The top seven cocoa producing countries are: Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Cameron, Malaysia.
Harvesting Cocoa & Cocoa processing:
Chocolate production starts with harvesting coca in a forest. Cocoa comes from tropical evergreen Cocoa trees. Cocoa needs to be harvested manually in the forest. These cocoa beans will then be ready to be shipped to the manufacturer for mass production.
1. Plucking and opening the Pods:
2. Fermenting the cocoa seeds
3. Drying the cocoa seeds
Manufacturing Chocolate
Once the cocoa beans have reached the machinery of chocolate factories, they are ready to be refined into chocolate. Firstly, fermented and dried cocoa beans will be refined to a roasted nib by winnowing and roasting. Then, they will be heated and will melt into chocolate liquor. Lastly, manufacturers blend chocolate liquor with sugar and milk to add flavor. After the blending process, the liquid chocolate will be stored or delivered to the molding factory in tanks and will be poured into molds for sale. Finally, wrapping and packaging machines will pack the chocolates and then they will be ready to transport.
1. Roasting and Winnowing the Cocoa
2. Grinding the Cocoa Nibs
3. Blending Cocoa liquor and molding Chocolate