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Last time we discussed the stages in bean-to-bar creation, from cacao pod harvesting, fermentation and drying of the cocoa beans; all of which are important in setting up the foundation for great flavors in the finished product.  But how exactly do cocoa beans get turned into chocolate?   Once cocoa beans arrive at Michel Cluizel there are several more critical steps that are needed to become the chocolate we all love.   First, the beans need to be sorted to remove cracked or moldy beans as well as debris like rocks!  Even the highest quality beans may arrive with non-edible items mixed...

Have you ever noticed the words bean-to-bar—or Cacaofèvier, as we say at Michel Cluizel—on a chocolate label and wondered what it really means? It’s more than a trend or marketing term. It’s a commitment to craftsmanship, traceability, and quality from the very first cacao pod to the final chocolate bar. Let’s take you on that journey. It All Starts at the Source Imagine the equator encircling the globe. Now focus on the tropical belt—20 degrees north and south of that line. This is where the Theobroma cacao tree thrives. Its colorful pods (some sprouting straight from the trunk!) hold the precious...

French Chocolatier Michel Cluizel's seventy-year history in chocolate making.