Cocoa butter

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cocoa-butter

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How tall is Cocoa butter?Polymorphic Form V, melting at approximately 34-38°C
2. What is the primary lipid composition?Triglycerides rich in oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids
3. What is the historical significance?Used as a beverage and currency by ancient Mesoamerican civilizations
4. Why does chocolate melt in your mouth?Cocoa butter melts at about 34-38°C, just a little below body temperature. This quick melt releases yummy smells and makes chocolate feel silky.
5. How is cocoa butter separated from cocoa beans?A machine called a hydraulic cocoa press squeezes the beans to pull out the cocoa butter. The leftover solids become cocoa powder.

Lipid: A broad group of naturally occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, and sterols.
Triglyceride: A lipid made from one glycerol molecule and three fatty acid molecules.
Polymorphism: The ability of a solid material to exist in more than one crystal structure.
Tempering: A process of heating and cooling chocolate to stabilize its crystalline structure.