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It Stinks of Cocoa


miladyinsanity

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I've been finding in some recipes that use cocoa powder that it's got this kinda chemical-ish 'smell.'

It tends to be more prevalent in recipes that use only cocoa powder, or where the chocolate to cocoa ratio is low.

But I've also found where I've to keep the cookie dough in the fridge overnight, it doesn't have this smell. Andiesenji's cocoa cookies do not have chocolate, only cocoa powder, and it does not have this smell.

I'm using Valrhona cocoa powder. Maybe because it's alkalized? :hmmm:

May

Totally More-ish: The New and Improved Foodblog

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I'm using Valrhona cocoa powder. Maybe because it's alkalized? :hmmm:

That's exactly what I was going to suggest - that it's Dutch process cocoa (treated with alkali) like pretty much all other cocoa we find in the US. The 'natural' version is more reddish, acidic, and strongly-flavored, but I've had no luck finding it!

David aka "DCP"

Amateur protein denaturer, Maillard reaction experimenter, & gourmand-at-large

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Most European cocoas are dutch-processed.

You can find good quality non-alkalized cocoa at Trader Joe's, if there's one near you.

Many well-stocked grocery stores sell Ghirardelli cocoa, which is non-alkalized, and sometimes Scharffenberger cocoa, also non-alkalized. Penzey's Spices shops also carry it.

Natural (non-alkalized) cocoas are also available online at these sites:

King Arthur [click]

Scharffenberger online [click]

ShopGourmetsMarket.com [click]

Penzey's Spices online [click]

CocoaSupply.com [click]

ChocolateSource.com [click]

There are many more places to find natural chocolate online in addition to those listed above.

Eileen

Eileen Talanian

HowThe Cookie Crumbles.com

HomemadeGourmetMarshmallows.com

As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists. ~Joan Gussow

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You can find good quality non-alkalized cocoa at Trader Joe's, if there's one near you.

:shock: I'm at TJ's weekly or so and managed to completely overlook the non-Dutched cocoa. Is there a name or label I might keep an eye out for?

David aka "DCP"

Amateur protein denaturer, Maillard reaction experimenter, & gourmand-at-large

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I know that you can get the "Natural" or "non-dutched" at Trader Joe's and also at other grocery stores but If you are ever looking for a wide selection I used www.chocosphere.com. They have brands from all over the world and you can find many more "Natural" cocoa powders......just in case you want too get venturous!

Have a good one everybody,

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:shock: I'm at TJ's weekly or so and managed to completely overlook the non-Dutched cocoa.  Is there a name or label I might keep an eye out for?

I use the Trader Joe's private label cocoa among many others that I use, and find it to be of consistently good quality. It's also reasonably priced. At ourTJ's it's stocked in the baking section.

And thanks, aguynamedrobert, for putting up the link to Chocosphere - I have forgotten about that one lately. :wink:

Eileen

Edited by etalanian (log)

Eileen Talanian

HowThe Cookie Crumbles.com

HomemadeGourmetMarshmallows.com

As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists. ~Joan Gussow

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I was told it's easier to get non-Dutched cocoa in the US than anywhere else in the world?

I live in Singapore, and the shipping costs simply aren't worth it when I can get Valrhona so cheaply.

I posted mostly to ask whether other people have this issue as well.

May

Totally More-ish: The New and Improved Foodblog

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Thanks to aguynamedrobert and etalanian for the information!

David aka "DCP"

Amateur protein denaturer, Maillard reaction experimenter, & gourmand-at-large

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I was told it's easier to get non-Dutched cocoa in the US than anywhere else in the world?

I live in Singapore, and the shipping costs simply aren't worth it when I can get Valrhona so cheaply.

I posted mostly to ask whether other people have this issue as well.

Apparently (at least in my case) it's not an issue of availability so much as ignorance. :biggrin:

David aka "DCP"

Amateur protein denaturer, Maillard reaction experimenter, & gourmand-at-large

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I was told it's easier to get non-Dutched cocoa in the US than anywhere else in the world?

I honestly think it's harder to find a grocery store that doesn't carry it these days. Even the run-down Safeway here carries Scharffen Berger and Guittard products, and with all the big name chocolate companies like Hershey and Nestle struggling to tap into the gourmet market I can even pick up bars of 100% cacao at the drug store. No idea what it tastes like, but it's there.

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I was told it's easier to get non-Dutched cocoa in the US than anywhere else in the world?

I think it also depends on where in the US you live. The only chocolate or cocoa I've ever seen in the local grocery stores are Hershey, Nestle and the store brands. In a larger nearby city maybe I could find something else but I usually just wait until I'm going to Atlanta and stock up on the many things I can't get around here.

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alkalized powders make up over 90% of what is produced around the whole world. Keep in mind that there are literally *thousands* of different types of alkalized powders you can buy... most manufacturers make a dozen or two 'main types', and then make many, many blends that vary in the type and amount of the resultant dutched and their (likely) single natural main types. The variation is striking.

As a general rule, natural powders will be yellower than their alkalized counterparts. They'll also have much more variability in flavor due to the fact it's an unmodified, natural powder - nothing has been done to control it's flavor other than roasting the beans they're made from. They're going to be more acidic than dutched powders. Anything labelled 'dutched' 'breakfast' 'alkalized' 'red' 'black' etc will be a dutched powder. Again, generally speaking, when you dutch a powder, it's flavor will start to become more fudgy and 'rounded' out - up to a point - after you pass that point, the fudginess begins to disappear and the flavor begins to take on a chemical-ish, very unnatural flavor. Regarding the color, as dutching begins, the powder looses it's yellowness very quickly, becomes darker and may begin to become red (depending on the agent used to alkalize it and some environmental conditions). Again, after you pass a certain point, the color begins to turn from red or deep brown, the grey or even black. By that time, you're left with a product that's characteristics have nothing to do with chocolate. It's burnt, but used widely to give color to products. The availability of natural powders should be the same in s. america as it is in n. america, europe, or singapore or africa - as all of those locations have facilities that produce natural and alkalized powders...as a general rule, it's going to be harder to find a natural powder in a retail store than an alkalized one, as most people's palate prefers a light to moderately dutched powder.

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The availability of natural powders should be the same in s. america as it is in n. america, europe, or singapore or africa - as all of those locations have facilities that produce natural and alkalized powders...as a general rule, it's going to be harder to find a natural powder in a retail store than an alkalized one, as most people's palate prefers a light to moderately dutched powder.

Wrong. Simply because it's produced in one country doesn't mean it's sold there.

I'm still looking. I'm making my way through all the gourmet stores here. Fun.

May

Totally More-ish: The New and Improved Foodblog

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I can't speak for the stores you're shopping at, but I am quite certain that the amount of natural ccp sold in singapore really isn't that different than what is sold in the United States. If you're having difficulties finding it, you could contact the folks who have processing facilities there and ask them who'd be your nearest retail distributor. You've got at least two very large processors there, with many more doing business. If you're unable to find someone to contact, I could probably help out with that.

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