Cocoa grated (liquor, mass)

Cocoa Liquor (cocoa mass, cocoa paste or cocoa slab) is the solid or semi-solid mass produced by grinding cocoa nibs (beans). It shall contain not less than 48 per cent of cocoa fat. It called liquor only because it is liquid, not because of alcohol content, which is nonexistent. The ground nibs, also called unsweetened chocolate, are liquid when warm, but solidify when cooled. Differentiate the cocoa liquor for cocoa butter production and cocoa liquor for further transformation into chocolate.

Cocoa liquor destined for processing into cocoa butter and cake is refined to a very small particle size, as it is easier to reduce the particle size earlier, when the butter is still present, rather than later, when most of the butter has been pressed out. A smaller particle size makes butter extraction easier.

Cocoa liquor destined for chocolate production need not be as finely ground. Indeed, a larger particle size is preferable because it requires less cocoa butter than finely ground liquor to give the same mouth feel to the finished chocolate. This is an important economic consideration.
Cocoa liquor is the key ingredient for the chocolate production industry.  The cocoa liquor is used to form chocolate through the addition of cocoa butter, sugar, milk emulsifying agents and cocoa butter equivalent.  The proportion of the different ingredients depends on the type of chocolate being made.