It's all about the Chocolate...
 

Cocoa Pods from the cocoa tree.
Most of the worlds cocoa crop is grown in West Africa.

The pods are ripe when yellow/orange which takes 6 months

The pods are cut down, and the seeds and pulp are left to ferment for a week, covered in banana leaves.

The beans are then spread out and left on raised mats in the sun to dry out for 10 days

Shipped to factories, the beans are blended and cleaned, the shell is removed and the nibs are roasted and ground into cocoa liquor

Sieved under high pressure, the cocoa butter is separated from the cocoa solids

Different types of chocolate need different ingredients:

Cocoa liquor, Sugar & cocoa butter make dark chocolate.

Add powered milk for Milk chocolate.

White  chocolate has  no Cocoa liquor 

The ingredients are made into a dough which is the pressed to make a fine powder.

The Powder is stirred in conches for hours until all the flavours are fully developed and leaves as a smooth paste.

Cocoa butter and lecithin is added to the paste to make liquid chocolate

Liquid chocolate is tempered and made into couverture blocks or drops.

Chocolart uses coverture supplied by Callebaut or Belcoade.

This is where you come in!

 Create your own delicious chocolates at Chocolart.

Images/Information courtesy of Callebaut.