It starts out in Latin America, where
cacao trees grow wild. The first people to use
chocolate were probably the Olmec of what is today
southeast Mexico.
The beginning
They lived in the area around 1000 BC, and their
word, “kakawa,” gave us our word “cacao.”
Unfortunately, that’s all we know. We don’t know
how (or even if) the Olmec actually used
chocolate.
The Process
The cocoa pods are harvested
twice a year. The pods are cut
open with machetes and the
white pulp that is containing the
cocoa beans is scooped out.
Fermenting
The pods and the white pulps are placed
into wooden containers where the pulp is
allowed to ferment for 5-7 days.
Drying
The beans are placed into a single
layer in the sun. After the beans are
dried they're put in sacks that are
transferred to the factory.
Roasting
Some factories use standard ovens, others
have specially made systems designed to
rotate the beans and roast as evenly and
accurately as possible.
Cracking &
Winnowing
The beans are
cracked open and the
shell is removed in a
Winnower.
Grinding &
Conching
The cocoa nibs are ground
with stone rollers until
they become a paste
known as cocoa mass or
cocoa liquor.
Tempering
Chocolate should have a
shiny finish and a good
“snap” that is created
raising and lowering
the temperature.
Moulding
The melted chocolate is simply
poured into plastic bar-shaped
moulds and agitated to remove
any air bubbles.
Wrapping
Once cooled, the
chocolate is wrapped up
ready to be sent out.