Chocolate

The pressing of organic cocoa liquor produces two fractions in near equal parts - organic cocoa butter and organic cocoa cake (used to create cocoa powder). In the food industry, cocoa butter is an important ingredient used in the production of chocolate to create shelf-stable chocolates with optimum viscosity, mouthfeel and melt-point. In the personal care industry, organic cocoa butter helps create nourishing, luxurious lotions, face creams and lip balms that are solid on the shelf, but soften when applied to the skin. Ciranda offers both natural and deodorized CocoaRica® organic cocoa butter in blocks, disc wafers and kibbles. Natural cocoa butter has a mild cocoa flavor and aroma, while deodorized cocoa butter is aroma and flavor neutral with a paler color. Fair trade cocoa butter is available upon request.

Ciranda's CocoaRica® organic cocoa program includes GOLD and SILVER powders in natural or alkalized format with 10-12% or 20-22% cocoa butter content. Our SILVER cocoa powders are single origin, processed in Peru from Peruvian beans. The flavor has mild fruit and floral notes that are indicative of the cocoa beans grown in this region along the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Our GOLD cocoa powders are processed in Europe using beans predominantly from the Dominican Republic, and blended with beans from Peru and Ecuador. These powders have a full-bodied flavor and a greater solubility, making them ideal for dairy and beverage applications where texture and mouthfeel are critical. Natural cocoa powder is slightly acidic and offers the pure taste of natural cocoa. It is lighter in color than alkalized cocoa. Alkalized cocoa powder, also known as dutch-processed cocoa, is cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkali (potassium carbonate) to neutralize the pH. The alkalization process produces a darker cocoa powder with a richer cocoa flavor. Alkalized cocoa is usually more soluble in liquid suspensions. Black cocoa powder is further alkalized to produce a cocoa powder with an intense color. It is a key ingredient in the iconic creme-filled black wafer sandwich cookies. This powder is only available from our SILVER cocoa program. Both natural and alkalized cocoa powders are used across the food and beverage industry in many of the same applications. Contact us for help selecting the right cocoa powder for your application. Fair trade certification is available upon request.

Organic fermented cocoa beans are roasted, crushed, and sorted into small, irregular shaped pieces of cocoa beans or nibs. Organic cocoa nibs are most often used as inclusions in granola, bars or frozen desserts to add a crunchy, savory bite with typical cocoa flavor. Ciranda's CocoaRica® organic cocoa nibs are produced from cocoa beans grown in the Andean Mountain region of Peru. Fair trade certification is available upon request.

Ciranda's CocoaRica® organic cocoa liquor is produced from cocoa beans grown in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Peru. The organic cocoa beans are fermented, dried, crushed into nibs, roasted, and ground to produce a mass of organic cocoa liquor. Cocoa liquor contains approximately half cocoa butter and half cocoa solids resulting in a typical, slightly bitter flavor. It is used as the base for dark chocolate production where it is combined with cocoa butter, sugar, and usually vanilla. Cocoa liquor is available in kibbles or chips. Fair trade organic cocoa liquor is available by request. When selecting a chocolate chip, the "M number" equates to mille (1000) and corresponds to the approximate number of chips per pound. For example, a 4M chocolate chip yields approximately 4000 chips per pound and will be smaller in size than a 2M chip with approximately 2000 chips per pound. Additional chip sizes and formats may be available for volume orders. Please inquire.