Part 13 (2/2)
_The Manufacture of Chocolate_, by Dr. Paul Zipperer (Spon).
CHAPTER VII
BY-PRODUCTS OF THE COCOA AND CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY
Of Cacao b.u.t.ter.--
It is the best and most natural _Pomatum_ for Ladies to _clear_ and _plump_ the Skin when it is _dry, rough_, or _shrivel'd_, without making it appear either _fat_ or _s.h.i.+ning_. The _Spanish Women_ at _Mexico_ use it very much, and it is highly esteem'd by them.
_The Natural History of Chocolate_, R. Brookes, 1730.
Of Cacao Sh.e.l.l.--
In Russia and Belgium many families take Caravello at breakfast. This is nothing but cocoa husk, washed and then boiled in milk.
_Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacture_, A. Jacoutot.
_Cacao b.u.t.ter._
In that very able compilation, _Allen's Organic a.n.a.lysis_, Mr. Leonard Archb.u.t.t states (Vol. II, p. 176) that cacao b.u.t.ter ”is obtained in large quant.i.ties as a by-product in the manufacture of chocolate.” This is repeated in the excellent book on _Oils_, by C.A. Mitch.e.l.l (Common Commodities of Commerce series). These statements are, of course, incorrect. We have seen that cacao b.u.t.ter is obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of cocoa, and is _consumed_ in large quant.i.ties in the manufacture of chocolate. When, during the war, the use of sugar for chocolate-making was restricted and little chocolate was produced, the cacao b.u.t.ter formerly used in this industry was freed for other purposes. Thus there was plenty of cacao b.u.t.ter available at a time when other fats were scarce. Cacao b.u.t.ter has a pleasant, bland taste resembling cocoa. The cocoa flavour is very persistent, as many experimenters found to their regret in their efforts to produce a tasteless cacao b.u.t.ter which could be used as margarine or for general purposes in cooking. The scarcity of edible fats during the war forced the confectioners to try cacao b.u.t.ter, which in normal times is too expensive for them to use, and as a result a very large amount was employed in making biscuits and confectionery.
Cacao b.u.t.ter runs hot from the presses as an amber-coloured oil, and after nitration, sets to a pale golden yellow wax-like fat. The b.u.t.ter, which the pharmacist sells, is sometimes white and odourless, having been bleached and deodorized. The b.u.t.ter as produced is always pale yellow in colour, with a semi-crystalline or granular fracture and an agreeable taste and odour resembling cocoa or chocolate.
Cacao b.u.t.ter has such remarkable keeping properties (which would appear to depend on the aromatic substances which it contains), that a myth has arisen that it will keep for ever. The fable finds many believers even in scientific circles; thus W.H. Johnson, in the _Imperial Inst.i.tute Handbook_ on _Cocoa_, states that: ”When pure, it has the peculiar property of not becoming rancid, however long it may be kept.” Whilst this overstates the case, we find that under suitable conditions cacao b.u.t.ter will remain fresh and good for several years. Cacao b.u.t.ter has rather a low melting point (90 F.), so that whilst it is a hard, almost brittle, solid at ordinary temperatures, it melts readily when in contact with the human body (blood heat 98 F). This property, together with its remarkable stability, makes it useful for ointments, pomades, suppositories, pessaries and other pharmaceutical preparations; it also explains why actors have found it convenient for the removal of grease paint. The recognition of the value of cacao b.u.t.ter for cosmetic purposes dates from very early days; thus in Colmenero de Ledesma's _Curious Treatise on the Nature and Quality of Chocolate_ (printed at the Green Dragon, 1685), we read: ”That they draw from the cacao a great quant.i.ty of b.u.t.ter, which they use to make their faces s.h.i.+ne, which I have seen practised in the Indies by the Spanish women born there.”
This, evidently, was one way of s.h.i.+ning in society.
Cacao b.u.t.ter has been put to many other uses, thus it has been employed in the preparation of perfumes, but the great bulk of the cacao b.u.t.ter produced is used up by the chocolate maker. For making chocolate it is ideal, and the demand for it for this purpose is so great that subst.i.tutes have been found and offered for sale. Until recently these fats, coconut stearine and others, could be ignored by the reputable chocolate makers as the confection produced by their use was inferior to true chocolate both in taste and in keeping properties. In recent times the oils and fats of tropical nuts and fruits have been thoroughly investigated in the eager search for new fats, and new subst.i.tutes, such as illipe b.u.t.ter, have been introduced, the properties of which closely resemble those of cacao b.u.t.ter.
For the information of chemists we may state that the a.n.a.lytical figures for genuine cacao b.u.t.ter, as obtained in the cocoa factory, are as follow:
a.n.a.lYTICAL FIGURES FOR CACAO b.u.t.tER.
Specific Gravity (at 99 C. to water at 15.5 C.) .858 to .865 Melting Point 32C. to 34C.
t.i.ter (fatty acids) 49C. to 50C.
Iodine Absorbed 34% to 38% Refraction (Butyro-Refractometer) at 40C. 45.6 to 46.5 Saponification Value 192 to 198 Valenta 94C. to 96C.
Reichert Meissel Value 1.0 Polenske Value 0.5 Kirschner ” 0.5 Shrewsbury and Knapp Value 14 to 15 Unsaponifiable matter 0.3% to 0.8% Mineral matter 0.02% to 0.05% Acidity (as oleic acid) 0.6% to 2.0%
Although the trade in cacao b.u.t.ter is considerable, there were, before the war, only two countries that could really be considered as exporters of cacao b.u.t.ter; in other words, there were only two countries, namely, Holland and Germany, pressing out more cacao b.u.t.ter in the production of cocoa than they absorbed in making chocolate:
EXPORT OF CACAO b.u.t.tER.
Tons (of 1000 kilogrammes) 1911 1912 1913 Holland 4,657 5,472 7,160 Germany 3,611 3,581 1,960 ----- ----- ----- 8,268 9,053 9,120 ----- ----- -----
During the war America appeared for the first time in her history as an exporter of cacao b.u.t.ter. Hitherto she was one of the princ.i.p.al importers, as will be seen in the following table:
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