The different stages of chocolate making
Discover our chocolate treats
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF CHOCOLATE MAKING?
Chocolate, this sweet, sweet, powerful or bitter treat, is a favourite of many food lovers. But do you know how chocolate is made? In order to obtain our little chocolate treats, chocolate goes through many manufacturing stages, from harvesting the pods to moulding and coating the chocolates. Embark on a journey around the world to discover the secrets of chocolate making!
The stages of chocolate making
At Fauchon, master chocolatier, our gourmet sweets are made from cocoa beans found in the heart of the pods, the fruits of the cocoa tree. This tree grows in the various equatorial regions of America, Indonesia and Africa.
From harvesting to processing of cocoa beans
The cocoa tree is an amazing tree. It can only grow in a few specific regions of the world to be able to offer us its fruits. And even then, after planting, it takes three years before the first fruits appear. Moreover, of all the flowers that cover the cocoa tree, only 1% will give a pod.
Working with the cocoa bean: harvesting and shelling
As you will have understood, the first stage in the manufacture of chocolate is the harvesting of the pods. This is a very delicate stage that requires great precision on the part of the producer. He has to cut the stalk linking the pod to the tree without damaging the flower pad and allowing future harvests.
Three days later, the producer opens the pods with a knife to extract the precious cocoa beans from the pod before sending them to fermentation. This is called shelling. The pods contain an average of forty seeds that are just waiting to develop their aroma before being transformed into delicious, gourmet chocolate pieces.
Developing cocoa flavour: fermentation, drying and roasting
Fermentation allows the beans to be preserved more easily before their long journey into chocolate making. The beans stop sprouting and are stored for a week in wooden baskets that need to be stirred every 24 hours. This stage allows the chocolate's flavours to develop and its bitterness to be reduced, to the delight of young and old alike.
Then comes an essential stage: drying. The aim is to stop the fermentation process by drying the precious beans for 1 to 4 weeks. Once they have been thoroughly cleaned and dried, they are sent to the factory to be transformed into a paste and then into a liqueur.
It is only during the roasting process that the taste of the chocolate is really revealed. There, the cocoa beans are cleaned and heated for 20 to 30 minutes between 120°C and 160°C.
The beans are finally ready! Now they are ground into a nice cocoa paste, also called cocoa mass, which can later be used to make cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
Cocoa liquor in the conching process for smoothness and creaminess
The finesse of Fauchon's handmade chocolates depends entirely on these first essential steps that guarantee the chocolate's unmistakable taste and delicious aroma.
Mixing
The cocoa liquor is mixed with different ingredients to obtain our famous gourmet chocolates. For example, to obtain a dark chocolate with a strong aroma, cocoa paste, cocoa butter and sugar are mixed together, whereas for a white chocolate, which is soft and sweet, cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder are mixed together. The paste is mixed with the other ingredients until it becomes homogeneous.
Conching
In order to obtain a perfect homogeneity and to be able to create our chocolate confectionery, the paste goes through the conching process where it will be stirred in a constant and sustained way in order to acquire smoothness and creaminess.
From dipping to coating for endless flavour
When making our handmade chocolates, Fauchon and its partners use all their know-how and expertise to prepare unique, gourmet and refined pieces of chocolate.
Tempering
Tempering is a stage in the chocolate making process that requires extreme precision. The chocolate is brought to a precise temperature in order to crystallize the cocoa butter. It is this stage that gives the chocolate its shiny, melting and brittle appearance.
Moulding and coating
Finally, the chocolate is moulded and coated before being refrigerated. It can then be unmoulded into delicious chocolate pieces and enjoyed.
Fauchon chocolate expertise, the best for all occasions
Thanks to this extensive and meticulous chocolate making process, Fauchon offers chocolate wonders to be enjoyed every day, for the pleasure of children and adults alike, thanks to an infinite number of flavours, fragrances and aromas.
Making chocolate does not stop at simply making chocolate pieces. This gourmet foodstuff is available in many recipes that we continue to innovate with our Executive Chef to always invent new textures, flavours, creations and new sensory experiences.
From handmade hazelnut praline spreads from Piedmont, to dark chocolate truffles, to marshmallow and milk chocolate teddy bears for those with a sweet tooth, nothing is too good or too good for even the most demanding chocolate lovers.