Panning as a cooking method originating in the ancient east, initially to produce smooth small balls of medicinal herbs using the heat generated by friction. For confectionery panning to emerge, the introduction of chocolate (made from cacao fruit), the discovery of beet sugar, and the innovation of handmade copper confectionery kettles needed to all come together.  

In Mesoamerica, the use of cacao for medicinal, aphrodisiac, and celebratory concoctions dates back more than 5,000 years, yet it was the Spanish conquistadors that in 1529 bought cacao back to Spain and subsequently traded throughout Europe. The use of cacao was expanded with the early commercial production of beet sugar in the early 1800’s in Silesia, Poland. Cacao paired with beet sugar transformed 19th century European cooking and confectionery, spurring innovation.

In 1860 in Europe the first ‘dragee turbines’ were handcrafted: large, round copper pans made to rotate steadily at a set speed, compacting and rounding the ingredient centers (dried fruits or nuts) placed in the pan while the friction of rotation generated and transferred heat, gradually turning centers into small, smooth delicious edible balls in the pan. Swiss and British chocolate makers developed the craft of fine chocolate—and it wasn’t long before chocolate dragée production was industrialized.

FACTOIDS

Q: Why use copper for confectionery pans instead of another metal like stainless steel? 

A: Copper is 4 times faster in heat conduction than any other metal. These days, confectionery kettles are made from stainless steel due to cost, but copper remains the craftsman kettle queen.

Q: How is the art and skill of chocolate panning unique?

A: Fine chocolate added in thin layers over the rotating fruits & nuts not only tempers and smooths the chocolate, but allows for a quick adjustment based on what the skilled craftsman sees in front of them—variables including what type of center and what type of chocolate, the volume of both chocolate and centers, the speed of the chocolate set-up, the temp and flow of the air into the pan, the speed of the pan rotation, and more.   

Chukar’s chocolate cherries, berries, and nuts are uniquely made using our signature premium chocolate blends and the finest all-natural centers—ranging from locally grown Washington cherries (dehydrated in Chukar’s factory headquarters in Prosser, Washington), and coastal blueberries, cranberries, and nuts from family farms in Oregon and California.

SEE A KETTLE IN ACTION