By Rıza Yılmaz, İmesta Food IT3 min read
Cocoa buyers work with three ingredients that sound alike and come from the same bean: cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder. They behave very differently in a recipe. Knowing where each one comes from makes it clear what to order for which product.
From bean to three products
- Roasting and winnowing. Cocoa beans are roasted, then cracked and separated from their shells. What remains are the nibs.
- Grinding. The nibs are ground into a thick, dark paste. This is cocoa liquor, also called cocoa mass. Nothing has been removed yet.
- Pressing. The liquor is pressed. Liquid fat runs out: this is cocoa butter. What stays behind is a hard press cake.
- Milling. The press cake is milled into cocoa powder.
Alkalization can happen along the way, which is why there are natural and alkalized versions of both liquor and powder.
The three products side by side
| Cocoa liquor | Cocoa butter | Cocoa powder | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Ground nib, nothing removed | The fat pressed out of the liquor | Milled press cake |
| Fat | 50 % min | Pure fat | 10–12 % |
| Form | Solid at room temperature, liquid when warm | Light yellow solid fat | Fine powder |
| Ordered by | Fat and pH | Melting behaviour and purity | pH, colour and fat |
| Main uses | Chocolate, compounds | Chocolate, cosmetics, pharma | Bakery, drinks, dairy, confectionery |
Cocoa liquor
Because nothing has been separated, cocoa liquor carries the full flavour and colour of the bean along with its fat. It is the base of dark chocolate.
İmesta Food supplies two masses:
- CMS-i20, a natural mass at pH 5.0–5.9, with fineness of 99.0 % min through 200 mesh and shell 1.75 % max.
- CMS-i60, an alkalized mass at pH 7.5 ± 0.3, for recipes built around treated cocoa.
Both have at least 50 % fat and 2 % moisture max.
Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is the fat that gives chocolate its snap and its melt. It is not ordered by pH but by how it melts and how pure it is:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Melting point | 32–35 °C |
| Free fatty acid | 1.75 % max |
| Peroxide value | 3 meq/kg max |
| Moisture | 0.25 % max |
| Iodine value | 32–39 |
Free fatty acid and peroxide values show how the fat will age. They decide whether a formulation is still stable at the end of its shelf life, long before anything is visible. İmesta Food’s cocoa butter is pressed and deodorized, which makes it suitable where a neutral fat is wanted, such as white chocolate, fillings and cosmetics.
Cocoa powder
Most of the fat is gone, but the flavour and colour of cocoa remain concentrated in the powder. That makes it the cocoa ingredient for bakery, biscuits, drinks, dairy and ice cream. It is ordered by pH, which sets colour and flavour, and by fat, usually 10–12 %.
Which one do you need?
- Making chocolate: liquor for flavour and body, butter to adjust fat and texture.
- Coatings and fillings: liquor or powder with a fat system, depending on the recipe.
- Baking, drinks, dairy: powder.
- Cosmetics and pharma: deodorized butter.
Compare the specifications on the cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder pages, or see how they work together on the chocolate and confectionery page.
Frequently asked questions
Is cocoa liquor alcoholic?
No. Cocoa liquor, also called cocoa mass, is simply ground cocoa nibs. The word liquor refers to its liquid state when warm, not to alcohol.
What is the difference between cocoa butter and cocoa liquor?
Cocoa liquor is the whole ground nib, fat and solids together, with at least 50 % fat. Cocoa butter is the fat alone, pressed out of the liquor.
What is the melting point of cocoa butter?
Around 32–35 °C, just below body temperature. That is why chocolate is solid on the shelf and melts in the mouth.
Can cocoa liquor be alkalized?
Yes. İmesta Food supplies a natural mass, CMS-i20 at pH 5.0–5.9, and an alkalized mass, CMS-i60 at pH 7.5 ± 0.3.
What is deodorized cocoa butter?
Cocoa butter treated to remove most of its cocoa aroma. It is used where a neutral fat is wanted, such as white chocolate, fillings and cosmetics.
