Cultivation: Grow cacao beans
Chocolate is made with cacao beans.
70% of the cacao grows in West Africa.
Fun fact: cacao is grown in India in Karnataka and Kerala.
It is grown in warm, moist and shady climates.
Harvesting, Processing and Shipping
The fruits are harvested when fully ripe.
The pods are opened to extract the beans.
After that, the beans are fermented for a unique aroma in a two step fermentation process.
Then the beans are dried in fresh air and sunlight. They are dried to < 7% moisture.
The impurities are removed and then the cacao beans are packed and shipped.
Manufacturing: Make chocolate
The beans are taken to a quality check by sensory experts.
Next, the cacao nibs are taken out from the shell by crushing the beans.
Roasting the cacao nibs enhances the flavor.
Grinding turns cacao nibs into a liquid-like texture called chocolate liquor.
After that, Refining and Conching mixes them along with sugar and milk, into a fine silky smooth liquid.
Then, during a process called tempering, chocolate is reheated and cooled again to give it a shiny surface, a strong snap, and a smoother texture in the mouth.
Finally, the chocolate is ready to be poured into moulds like bars to be consumed directly or to make them into more varieties of chocolates.
Image source: https://www.roquette.com/innovation-hub/food/how-it-is-made/chocolate
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