Chocolate begins with farmers!

Enliven Cacao trees-cacao-rainforest.jpg

Farmers grow the cacao that is made into the chocolate you eat.

Criollo Colombiano.jpg

The Theobroma cacao trees grow for approximately 3-5 years before they bear fruit “pods”.

2.jpg

The pods are removed from the trees by hand, collected and then split open to remove their seeds.

Enliven Cacao ferment - (8).jpg

The cacao seeds are removed while they are wet and still covered in their sweet pulp.

Enliven Cacao ferment 02 AM-2.jpg

The seeds are collected in containers and moved to a location where they can be fermented.

Enliven Cacao ferment 28 AM.jpg

Fermentation takes place over the course of 5-7 days. Temperature and humidity are constantly monitored.

Enliven Cacao dry 58 AM.jpg

When the beans are finished fermenting they are removed from the fermentation boxes and the final drying process begins.

20140502_162938_resized.jpg

After drying they are packaged in bags and prepared for shipment. This valuable commodity is watched closely by family members.

IMG-20180724-WA0003.jpg

Colombian cacao heading to the Colombian airport, to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and Tabal Chocolate.

The cacao beans arrive at Tabal Chocolate

Tabal-112.jpg

We sort through the cacao beans removing any unwanted beans or extra materials.

Oven.jpg

We roast them

Tabal-88.jpg

We crack and winnow

Chocolate grinding 1.jpg

We stone grind for 2-3 days

Pouring_3.jpg

We conch or aerate the chocolate to enrich the flavor

Tabal-386.jpg

We temper the chocolate to create the shine and snap in the crystals

Tabal-192.jpg

We pour the chocolate into molds, cool the chocolate

Tabal-693.jpg

 

Please enjoy these educational videos which are courtesy of UncommonCacao

CACAO FARMING

 

 CACAO FERMENTATION

 

CACAO DRYING

 

 

QUALITY CONTROL OF CACAO

 

 

We hand wrap each bar

VIDEO SUMMARY of the bean to bar process -

We share the chocolate so others can enjoy and also share.