The process of transforming the cacao bean into mouth-watering chocolate is as much a blend of art and science as coaxing a ripe, flavorful bean out of Mother Nature.
The cacao bean consists of a leathery seed coat, rich in tannin, which envelopes each seed. It contains cocoa butter, proteins, starch, alkaloids, essential oils and various substances, which will release their aroma at the roasting stage of chocolate making.