Chocolate production

At Anthon Berg, all our chocolate recipes have been developed from scratch. Part art and part science, the chocolate makers focus on four main factors when developing new, and captivating tastes.

1) Level of roasting

Once winnowed (shelled), cocoa beans are called nips. The roasting of the nibs is vital for bringing out the distinct flavours of different chocolates. The level of roasting is determined by what is most suitable for the type of cocoa bean concerned.

2) Balance

The roasted beans are ground into a paste called cocoa mass. Cocoa mass is extremely bitter and astringent, making the ratio of sugar to cocoa mass highly influential in determining the final flavour of the chocolate.

3) Conching

Dried cocoa beans are naturally high in acetic acid. Comparable to the oxidisation of wine, the conching process reduces the sharp acidic taste of the cocoa in order to achieve the soft, rounded flavour that chocolate is celebrated for. It is not the conching time that affects the final flavour of the chocolate, but rather, the balance of the acid.

4) The finished chocolate

Once the chocolate has been conched, cocoa butter is added. This final process is called tempering, which involves cooling down the chocolate before heating it again. During this process, the structure of the cocoa butter changes, giving the chocolate a uniform sheen and crisp bite. Once hardened, the chocolate it ready to be enjoyed.