The chocolate-plant (Theobroma cacao) and its products by Anonymous
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The chocolate-plant (Theobroma cacao) and its products by Anonymous is a scientific and industrial pamphlet from the late 19th century. It surveys cacao’s origins, botany, chemistry, cultivation, processing into chocolate and cocoa, their nutritional qualities, and practical culinary uses. The book opens with the pre-Columbian and early colonial history of cacao, describing indigenous roasting, grinding, and foaming methods and the swift spread of chocolate in Europe. It then details the plant’s morphology
and growth, the bearing of pods on older wood, shade and irrigation needs, harvesting, fermentation (“sweating”), drying, and major producing regions. A technical chapter characterizes commercial beans microscopically and chemically, noting starch, cellulose, proteins, theobromine, ash, and especially cocoa-butter. Manufacturing chapters explain cleaning, roasting, winnowing to nibs, fine grinding into plain or sweetened chocolate, pressing to reduce fat for breakfast cocoa, and caution against chemically alkalized cocoas that diminish natural flavor. A physiological section argues cacao’s value as real food—combining carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and theobromine—and explains why partial fat removal can aid digestion while purity and fineness are essential. The closing portion offers cooking guidance and recipes (by Mrs. Ellen H. Richards and Miss Parloa) for properly boiling chocolate and cocoa and for using them in drinks, cakes, icings, ice-cream, puddings, and Bavarian cream. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Anonymous |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 05013336 |
| Title | The chocolate-plant (Theobroma cacao) and its products |
| Original Publication | Dorchester: Walter Baker and Company, 1890, pubdate 1891. |
| Credits | Charlene Taylor, Harry Lamé and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | SB: Agriculture: Plant culture |
| LoC Class | TX: Technology: Home economics |
| Subject | Cocoa |
| Subject | Chocolate |
| Subject | Cocoa products |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 76852 |
| Release Date | Sep 10, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 390 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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