Fermentation is undoubtedly one of the most important steps in the entire chocolate making process. Without proper fermentation, cocoa beans cannot develop the complex flavors that make up what we associate with a "chocolatey" taste. Read more

Harvesting cacao fruits is a crucial first step in the process. The fruits develop from small pollinated flowers on the trunk of the cacao tree and it takes about 140 days for the fruit to fully ripen after pollination. It is crucial to harvest the...

There are two main types of cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder and alkalized cocoa powder, also called Dutch processed. What is the difference between these two?

Chocolate, when untempered, is porous in texture and you often see cocoa fat migrated to the surface through spots, rings and a matte top. By tempering your chocolate when you make, for example, confections or pralines, you get a beautiful, g...

Cocoa actually has many times more possible flavors than both wine and coffee. Properly made without unnecessary additives, chocolate can therefore taste incredibly different - from fruit, flowers and grass to brownie, tobacco and spices and everyt...

To make a 70% dark chocolate, two ingredients are needed – cocoa beans and sugar. When everything is finished grinding, the chocolate is conchased to finalize properties such as taste and fluidity. This can take anywhere from 10 to 70 hours. When t...

All cocoa comes from the species Theobroma cacao and for a long time it was believed that there were only three varieties – Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario. More recently, however, more than ten varieties have been identified and more than 50,000...