Short video 📽️
Chocolate Chocolate is a sweet, rich food made from cacao beans, which grow on the cacao tree (*Theobroma cacao*). The production of chocolate involves several stages, from harvesting cacao pods to processing the beans and creating the finished product. Origin of Cacao Beans Cacao trees are native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, but today, they are also cultivated in parts of West Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. The beans come from large, pod-like fruits that contain both seeds (cacao beans) and pulp. Once the pods are harvested, the beans are extracted, fermented, and dried. Processing After drying, cacao beans are roasted to develop their flavor. The roasted beans are then cracked open, and their nibs (the inner parts) are ground into a thick paste known as "cacao mass" or "chocolate liquor," though it contains no alcohol. This mass consists of both cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Cocoa solids give chocolate its deep flavor, whi...