Cocoa liquor can be processed further. It is made up of two
different components – cocoa butter and cocoa powder – that are
both essential for several different applications.
From liquor to powder
These two components can only be separated by pressing the
liquid cocoa liquor through a very fine sieve. In fact, it is
poured into cylindrical tubes and compressed under high pressure.
The cocoa butter that is fine enough to pass through a
microscopically fine sieve is collected separately while the cocoa
solids remain pressed together in the cylinder and resembles a
flattened cake.
At the end of the pressing procedure, this cake is removed and
ground further in different stages into a very fine cocoa powder.