What Is Cocoa Massa?

Different types of chocolate contain varying levels of cocoa massa.

Cocoa massa, more commonly called cocoa mass, is cocoa liquor. The substance is the base component of all chocolate and is produced from the cacao nib, the edible part of the cocoa bean. Nibs are the result of roasting and shelling ripened cocoa beans that have been cleaned, dried and cured. Does this Spark an idea?

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Cocoa Liquor Production
- Cocoa liquor is the first liquid stage of cocoa bean processing, although it's more of a paste than a liquid. Fermented cocoa beans are cleaned and quickly exposed to intense heat to loosen the bean shells. Once the shells are dislodged, the beans are winnowed to remove the shells with pressurized air that leaves the nibs intact. The flavor is intensified by the heat of subsequent roasting and sterilizing procedures. When cooled nibs are ground, cocoa fat -- cocoa butter -- is released and the cocoa solids remain intact. To attain the desired fineness of the solids, the process is usually repeated several times.
Cocoa Liquor Processing
- Cocoa liquor is about 53 percent cocoa butter. If powdered cocoa is the desired result, all the butter is removed. Candy, baking chocolate and syrups are made by adding varying amounts of mild solids, sugar, flavorings and additional cocoa butter to the liquor. To temper its intensity, chocolate undergoes conching, a process where tubs are stirred with paddles and rollers to remove crystallized sugar and soften the taste. Conching can last from hours to several days, depending on the desired level of flavor mellowing.
Liquor Content
- Different types of chocolate contain various percentages of liquor as well as varying amounts of other ingredients. Unsweetened chocolate is 100 percent liquor that has been hardened. It's mainly used in baking, contains 47 percent cocoa solids and 53 percent cocoa butter, and not edible without adding sugar. Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate have at least 35 percent liquor, are flavored with sugar, taste enhancers and cocoa butter, and sometimes contain emulsifiers. They're eaten or used as ingredients in sweet baked goods. Sweet chocolate, by law, must have at least 15 percent liquor content and has the same additives as bittersweet and semisweet but lacks their rich taste.
Chocolate Tasting
- Regardless of the chocolate-mass ratio, chocolate from different countries has distinct textures and flavors. Swiss and German chocolate have the smoothest textures and flavors. English chocolate has more bite and a less silky feel on the palate. American chocolate is the grainiest of the group and generally considered the least flavorful.