital, the businesswoman has been working with chocolate for seven years with her signature brand.

The products made by Bia follow sustainable production, which results in organic, vegan and 100% vegetable chocolates. Furthermore, it adds a special touch to the flavor by adding ingredients native to the Pantanal, such as guavira, bocaiuva and baru nuts, thus enhancing local biodiversity.

“I’m very happy to be able to share a little bit of this work and a little bit of this process which, in addition to being about chocolate, is also about the biodiversity of the Pantanal, about our food and the rich culture here in our State”, he says.

The businesswoman has a small factory in the Tayama Park neighborhood, with a yard full of cocoa trees. That’s where the journey begins.

Beatriz explains that the trees were planted five years ago at the site, all accompanied by banana trees. The strategy, which has been very successful, is used to ensure shading.

“These trees were planted from seed and here we always plant them together with the banana trees. So next to each cocoa tree we always have a banana tree that will bring this shadow effect, because cocoa doesn’t like the sun directly on it. […] Today we have 20 cocoa trees and they are five years old. They have already borne several fruits”, he celebrates.

The businesswoman also explains that, although her cocoa is healthy and bears fruit, she buys the almonds to make the chocolate from a supplier. The need to bring the fruit from abroad is precisely due to the great demand for its production and because Mato Grosso do Sul does not have a strong cocoa plantation culture, as is the case in Bahia, the state where the nine o’clock soap opera takes place. .

So, the seeds arrive fermented and dried, after a long process of seven days of drying under the sun. This causes the seeds to become almonds, meaning they cannot be planted again, only to become chocolate.

“Cocoa is a typical fruit from the Amazon region, an equatorial region of the world that is humid. In Brazil, we have an abundance of it, as you can see in the soap opera. It is a very large fruit and inside it we have several seeds. It is We make chocolates from this seed”, he adds.

The production of artisanal chocolate involves several careful steps. Check out the main ones:

1. After the cocoa beans reach Beatriz, they are selected. Then, they are roasted in a controlled way – which can be light, medium or long. This is a crucial step to highlight the real aromas of the cocoa and give the flavor of the raw material to the chocolate;
2. Then, the almonds go to the shelling machines. At this stage, the device removes the shells from the seeds – which can be used to make tea, as you will see below – and separates the cocoa nibs, used to produce chocolate;
3. The cocoa nibs then go to the melanger, a stone processor that refines the raw material. It is used to create a thick paste, because during this process the natural cocoa fat – cocoa butter – is released, which helps to create a smooth and creamy texture.
4. Tempering is also another important step because it creates stable cocoa crystals, ensuring uniform chocolate, with quality and good texture.
5. Then, the chocolates are ready for molding. At Beatriz’s factory, they are placed in molds which are then taken to vibrating equipment to remove air bubbles and level the chocolate. The process only takes a few minutes.
6. Then, the chocolate can be placed in the refrigerator for a few minutes to solidify and finally be ready for packaging and consumption.

Follow the step-by-step process of artisanal chocolate production

If you’ve come this far in doubt about the differences between cocoa shells and cocoa nibs, know that we have the answer. Both are products derived from almonds, but each has specific uses.

Cocoa Nibs: Cocoa nibs are the inner parts of cocoa beans. They have an intense and bitter flavor. In addition to being the raw material for chocolate, they are also found in cakes, granolas and can be consumed plain.

“You can add nibs to a salad, make a sauce for fish or the chocolate itself. Just use your creativity”, highlights Beatriz.

Cocoa shell: cocoa shells are the outer layers of the seeds, which are removed during the chocolate manufacturing process.

They have a milder flavor compared to nibs, with notes of cocoa and a sweet touch. The big difference is that the peel cannot be consumed directly because it contains cellulose. However, its use is associated with infusion. In other words, in the manufacture of teas and even liqueurs.

The chocolatier also explains that chocolate is always good, but using your five senses to taste the sweet is even better. In other words, it is free to use and abuse touch, sight, smell, sound and, finally, taste.

In fact, a good tactic to find out if a chocolate is made with quality is, when you break it, listen for a “snap” noise.

“What makes the difference is the quantity of cocoa and the quality. The more the aromas and quality of the raw material become evident, the more you feel the real flavor of the chocolate”, explains the expert.

Native to the Amazon, cocoa has conquered palates around the world. It is no surprise that its production and exports are of great economic importance in Brazil. According to data from Faeb (Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of the State of Bahia), the country occupies 6th place in the ranking among the largest cocoa producing countries.

The country had a production of 273 thousand tons in 2022, according to information from IBGE. Thus, ICCO (International Cocoa Organization) estimates that Brazil has produced around 220 thousand tons since 2020.

According to Mapa (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock), the goal is to reach 300 thousand tons by 2025 and reach 400 thousand tons by 2030.

According to historical accounts, the importance of the fruit has been throughout civilization for many centuries, because cocoa was used as a currency of exchange between the Mayans and Aztecs in the mid-13th century.

Beatriz also explains that the consumption of cocoa began as a symbolic drink.

“Chocolate, in the past, was consumed as a drink. The almonds were macerated and an infusion of a sacred drink was made, an ode to a goddess called Ixcacao, the goddess of fertility. These civilizations that lived here 3 thousand years before Christ drank this drink so that agriculture would prosper, so that their children would be born healthy”, says Beatriz.

Then, cocoa was found by Europeans when they arrived in the Americas. The delicacy was taken to Europe, where the population added milk to sugar. The drink was developed until it reached Switzerland and Belgium.

“Delicacies were created until this solid format was formed that today we know as chocolate, which is why we talk so much about Belgian chocolate and Swiss chocolate, because they were [belgas e suíços] who transformed this drink format into something solid that today we know as chocolate”, adds the businesswoman.