Cocoa Powder 101

I found this very interesting, there are two kinds of Cocoa Powder. I never knew that. I was in the BulkBarn where they sell Cocoa powder and this very dark and reddish (Alkalized) Cocoa. The taste is very unique. I wanted to know the difference between the two, of course I Googled it. The reddish kind has gone through a process, called "Dutching", to remove the acidity. The link will explain it more fully and how to use cocoa powder more effectively.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/cocoa.html

Cocoa powder There are two types of unsweetened baking cocoa available: natural cocoa (like the sort produced by Hershey's and Nestlé using the Broma process), and Dutch-process cocoa (such as the Hershey's European Style Cocoa and the Droste brand). Both are made by pulverising partially defatted chocolate liquor and removing nearly all the cocoa butter. Natural cocoa is light in colour and somewhat acidic with a strong chocolate flavour. Natural cocoa is commonly used in recipes which call for baking soda. Because baking soda is an alkali, combining it with natural cocoa creates a leavening action that allows the batter to rise during baking. Dutch-process cocoa is processed with alkali to neutralise its natural acidity. Dutch cocoa is slightly milder in taste, with a deeper and warmer colour than natural cocoa. Dutch-process cocoa is frequently used for chocolate drinks such as hot chocolate due to its ease in blending with liquids. Unfortunately, Dutch processing destroys most of the flavonoids present in cocoa.

The Broma process is a method used to remove cocoa butter from cocoa mass, leaving cocoa solids (cocoa powder). In about 1865 someone at the Domingo Ghirardelli factory discovered that by hanging a bag of cocoa mass (ground cacao beans) in a warm room, the cocoa butter would drip off, leaving behind a residue that can then be processed into cocoa powder. This technique is now a common method for the production of cocoa solids in the United States.

More cocoa butter (fat) is extracted by using the Broma process than using a hydraulic press,(Dutching) and less fat remains in the cocoa (powder) making it easier to dissolve the cocoa into liquids. Broma process cocoa also has a more intense flavor than Dutch process cocoa, as no alkalis are added to the cocoa.