Cacaobutter
On behalf of aroma and taste – series on the purchasing philosophy at Felchlin – Cacaobutter
In this part of our series, we’re going to talk about cocoa butter. We only use premium cacao butter that has been pressed, cleaned and deodorised (neutralised). Sole-origin organic cacao butter makes up around 22% of our total volume.
The cacao butter processed at Felchlin must meet high quality requirements. This means constant crystallisation properties (melting) in order to meet the artisanal requirements of specialists. Furthermore, it must be free of sensory off-flavours and must not show any colour deviations. Our internal controls are very strict in this respect and each delivery is tested for its properties for around two hours before pumping.
Cacao beans already contain about 54% cacao fat. However, for optimal melting and excellent processing, a higher cacao butter content must be achieved. This is also the reason why Felchlin couvertures generally have a high proportion of cacao butter.
Cacao beans are a natural product with fluctuating quality characteristics. In order to achieve a consistently high quality of cacao butter, our suppliers have to select the right cacao beans for this. As this sometimes requires large quantities of beans, it is sometimes necessary to use different provenances. The use of different origins is a challenge in increasing transparency in the supply chain. We are working closely with our suppliers on solutions to further increase transparency.