Chocolate production - do you know the secrets of chocolate making?

Step 1: Harvesting and processing

All chocolate production starts with the harvesting of the cocoa beans. These grow on cocoa trees, evergreen shrubs in tropical places around the equator that offer favourable conditions for their growth. The ripe fruit of the cocoa tree is green, orange or red in colour, and at first glance looks similar to melons. Once ripe, the fruit is cut by hand from the trunk and branches, as machine cutting could damage the bush. After the cocoa beans are removed from the fruit, they are exposed to the sun to turn slightly purple.

Step 2: Fermentation

The cocoa beans are placed on large heated trays covered with banana leaves or in wooden crates which are buried in the ground. After about a week of fermentation, which reduces the sugar level in the cocoa beans, they turn a characteristic brown colour.

Step 3: Drying

After fermentation, the cocoa beans have to go through a drying process due to the moisture content. Where the climate is favourable for this, the beans are dried outdoors, otherwise they are dried in kilns. After this process, when the beans have been cleaned of all impurities, the chocolate-making process begins.

Step 4: Roasting, friction and grinding

Roasting takes place at either low or high temperatures, which gives the cocoa beans their rich aroma. Shorter roasting or lower temperatures give the beans a more acidic flavour, while longer roasting or higher temperatures give them a more bitter flavour. After the growers have manually or mechanically husked or de-stoned the inside of the beans, the milling stage takes place. The hulled beans are ground into a thick mixture known as cocoa paste - which can be made into cocoa butter, cocoa dough or cake, cocoa powder or chocolate, which is made by adding cocoa butter and sugar to cocoa paste.

Step 5: Chocolate formation

Chocolate production continues when cocoa butter, sugar, milk or other additives and stabilisers are added to the cocoa paste, depending of course on the type of chocolate. The process of mechanical and heat treatment gives the chocolate its true texture and flavour. This is followed by moulding, where different nuts, raisins, candies, etc. can be added to the chocolate... Once the manufacturing process is complete, packaging is next, and the chocolate can then go on to the shelves of the shops.

Did you know?

• The word "chocolate" comes from the Aztec word "xocoatl", which refers to a bitter and pungent drink made from cocoa beans
• The first chocolate bar was made in 1847
• Chocolate is the most purchased gift in the world
• Cocoa beans only acquire their characteristic brown colour during the processing process, before which they also taste quite bitter
• It takes between 300 and 600 cocoa beans to make one kilo of chocolate
• Cocoa beans have been so valued in the past that they have been used as currency
• Chocolate can be consumed as part of a balanced and healthy diet and lifestyle
• Chocolate can raise the heart rate more than, for example, kissing
• The proportion of cocoa in chocolate depends on the amount of cocoa beans in the chocolate
• Dark chocolate contains more antioxidants than blueberries, tea or red wine
• In addition to classic milk, dark and white chocolate, there is also "blond" chocolate
• The four biggest chocolate producers are the USA, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium
• Western Europe is estimated to produce 35% of the world''s chocolate, with the USA producing a further 28%
• West Africa produces about 2/3 of the world''s cocoa beans
• Around 3 million tonnes of cocoa beans are used for chocolate production each year
• Around 50 million people around the world depend on chocolate production

Make your own chocolate! Do you want a special, personalised chocolate, or would you like to give one to someone dear to you? On our website you can do just that! You can choose between white, milk and dark chocolate, or you can choose a little of each. Add the text you want, choose the sprinkles, and make yourself or your loved ones happy!