The Physics of Chocolate

 I read this article about conching chocolate and how it changes the physical properties of the material.  It reminded me of something I read about historic recipes of the upper class in Britain, who at one time had servants stir batter for hours, but the labor force and skills were lost after the wars.  Someone tested out the recipes and found that, yes, the extended stirring time made a difference.  So I wonder if it has to do with a similar process.