Cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, powdered milk and vanilla
are the raw materials with which we make all of the different types
of chocolate:
From liquor to chocolate
Dark chocolate is made with cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and sugar.
For milk chocolate, milk powder is added.
And for white chocolate cocoa butter sugar and milk powder are
used (no cocoa liquor, which explains the ivory color of white
chocolate.)
To all types, natural Bourbon vanilla is added to enhance the
taste.
The ingredients are first weighed very precisely for the
particular type of chocolate that is about to be produced. These
ingredients are mixed together and then blended into homogeneous
chocolate dough.
This mixture is then pressed between rollers to form a fine
powder. This will give the finished chocolate a smooth texture and
a homogenous flavor. The average size of the particles in this
chocolate powder is smaller than the distance between the taste
buds on your tongue - so small you will never physically feel them.
This guarantees a smooth chocolate, free from any grainy
texture.
This chocolate powder is kneaded for hours in the conches
until the aromas have fully developed. Conches are large tanks with
a powerful stirring apparatus inside that slowly kneads the
mixture. Due to the friction caused by the stirring, heat develops.
This heat melts the powder into a homogeneous paste and makes the
unpleasant, acid aromas evaporate.
At the end of the conching process, cocoa butter (all our
chocolates are made with 100% cocoa butter) and soya
lecithin are added to make the chocolate liquid. Soya lecithin
ensures the stabilization of the liquidity and the emulsification
of the chocolate.
The liquidity (viscosity) of the chocolate is measured after
this. Some applications require a thick, paste-like kind of
chocolate, other types of applications require very runny, liquid
chocolate.
The liquid chocolate is now stored in large heated tanks so
that it can be further processed in blocks or callets.