Thursday, May 22, 2014

Several Interesting Facts Regarding Choco Fountains

By Nicholas Zahra


Chocolate fountains have become a common sight in weddings, debuts and other social events nowadays, but they are not just another way for you to eat chocolate. In fact, here are some very interesting things you may not know about chocolate fountains:

1. The first chocolate fountain was developed by inventor Ben Brisman in 1920, but it was only popularized in 1991 when the Canadian company Design & Realisation displayed several fountains at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago. Design & Realisation later partnered with another company, Buffet Enchancements International, in 2001 to distribute chocolate fountains to hotels and resorts in the US, further increasing its popularity.

2. The classic D & R design is the most common. Most of the chocolate fountain models that can be bought in the US are based on this design. Some are slightly modified to accommodate different types of accessories. For instance, the "cupped" design is intended to minimize wastage by reducing chocolate spillage.

3. The world's largest chocolate fountain is 27 feet high with the capacity of 2,100 pounds of melted chocolate. Located at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, the giant fountain was constructed by Canadian artist Michel Mailhot out of glass and 500 feet of stainless steel tubing. Its features include 6 heavy-duty pumps capable of constantly circulating 2 tons white, medium and dark chocolate, 6 ceiling spouts that dispense chocolate 14 feet above floor level, 25 hand-crafted glass vessels in which the melted chocolate cascades into, and a climate control system that keeps the chocolate in liquid form in and out of the fountain 120 degrees and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively.

4. The chocolate used in chocolate fountains is not the same you would usually find in cakes and candies. This is because conventional chocolate would not flow as easily and would clog the fountain's pipes. Because of this, special chocolate called "couverture" chocolate is often used. Couverture chocolate contains large amounts of cocoa butter, which lowers the chocolate's viscosity and allows it to flow freely in and out of the fountain. Chocolate-flavored syrup can also be used as an alternative, as it is already in liquid form and is less expensive than couverture chocolate, although it does not taste as good.

5. The chocolate used in large fountains often tastes better than those used in smaller fountains. The pipes in the small fountains are not large enough to allow melted chocolate to flow freely on their own, so caterers usually add some vegetable oil to make the chocolate less viscous and thus flow more freely. However, the oil also tends to give the chocolate a gritty, textured taste.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment