| How is chocolate made you are wondering? | | | | butter is removed it is then refined for |
| Chocolate is derived from a cocoa bean | | | | future use, such as use in the cosmetic |
| removed from the pod of the cocoa tree. Cocoa | | | | industry. Once the cocoa solids have been |
| trees are found growing in equatorial zones | | | | extracted and ground into a coarse fine |
| in the South America region. Once the Cocoa | | | | powder it is then mixed together with other |
| beans have been harvested they are then | | | | ingredients to become the chocolate candy we |
| placed into large shallow pans to be heated. | | | | enjoy today.To produce the bitter sweet dark |
| This is also known as the fermentation | | | | chocolate the powder is mixed with cocoa |
| process. In some regions where the climate is | | | | butter and some sugar. Milk chocolate is made |
| warm the beans may be fermented by the sun. | | | | by mixing the powder with a minimum amount of |
| Throughout this fermentation workers stir | | | | cocoa butter, sugar and milk. White chocolate |
| them often to ensure that all the cocoa beans | | | | is produced by combining all the ingredients |
| have been equally fermented.One of the first | | | | and by adding real vanilla flavoring as an |
| things that industrial chocolate | | | | emulsifier.Once all the ingredients are |
| manufacturers do is dry roast the beans. The | | | | combined they are all stirred together under |
| process of dry roasting helps develop the | | | | heat to make a molten chocolate. The mixture |
| flavor into what we enjoy when eating it. The | | | | is then placed into larger vats where it will |
| cocoa nibs, otherwise known as beans are | | | | be conched. The conching process is done by |
| comprised of two very important ingredients: | | | | large smooth granite rollers that keep the |
| cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The cocoa | | | | chocolate mixture stirred and continue to |
| butter is basically a fat while the cocoa | | | | grind the powder into relatively small |
| solids are predominantly coarse cocoa powder. | | | | pieces. To make the smooth velvety texture, |
| The seperation of the two ingredients is very | | | | the mixture is conched by very small granite |
| crucial in producing a smooth, high quality | | | | rollers. The conching process takes several |
| chocolate candy.The process of removing the | | | | days at a time.After all these steps have |
| cocoa butter from the cocoa solids is to | | | | been completed the chocolate is then poured |
| convert the nibs into a non alcoholic liquid | | | | into molds where it is then allowed to cool |
| called liquor. Once this is done the liquor | | | | and then removed and placed in a wrapper. |
| is then sent into high pressure to press and | | | | Then the famous candy treat is ready to be |
| squeeze the butter from the solids. What | | | | dispersed to enjoy. |
| remains is a cake of solid cocoa. After the | | | | |