Jumat, 23 Mei 2014

Some Interesting Trivia About Choco Fountains

By Nicholas Zahra


It is now common to see chocolate fountains in special events such as weddings, debuts, and children's parties. However, this is not merely a novel way to enjoy chocolate. The machine is now a necessary feature offered by caterers. Here are some less known but interesting facts about these machines.

1. It was in 1920 the Canadian inventor, Ben Brisman, patented the first practical chocolate fountain. It took seven decades before the machine became popular with the help of Canadian company Design & Realisation. Several units of the machine was exhibited in 1991 during the National Restaurant Show in Chicago. Another company, Buffet Enchancements International, took interest in the product and it started distributing it to US resorts and hotels.

2. Majority of the chocolate fountains in the US market today are based on the classic D & R design, some new models are slightly modified to include a range of accessories and to adjust to various sizes. For instance, chocolate wastage is avoided by with the "cupped" design.

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.




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