Book 27, Question 52
Why does chocolate have to be tempered to snap?
Chocolate gets its snap and shine from the fat in cocoa butter, which can form crystals in several different ways.
Chocolate makers carefully warm and cool the chocolate so only the best kind of tiny crystals form. These stable crystals make it glossy, crisp, and melt-in-your-mouth at body temperature. Without this step, chocolate can be dull, crumbly, or soft.