HOW CHOCOLATE IS MADE
Have you ever wondered how chocolate is made? How do cacao beans turn into delicious squares of creamy chocolate? Here are the 10 steps that describe our entire chocolate making process. Follow along to see how we get from bean to bar!
Taste Artisan Chocolate from Tay Steele on Vimeo.
1
SORT
The first thing we do once we receive our imported cacao beans is sort them. We carefully and thoroughly sort by hand each cacao bean to ensure the highest quality and rid of any unwanted beans or rocks that may have slipped into the bundles of cacao. This primary step lays the foundation for our high quality chocolate bars.
ROAST
Roasting the beans not only disinfects the beans, but also brings out various flavors when roasted at different temperatures. Additionally, roasting helps remove excess moisture and dries the beans, which is essential for the next phases of developing the chocolate.
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WINNOW
Winnowing the beans is the process by which the cacao shell is removed, leaving the center cacao nib. The nibs move onto the next phase while the cacao shells are then used to make fabulous cacao teas, so all parts of the beans are valued and utilized.
MILL
We thoroughly grind the nibs to break them down into finer particles. After grinding, we then add sugar, which compliments the flavor notes of each bean. This entire process takes place in our machine called the Mill.
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REFINE
Next, the chocolate is poured into our Refiner where it is moved through chilled rollers that grind it to a smooth consistency. This helps to further break down the larger particles, ensuring each bar maintains a creamy texture.
CONCHE
The refined chocolate is then moved to the Conche, which keeps the chocolate at a steady temperature while mixing. The conching homogenizes the ingredients so they do not separate from each other. Additionally, it also creates the core flavors and textures of the finished product, depending on the mixing and temperature settings.
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MOLD
The chocolate is then poured into our signature molds and set in a cooling tunnel where it then cools and solidifies into the final product. During this process, we ensure that the chocolate is properly tempered in order to avoid any blooming, or ingredient separation.
WRAP
Each bar is carefully examined and wrapped by hand. Every Taste bar features unique artwork that showcases the origins of the beans, themes, or other additive ingredients on our iconic customized sleeves.
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TASTE
The best part of this process is tasting our chocolate! Harnessing all of the primary senses–sight, touch, sound, smell, and taste–provides the ultimate chocolate tasting experience.
SHARE
Through our unique chocolates, we strive to share tastes from around the world with locals and tastes from locals with the world. We invite you to continue to share a Taste of our chocolate with your friends, coworkers, family members, and other loved ones!