The process of preparing couverture for dipping, coating, and molding is called what?

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Tempering is the process used to prepare couverture for dipping, coating, and molding. It stabilizes the cocoa butter crystals so the chocolate has a glossy finish, a satisfying snap, and a smooth texture, and it won’t bloom when cooled or stored. The technique involves melting to fully liquefy the crystals, then cooling to encourage the stable beta crystals to form, and finally reheating to a workable temperature for dipping or molding. This can be done using a seed method or by working on a cool surface (tabling) and then bringing the chocolate back to the right temperature. Different types of couverture have specific working temperatures. Whipping would add air and change texture, cooling alone doesn’t stabilize the crystals, and shaping isn’t the preparation step for coating and molding.