Manufacturing

Bean to Bar

Beans

The process of turning cocoa beans from the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao, " the fruit of Gods"), into chocolate, starts with the beans. For fine chocolate, the selection and mix of beans is very important.

Roasting

All of the beans are sorted by hand before being roasted. Each variety of bean is roasted separately.

Winnowing

Following the roasting process, the beans are loaded into a machine known as the winnower, which removes the hard outer hulls and separates the "nibs" of the beans by size. The nibs are the basic product used for chocolate production.

Melangéur

The melangéur has granite runners which revolve on a steel or stone bed to mash the nibs into a thick paste. Sugar and vanilla are added during this process.

Conching

The "chocolate liquor" from the melanguer is transferred to the "conche-refiner" for further processing. Heat is introduced and this process takes several hours (some chocolate makers will conche for up to 72 hours). Conching ensures that the liquid is evenly blended.

Tempering

Following conching, the liquid chocolate is tempered for several hours. The tempering process involves heating the chocolate liquor and then cooling it in several stages. This process stabilizes the cocoa butter crystals so that they become more uniform in size. It also gives the chocolate a bright luster and a sharp snap when you break it.

Molding and Packaging

The final steps in the process are molding the chocolate, allowing it to cool and harden, and then finally packaging it.