Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or even Kwanzaa this time of year is full of goodies. And one of the favorites is always chocolate. The way it melts in your mouth seems so natural, but it is far from it. Chocolate starts off as a bean (like coffee), and is then refined until it becomes smooth. Think of how peanut butter is made for a very simple example. In order to get chocolate to be smooth, Mr. Rodolphe Lindt of Switzerland invented a conching machine in 1879. To conch means to heat and roll. By heating the grounds up and rolling them it helps to refine and smooth the texture. Have you ever seen a Lindt chocolate commercial? They show pouring cascades of velvety smooth chocolate. That’s not false advertising, and Mr. Lindt has every right to claim his chocolate as smooth, considering he is the pioneer of how to do it!
Here is a photo of a conching machine. Maybe you have seen one before. Then again, maybe not. Thank you Mr. Lindt for inventing something to help us eat those yummy chocolate beans. And the world goes round with the help of a little totally awesome science.
