Lessons > Basics of Quality Chocolate

Your culinary journey starts here

★★★★★ (32)

18,124 Students
All Levels

Lesson Overview

What is the difference between a chocolate bar you find in a supermarket and chocolate made by a fine chocolatier? If you don’t know how chocolate is made or processed or how to buy it, you can easily be fooled by marketers.

In this lesson, you will learn about the cacao tree and how cocoa bea…

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Lesson Objectives

At the end of this lesson you'll be able to:
  • understand where chocolate comes from
  • understand how cocoa beans are manufactured
  • understand what cocoa powder and cocoa butter are
  • understand the chocolate manufacturing process
  • understand how to read packaging labels to determine quality chocolate
  • identify characteristics of quality chocolate

Course Syllabus

START: Watch Lesson Platform Tour
1. Introduction: Basics of Quality Chocolate
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2. Complete Your Self Assessment
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3. The Cacao Tree
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4. How Cocoa Beans are Manufactured
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5. What is Cocoa Powder?
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6. What is Cocoa Butter?
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7. Making Chocolate & Conching
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8. How to Read Labels on Chocolate
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9. How to Taste Quality Chocolate
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10. Practice Activities & Recipes
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11. Lesson Quiz
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Practice Recipes

A few of the practice recipes you'll learn in this lesson.

What People Are Saying

Deborah P "I loved learning about how cacao is grown and produced, and about the different varieties of cacao. I also loved learning about how to choose a good quality chocolate and what ingredients I should look out for. I really had no cacao knowledge other than knowing that I love it in all forms, so this video was super informative." Deborah P. ★★★★★
Brenda H "That was an amazing lesson! Thank you! I've been curious about what cocoa butter, cocoa nibs, and white chocolate really are. That was such an interesting lesson." Brenda H. ★★★★★
Jennifer B "Mmmmm." Jennifer B. ★★★★★
"I loved learning about how cacao is grown and produced, and about the different varieties of cacao. I also loved learning about how to choose a good quality chocolate and what ingredients I should look out for. I really had no cacao knowledge other than knowing that I love it in all forms, so this video was super informative." ★★★★★
"I think this class is fabulous for anyone that wants to learn about chocolate. It lays out the process of making chocolate in a clear and concise way. Loved it!" ★★★★★
"Mmmmm." ★★★★★
"That was an amazing lesson! Thank you! I've been curious about what cocoa butter, cocoa nibs, and white chocolate really are. That was such an interesting lesson." ★★★★★
"I enjoyed this lesson, and learned a lot about chocolate in a short amount of time." ★★★★★
"Really interesting." ★★★★
"l loved learning about the variety of chocolates" ★★★★
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14 Videos | 11 Tasks
Task 1: Introduction: Basics of Quality Chocolate
Task 2: Complete Your Self Assessment
Task 3: The Cacao Tree
Task 4: How Cocoa Beans are Manufactured
Task 5: What is Cocoa Powder?
Task 6: What is Cocoa Butter?
Task 7: Making Chocolate & Conching
Task 8: How to Read Labels on Chocolate

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