The Beauty of a Sweet Temper

摘要

Cocoa butter, the natural fat in chocolate, is the key element in tempering. When chocolate is melted and cooled, cocoa butter can crystallize into any one of six different forms. The most desirable crystals are Form Five, also known as beta crystals. Tempered chocolate that contains a high proportion of beta crystals is firm, shiny, hard and stable. Picture the molecules that make up chocolate as pieces of a puzzle. Beta crystals make the most harmonious puzzle pieces, fitting tightly together to form a neat structure.