why the physical properties of pure cocoa powder are so different from other powdered ingredients, like flour and sugar.

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By which I mean: apparently it has very low density but can also compact into “rocks”, it spills/blows away readily, it clumps in water but not fats, forms “cliffs” that can get quite high but collapse without warning, it’s dry but if get it on your clothes and it stains rather than brushes off, etc.

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Well, first we might note that flour and sugar are already pretty different. Sugar and salt are pure substances with lots of little crystalline pieces, whereas flour (like cocoa powder) is finely ground plant material. Cocoa powder has significantly more fats in it than wheat flour, which changes its properties some, particularly in how it reacts to water vs. oil.