Broma process

The Broma process is a method used to remove cocoa butter from cocoa mass, leaving cocoa solids (cocoa powder). In about 1865 someone at the Domingo Ghirardelli factory discovered that by hanging a bag of cocoa mass (ground cacao beans) in a warm room, the cocoa butter would drip off, leaving behind a residue that can then be processed into cocoa powder. This technique is now a common method for the production of cocoa solids in the United States.

More cocoa butter (fat) is extracted by using the Broma process than using a hydraulic press, and less fat remaining in the cocoa (powder) makes it easier to dissolve the cocoa into liquids. Broma process cocoa also has a more intense flavor than Dutch process cocoa, as no alkalis are added to the cocoa.

Today, the Broma process is the main method used in the Ghirardelli Chocolate factories (located mainly in California). The powder formed from this process is used in all Ghirardelli products today. Sometimes, it is hardened into "baking chips" or "baking bars", which are both used as lesser ingredients in varying desserts, such as cookies and cakes. The powder is also an ingredient in chocolate bars, chocolate sauces, and even ice creams. The powder descended not only from the Broma process, but also from the highly convenient cocoa bean. This bean was first found by the Mayas, around A.D 600. Around the 1500s, people started using this bean in candies and other chocolates.