Cocoa Butter
(the essential ingredient in making chocolate) is the edible vegetable
fat from cocoa beans, extracted during the manufacturing process (of
making chocolate and cocoa powder). It has a mild chocolate aroma and
flavor. It is cocoa butter that gives chocolate the ability to stay as
a solid at
room temperature, yet melt easily in the mouth.
It is also one of the
most stable fats known. It contains natural antioxidants that actually
prevent rancidity. It is very stable over long periods of time (2 to 5
years). In addition to being used for it's smooth texture in chocolate
(& other foods), it's often an ingredient in cosmetics (including
massage lotions) and soaps.
Cocoa Butter