Experience Toms

Chocolate production

True chocolate craftsmanship

When we receive the cocoa beans from Ghana, our chocolate master turns them into delicious, creamy chocolate in our roastery and in the Hall of Chocolate at Toms Chocolate factory.

Roasting
At Toms, we roast our own cocoa. Firstly, we break the cocoa beans into smaller pieces called cocoa nibs. The shells are removed and the nibs are roasted. The roasting releases the flavours of the cocoa beans. Our chocolate master puts a roasting profile together according to the desired flavour of the chocolate.

Cocoa mass
The final stages of making chocolate takes place in the Hall of Chocolate at Toms Chocolate factory. To transform cocoa beans into cocoa liquor, the beans are grounded and rolled. Chocolate should melt on the tongue and have a velvet touch, without feeling the small cocoa particles. If the cocoa is finely rolled, it will improve the sensation of eating the chocolate.

Conching
Cocoa is naturally acidic. This unwanted taste must be removed to give the chocolate its characteristic mellow and rounded flavour.
Therefore, we allow the chocolate to breathe or 'conch' it. It can be compared to decanting wine, where the flavour becomes fuller, after aerating the wine. But just like a wine can turn flat and lose its body, chocolate can be conched till the taste turns flat and dull. It requires the full attention of the chocolate master, who samples the chocolate for the desired balance.

Tempering
Finally, the chocolate is tempered. A perfect tempering gives the chocolate a beautiful surface and the proper 'snap' when a piece is broken off.
If the chocolate is not tempered correctly, it turns dull and becomes bendable instead of breaking off sharply. Tempering is done by heating the chocolate to 45 degrees, cooling it to 28 degrees and then reheating it to 32 degrees. After this process the chocolate is ready to be turned into bars, filled chocolates or chocolate coating.

Chocolate

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