Cocoa.

Cocoa is a particularly fine product of the tropics. The cocoa tree grows in the tropical regions to the north and south of the equator. Its fruits, which grow right on the trunk, are harvested twice a year and contain 20 to 30 white cocoa beans each.

How chocolate is made.

Chocolate production depends on the ancient craft of the confectioner and the chocolatier. Even today, industrial manufacturing still follows the basic stages of the original craft, although highly sophisticated technical apparatus has taken over the work at every stage. As well as making it possible to rationalise production, this also guarantees consistently high quality. Cocoa beans are the most important raw material for making chocolate. After detailed quality control checks, the raw cocoa is cleaned thoroughly, crushed, roasted and ground, to produce cocoa paste. Mixing this paste with sugar and additional cocoa butter gives the basic mixture for traditional plain chocolate. If powdered or condensed milk is added, the result is the basic mixture for milk chocolate. For white chocolate, on the other hand, the brown cocoa paste is omitted. These three basic mixtures form the starting point for all types of chocolate. After mixing, the basic mixtures are ground very finely and refined by "conching". This produces a chocolate mixture which is now ready to be made into solid bars, or bars filled with nuts, almonds, fruit or liqueur, filled chocolates, and many other specialities.The beans, after being removed from the skin, are shaken into heaps, covered, and left to ferment. This causes the beans to lose their capacity to germinate, and at the same time some of the chocolate aromas begin to develop. Once they are dry, the cocoa beans are ready for shipping. They are bought by processing companies at the international cocoa exchanges in London and New York.