How Chocolate is Made: From Bean to Bar

When you unwrap a piece of fine chocolate, it’s easy to get lost in the rich aroma and smooth texture, but have you ever wondered how that little bar came to be? The journey from cacao bean to chocolate bar is long, detailed, and a labor of love. At Le Marché du Chocolat, we celebrate the artistry and care behind every bite. Here's a peek into how chocolate is made, step by step.

1. Harvesting the Cacao Pods

Chocolate starts with the Theobroma cacao tree, which grows in tropical regions around the world. Each tree produces brightly colored pods filled with cacao beans surrounded by sweet, white pulp. Harvesting is done by hand using machetes to carefully cut ripe pods from the trees.

2. Fermentation

Once harvested, the beans and pulp are placed in shallow containers and covered with banana leaves to ferment for several days. This step is crucial—it helps develop the beans' complex flavors and reduces bitterness. The process also changes the color of the beans from pale to dark brown. Fermentation is a key topic covered in resources like The Chocolate Life, a site dedicated to the world of craft chocolate.

3. Drying

After fermentation, the beans are spread out under the sun to dry, often on large wooden trays or mats. This reduces their moisture content and prepares them for storage and shipping. It’s during this time that the beans develop their signature aroma.

4. Roasting

Once the beans reach the chocolate maker, they’re roasted to bring out their flavor. The roasting temperature and time can vary based on the bean variety and the desired taste. Roasting not only intensifies the chocolate notes but also loosens the shell from the inner nib.

5. Cracking and Winnowing

The roasted beans are cracked open to remove the outer shells, leaving behind the cacao nibs—the pure essence of chocolate. This step is called winnowing. Nibs are what eventually become chocolate.

6. Grinding and Conching

The nibs are ground into a thick paste called chocolate liquor (despite the name, it contains no alcohol). This liquor can be further refined in a process called conching, where it's continuously mixed and aerated to smooth out texture and enhance flavor. Additional ingredients like sugar, cocoa butter, and milk (for milk chocolate) may be added during this stage. The Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) promotes transparency and ethical practices throughout these steps.

7. Tempering

To achieve that glossy finish and perfect snap, chocolate must be tempered. This means heating and cooling it to precise temperatures to stabilize the cocoa butter crystals. Tempering is both an art and a science, one reason artisan chocolate stands out.

8. Molding and Cooling

Once tempered, the chocolate is poured into molds—bars, truffles, or other forms—and cooled until solid. It’s then packaged, ready to be enjoyed!