THE STORY OF COCOA

HOW COCOA GOES FROM THIS...

...AND BECOMES THIS

STEP ONE:

HARVESTING

• Harvest is the first step, and the harvest of ripe cocoa pods happens twice a year, the timing varying region to region.
• The process of making the chocolate begins straight away.
• Machetes are used to cut the pods open, and then the white pulp that contains the cocoa beans is scooped out.
• It is harvested from an evergreen tree native to the tropical region of the Americas.

STEP TWO

FERMENTING

• The pulp and pod are taken and placed into large wooden containers.
• They are left there to ferment for around five days.
• During this time, the beans are turned around for a more even fermentation.
• This is the process that start the developing of the flavor.

STEP THREE

DRYING

• After fermentation, the next step in the process is to dry the beans.
• This can be done by spreading them out in the sun.
• They have to be completely dried, because after this they are packed to be shipped around the world. If they are wet, they will turn moldy on the way.

STEP FOUR

ROASTING

• This next step in the process is usually done by the chocolate maker instead of the farmer.
• Most chocolate is made in cooler climates.
• Each maker uses different tools. Some just use standard ovens, but some have specially designed equipment.
• Each one has a different way of roasting, which they keep secret.

STEP FIVE

CRACKING AND WINNOWING

• This happens because the newly-roasted beans have a thin papery she'll around them that needs to be taken off.
• The beans are cracked open and the shell is removed in a process called winnowing.
• Fans are used to blow the lighter shells away, leaving behind only the pure chocolate called 'nibs'.

STEP SIX

GRINDING AND CONCHING

• In this next step, the cocoa nibs are ground with stone rollers until they become a paste known as cocoa mass.
• This pure chocolate contains both the cocoa solids and the cocoa butter (the fat in the chocolate).
• The conching usually happens in the same machine.
• Sugar, milk powder and other flavorings are added to the chocolate.

STEP SEVEN

TEMPERING

• The tempering is the part where the chocolate gets its shiny finish. It gives it the right texture to make a 'snap' when a piece is broken off.
• Untempered chocolate would be soft and crumbly.
• It is where the chocolate sets at the right temperature and is usually done by a machine.

STEP EIGHT

MOULDING

• This is the final step in the chocolate making process.
• It is simply pouring into the many bar shaped moulds, and agitated to prevent any air bubbles forming.
• Larger manufacturers have machines to do this, but smaller ones still do it by hand.

FACTS ABOUT CHOCOLATE

• Cocoa is grown in the deeper tropical parts of the Americas, near the equator line.
• The climate needed is very hot, and the Americas are as they are near the equator.
• It is sold in supermarkets by big manufactures, usually in bars. You can also find it in chocolatiers, shops just for chocolate.