Cocoa : its growth and culture, manufacture, and modes of preparation for the table accompanied by easy methods of analysis, whereby its purity may be ascertained / by Charles Hewett.

  • Hewett, Charles.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cocoa : its growth and culture, manufacture, and modes of preparation for the table accompanied by easy methods of analysis, whereby its purity may be ascertained / by Charles Hewett. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    must be very extensively diluted to meet the wants of those consumers who will not pay more than from 4d. to 6d. per lb.] Lastly, out of sixty-eight samples of cocoa and chocolate, the ashes of which were submitted to exa- mination, thirty-nine contained coloured earthy substances, as reddle, Venetian red, umber, Sfc.” * “Of the mineral substances for increasing the weight, the chief are carbonate of lime, or chalk, and sulphate of lime, or plaster of Paris. ”f This is the most important point, as far as the consumer is concerned, for these articles cannot bo taken into the stomach without producing ill effects. The presence of the husk we have seen is also very injurious; and according to the same author chicoiy is also occasionly added. In reference to the sugar and arrowroots, Dr. Normandy makes the following remarks :— “Besides cocoa nuts and sugar, the manufacturer gene- rally adds some arrowroot, many persons preferring the chocolate so prepared, because the oil or butter of cocoa is thereby rendered emulsive and more digestible. The preparation known as cocoa powder, or chocolate powder, when genuine, consists only of cocoa nibs, sugar, and arrow- root, mixed and ground together, and then pulverised, by passing tho mass through a grating mill, and cooling it.” £ The following may enable tho reader to decide on the question of genuineness, in regard to chocolate:— “ Genuine chocolate (a mixture of cocoa nibs and sugar) should dissolve in the mouth without grittiness; it should leave a peculiar sensation of freshness, and, after boiling it with water, the emulsion should not form a jelly when * Hassall’s Adulterations Detected, p. 169. + lb., p. 179. t Commercial Hand Book, p. 178.