Making Chocolate

Making chocolate is a long and complex process that is both science and art.

Harvesting the Cocoa Bean
It all starts with the cacao (Kah KOW) tree. Growing on the tree trunk are cocoa pods, filled with cocoa beans. The pods are harvested, cut open and 20 to 50 cream-coloured beans are scooped out to be fermented and dried. Dried beans from an average pod weigh less than two ounces and approximately 400 beans are required to make one pound of chocolate.

Winnowing
Next the beans are passed through a winnower machine, which cracks open the bean and removes the thin shell from the meat or nib.

Roasting The nibs are then roasted to specific temperatures, which brings out their aroma, colour and rich flavour. After roasting, the nibs are crushed by hammer mills to produce a thick paste called chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic liquid).

Chocolate Liquor
Chocolate liquor is used to manufacture cocoa and chocolate. Some of the liquor is processed through presses that remove the cocoa butter. That cocoa butter is either sold as a by-product or saved to be added back during chocolate manufacturing. The pressed cake that is left after the cocoa butter is removed can be cooled, pulverized and sifted into cocoa powder.

Chocolate Liquid
To make eating chocolate, extra cocoa butter is added to the chocolate liquor, plus other ingredients:
Dark Chocolate = Cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, sugar, soya lecithin
Milk Chocolate = Cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, sugar, milk powder, vanillin, soya lecithin
White Chocolate = Cocoa butter, sugar and milk

Conching
To develop the flavour and a smooth texture, the chocolate is put through a kneading action called conching. During conching, rotating arms move back and forth through the mixture, continually breaking down any particles and thoroughly blending the ingredients.

Tempering
Next the chocolate goes through a tempering process, which consists of heating, cooling and reheating. Tempering gives chocolate its shiny appearance and smooth texture, allowing it to set quickly so it will release easily from moulds.

The Finished Product
The chocolate is then poured in moulds, panned, enrobed or dipped with other products to create the chocolate items that we love.