What Chocolates are Made Of

While the process by which your favourite chocolate bar is conceived is an industry secret, the information regarding what chocolate is generally made of is not something of a mystery. So, if you simply love chocolate and want to know about the raw materials involved in its production, explore where your favourite treat comes from.

The primary ingredient of chocolate is cocoa, which is made from cocoa beans, the kernel or the edible part of the seeds of the cacao tree. Cacao trees are cultivated in farms where drainage is capable of moderating the wet and dry season and where the soil is neutral in terms of acidity and alkalinity. The ideal climate for cacao trees to grow is a combination of heat and humidity, the type that tropical geographical areas provide. Cacaos are planted under the cover of tall trees to protect the fruits from direct exposure to the sun. The quality of cocoa seeds plays an important factor in the quality of the end product-the chocolate. Hence, the cacao fruit must be grown carefully and the cocoa must be processed correctly.

A well-grown fruit and a well-processed cocoa create truly fine chocolate. Ideally, cacao fruit is harvested when it reaches the right maturity age. After the fruits are harvested and the seeds shelled, the cocoa is fermented for about five to eight days to transform the kernel into "stabilised" beans. They are then dried and prepared for the chocolate manufacturer to use. It must be noted that poor fermentation can have serious consequences on the end product. Short fermentation can prevent the cocoa from developing that delicious aroma and right bitterness and so does over-fermentation.