How Chocolate Is Made
Step #1 - Growth
A cacao tree must be about 5 years old before it begins to flower. Cacao tree flowers must be pollinated to turn into seed pods. After pollination of the flowers, brightly colored fruits (called cacao pods) develop all along the tree's trunk and branches. Inside the pods are cacao seeds - the source of chocolate.
Step #2 - Harvest
Cacao pods ripen throughout the year, but main harvests occur twice yearly. Farmers use machetes to hand cut the ripe pods off the trees and gather the pods into baskets.
Step #3 - Ferment
Farmers split open the pods with their machetes and scoop out the pulp-covered cacao seeds by hand. Then they pile these seeds under banana leaves to ferment. In about one week, the seeds turn from white into a rich, dark brown and begin to taste a bit like bitter chocolate.
Step #4 - Dry
Farmers dry fermented cacao seeds in the sun on rooftops, tables or large mats. Drying cacao seeds keep them from getting moldy during shipping. Dried seeds are bagged and shipped to manufacturers around the world.
Step #5 - Roast
When the seeds arrive at the factory, they're cleaned and sorted by type and country. Then they're sent to giant rotating ovens where they'll be roasted. Roasting the seeds releases the rich aroma and flavor of chocolate. Roasting can last from 30 minutes to two hours. When finished, the roasted seeds are a deep, rich brown.
Step #6 - Crack, Fan, Winnow
The roasting process makes cacao shells brittle. The seeds are sent through a machine called a winnower that removes the thin shells from the seeds. Inside the machine, notched cones crack open the seeds. The shells fall off and giant fans blow them away. Shells are sold as feed for cattle or made into mulch by fertilizer manufacturers. What remains are the nibs - the tasty centers of cacao seeds that eventually become chocolate. Strainers sort these nibs according to size.
Step #7 - Grind
The cacao nibs are ready for the mill. Heavy metal discs grind the nibs into a thick paste that will eventually become chocolate. The grinder generates enough friction and heat to liquefy the nibs into a thick paste called "chocolate liquor." Despite its name, it actually contains no alcohol. Some chocolate liquor is pressed to remove the cocoa butter. Further processing turns it into cocoa powder. But un-pressed chocolate liquor is used to make chocolate.
Step #8 - Mix
To make chocolate, manufacturers blend un-pressed chocolate liquor with condensed milk, sugar, and extra cocoa butter. Machines churn the liquor to mix the ingredients. After churning the mixture for a couple of hours, it becomes a coarse, brown dough called "crumb."
Step #9 - Refine
Now the thick chocolate "crumb" needs to be refined to make the chocolate even silkier. Giant steel rollers do the job of smoothing out the gritty texture, into a creamy batter.
Step #10 - Conch
The refined chocolate must be kneaded and churned one more time in a conching machine. The conching machine's large, heavy rollers knead, stir, and grind the mixture to blend the flavors and make it even creamier. It can take up to six days to complete this process. Conching the paste also allows air to break down acids and evaporate moisture. The result is a mellower, more well-rounded flavor.
Step #11 - Temper
The chocolate must be tempered to give it a glossy sheen and smoothness. Then it can be poured into a mold to become a candy bar. The chocolate is first heated and cooled repeatedly, until it gets a shiny, smooth look. The result is the chocolate will melt evenly in your mouth.
Step #12 - Mold
Now the chocolate is ready to pour into molds. Some machines, called enrobers, pour chocolate over flavored centers. Other machines create chocolate shapes that will be filled with liquid before the bottom is sealed.
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Cacao seed pods on the tree are now ready to harvest.
Farmers harvest the seeds in the traditional method, by hand, even today.
Cocoa beans on a large mat drying in the sun.
Cocoa beans bagged for shipment to manufacturers.
Processed cocoa powder.
A modern conching machine making chocolate creamier.
Bartons' milk chocolate being poured into molds.
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