Chocolate is one of the most popular candies on the planet, but did you ever think about how it’s created? We asked the owner of Dwaar Chocolate in Keego Harbor to explain how they transform raw cocoa beans into smooth chocolate bars.
Chocolate maker Rajani Konkipudi joined Jason Carr to explain the process, which begins with raw cocoa beans they source from all over the world. The beans come to the shop dried and then are placed in a wooden box and fermented for about six to eight days, depending on the humidity or the temperature. The fermenting process develops the flavor in the cocoa beans. Then they are roasted in a coffee roaster. When the roasting process is completed, the shells are removed from the beans and the cracked coca beans are ground for about 20-24 hours to create that smooth chocolate consistency.
Jason asked Rajani about the comparison of chocolate making to wine and to his surprise, the technique is similar. The grapes for wine are also fermented and develop flavor over time.
Because Dwaar Chocolate is a smaller chocolate maker, they have a lot of freedom to play around with different flavors and ingredients outside of the “norm”. Rajani says the chocolate shop can create more than just the standard dark, white, or milk chocolate. For example, a chocolate bar made with oat milk as oppose to traditional milk. If someone is looking to try more adventurous treats, Dwaar sells chocolate covered orange slices and almond clusters.
For more information about Dwaar Chocolate, watch the video above.