Usually when a noteworthy development in the world of chocolate (or any product for that matter) comes along, the big story is all about how some sort of new step has been added to the process, not about how one that’s been an integral part since the beginning has been bypassed. But that’s just what artisan chocolatier Paul A Young has done by becoming the first chocolatier to make chocolate using whole cocoa beans.
As it goes, cocoa bean shells have always been removed before the beans get sent on their way to become chocolate. No one’s quite sure why the shells are removed; that’s just how it’s always been done. Shelling is labour intensive (or extra industrial) – think a slightly more arduous version of shelling peas or fava beans – and results in a heap of waste. But is it even necessary?
Read my complete post at Great British Chefs.
