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Blackshire Brazilian cocoa (cacao)

post #1 of 4
7/18/07 at 9:04am
Thread Starter 
Good morning everyone!

So.. I purchased a 400 gm bag of this Brazilian cocoa at my local natural food/health store..

It's very dark, much darker than my Royal Dark Dutch cocoa.. It actually looks like a bag of black coffee..

The only info I've found on the cocoa so far, is that it's considered a dutch processed cocoa 10/12% on the snowcapbake supply website.

I'm not quite sure what the 10/12% means? I'm thinking it means cocoa content but not completely positive on that..
Also, have any of you tried this type of cocoa? If so, did you like the outcome?

Thank you as always..
Joyfull
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post #2 of 4
7/18/07 at 10:47am
You got me curious, so I did a Google on the product. There's not much info for it. My best guess from what I read is that the product is used a lot for adding a dark color to other chocolate products. Maybe someone else can be more helful.

Shel
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post #3 of 4
7/18/07 at 12:18pm
Hi Joyfull,

10/12% refers to the range of cocoa butter content (10 to 12% by weight). That would mean your cocoa powder has between 88 and 90% solids. There are two standard types of cocoa: 10-12% and 20-22%

Like coffee cocoa beans are roasted to various degree of roast hence colour. Dark/black cocoa powder is roasted longer (similar to french roast coffee - very dark). Pure cocoa cake (defatted cocoa bean paste) is bitter and acid tasting.
Then there is the processing that modifies or enriches the colour of the powder once it is separated from the chocolate liquor and butter. The Dutch process uses alkaline compounds (opposite of acid) to process the cocoa for a less bitter and milder taste (less acidity) with nice colour characteristics. Alkalized cocoa powder are water soluble meaning they can be incorporated in water or milk. The main reason is their fat has been saponified hence soluble in water.

Non-alkalized cocoa powder (regular cocoa powder) floats on top of liquids to never really incorporate.

Non-alkalized cocoa retain more natural antioxidants then Dutch process which, destroys these compounds.

Dutch process cocoa are used in cheap chocolate bars and beverages.

I hope this enlightens things?

Luc H
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post #4 of 4
7/18/07 at 3:33pm
Thread Starter 
Yes I noticed that one too..
In my case, I'm hoping this type of cocoa will help make my chocolate frosting even darker.
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