From bean to bar

Making chocolate from the cacao bean is not rocket science, but it's a whole lot of work! It involves growing, fermenting, drying, sorting, roasting, grinding, conching, tempering, molding... and wrapping! The difference between a delicious chocolate bar and a barely eatable one is getting right all the details in every single step of the process. Without revealing all of our secrets, here are the general steps from the cacao plantation to the nice and shiny Avanaa chocolate bar.

 
1. Harvesting

The farmers harvest ripe cacao pods with machete and cutters.

2. Fermenting

The sweet fruit inside the cacao pods (beans with white pulp) are placed into large wooden containers, allowing the fermentation process to start. It takes somewhere between 3 to 7 days before the fermentation is completed. The fermentation allows the flavor of chocolate to develop in the cacao beans.

 
 
2. Fermenting

The sweet fruit inside the cacao pods (beans with white pulp) are placed into large wooden containers, allowing the fermentation process to start. It takes somewhere between 3 to 7 days before the fermentation is completed. The fermentation allows the flavor of chocolate to develop in the cacao beans.

 
3. Drying

After the fermentation, wet beans are spread in a single layer to sun-dry. When the beans are dry (4 to 15 days depending on the weather), farmers can pack and ship the dried cacao beans.

4. Sorting

Every single cacao bean is hand sorted to remove any poor-quality beans.

 
 
4. Sorting

Every single cacao bean is hand sorted to remove any poor-quality beans.

 
5. Roasting

We roast the cacao beans in the workshop. As in coffee roasting, this is a very important step to balance the chocolate flavor, aroma and bitterness. Each different cacao has a unique roasting… and this is all part of the secret recipe of the chocolate maker!

6. Winnowing

The beans are winnowed to remove the shell. What is left from this step is little pieces of cacao, referred to as cacao nibs.

 
 
6. Winnowing

The beans are winnowed to remove the shell. What is left from this step is little pieces of cacao, referred to as cacao nibs.

 
7. Grinding and conching

Cacao nibs and sugar are then incorporated in our granite stone melanger. This allows us to grind the chocolate into the perfect consistency and to reduce the bitterness.

8. Tempering

The chocolate needs tempering to crystallize and to display that nice shiny finish.

 
 
8. Tempering

The chocolate needs tempering to crystallize and to display that nice shiny finish.

 
9. Moulding

Each bar is moulded by hand in our custom Avanaa moulds.

10. Wrapping

After spending so much time and energy to craft this chocolate bar, we reckon it deserves some beautiful packaging, don’t you think?

 
 
10. WRAPPING

After spending so much time and energy to craft this chocolate bar, we reckon it deserves some beautiful packaging, don’t you think?

 
11. Tasting

I guess you can figure out this one. Warning: one bite into this delicious chocolate and you might struggle to eat the cheap industrial stuff ever again! Sorry to spoil you.