Elevating Our Chocolate at Terra Americana: The Impact of Switching to Ghirardelli Majestic Cocoa
At Terra Americana, we recently made the decision to transition from using standard Dutch cocoa to the premium Ghirardelli Majestic cocoa. This change was driven by our commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing, as the Ghirardelli brand has developed its own robust Farming Program to ensure responsible cocoa production. This switch also helps us meet our own sustainability goals and our commitment to 1% for the Planet.
However, switching to a new cocoa source had more implications than just meeting our social responsibility goals. We quickly discovered that this ingredient change had a noticeable impact on the final characteristics of our chocolate products. Here's what we experienced:
Flavor and Aroma Evolution
The most apparent difference was in the flavor profile of our chocolate. Ghirardelli's Majestic cocoa has a richer, more intense cocoa taste compared to the Dutch variety. We attribute this to the varying levels of cocoa solids, fat content, and acidity between the two powder sources. This resulted in a bolder, more complex aroma and deeper chocolate notes in the finished product.
Color Transformation
Another visual change was the shift in color. Dutch cocoa tends to produce a lighter, more reddish-brown hue, while the Ghirardelli Majestic powder yielded a darker, more luxurious chocolate color. This distinction was especially noticeable in our chocolates and cocoa-based baked goods.
Texture and Viscosity Adjustments
Beyond taste and appearance, we also had to adapt our recipes to accommodate changes in texture and handling. The Ghirardelli cocoa has a finer particle size and different fat content, which impacted the mouthfeel and viscosity of our products. To maintain the ideal thickness and smoothness our customers expect, we had to adjust the cooking time and temperature in our existing recipes. For example, our brownies now need to bake 5-10 minutes longer, resulting in a chewier and more fudgy texture.
No Reformulation Needed
Interestingly, we did not have to completely reformulate our existing recipes to accommodate the Ghirardelli Majestic cocoa. The changes we made were limited to the cooking time and temperature, rather than altering the core ingredient amounts or ratios.
Overall, transitioning to this premium cocoa powder from Ghirardelli has been a transformative experience for our chocolate products at Terra Americana. While the recipe adjustments required some temporary work, the end result is a richer, more flavorful, and ethically-sourced chocolate that our customers are thrilled with. The investment in this higher-quality ingredient has elevated our chocolate to new heights, while also helping us meet our sustainability goals and commitment to 1% for the Planet.
