There is so much to explore and speak about that this page couldn’t hold it all so here is the simple short version

The chocolate you know and love all begins with the humble cacao tree. The cacao tree only grows within about 20 degrees North and South of the equator, with most being grown in West Africa. The cacao's pink and white flowers are pollinated by a tiny gnat, known as a midge and in about five months, the flowers turn into pods of varying rich colors all representing different genetics and ultimately differing flavour profiles.

The pods are carefully and skillfully harvested by hand, one pod at a time so as not to damage the stem base. This is where all future flowers will be pollinated by the midge and if damaged no flowers will grow there and ultimately no pods that carry the cocoa seeds.

The pods are then broken open and the seeds, surrounded by a white pulp, are scooped out. The seeds are then either piled upon a bed of banana leaves on the floor of the forest and covered (known as heap fermentation) or taken to a central fermentary, placed in boxes and covered for the fermentation to begin.

Time, temperature, movement from one box to another during the process and our friends in the microbial space all work hard at doing their part and impacting the final flavor profile. After the fermentation is complete, which can be 5-7 days on average, the beans are dried in the sun, under drying tunnels or forced heat. Finally, they are bagged and shipped direct to chocolate makers or distributors.