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Theobroma cacao otherwise known as (Food of the Gods) is a very delicate tree that is found in tropical countries within 20 degrees north and south of the equator also known as the ‘cacao belt’.

We source our cocoa beans ethically and directly from The Australian Chocolate Farm in far North Queensland.

The farmers harvest the cocoa pods after they reach maturity. Then they open the pods and remove the beans and place them in large piles ready to ferment them.

Fermentation is where the natural environmental yeasts react with the sugary pulp surrounding the beans.

Fermentation usually runs between 3 to 7 days. Without fermentation the beans will never taste like chocolate.

After the beans have been fermented they need to be sun dried which usually takes 5-7 days.

Once dry they are collected and bagged in sacks ready for export.

Once the beans reach our factory we turn them into exquisite chocolate.

Check out our video on this

Have you ever seen the inside of a fresh Cacao Pod? It looks amazing! Did you know that the cocoa beans are covered in a white pulp which tastes very fruity, in my opinion like lychees!

Check out our quick video of me opening a fresh Cacao Pod

We source our cocoa beans ethically and directly from Darryl Kirk, owner of The Australian Chocolate Farm in far North Queensland.  

The cocoa pods are harvested after they reach maturity. The pods are then opened and the beans are removed and placed in large piles ready to ferment.

Fermentation is where the natural environmental yeasts react with the sugary pulp surrounding the beans.

Fermentation usually runs between 3 to 7 days. Without fermentation the cocoa beans will never taste like chocolate.

After the beans have been fermented they need to be sun dried which usually takes 5-7 days.

Once dry they are collected and bagged in sacks ready for export.

Once the beans reach our factory we turn them into exquisite chocolate.

Check our video of Darryl Kirk, owner of the Australian Chocolate Farm

Sorting

The beans need to be cleaned to remove any unwanted debris and then sorted by hand to remove any poor-quality beans to ensure that only the best beans are transformed into chocolate.

Roasting

Roasting is a very important step in developing the flavor of the beans. While the beans are being roasted a complicated set of chemical reactions help develop the chocolate flavor of the bean. Our beans are delicately roasted in small batches in our coffee roaster and a unique roasting profile is developed for each bean origin.

Cracking

Once the cocoa beans have completely cooled down, we put the beans in the crackandstein, which cracks the beans and separates the husk which is the outer shell from the nibs which is the inside of the beans, we put them through the crackandstein a second time to reduce the size of the husks/nibs.

Winnowing

Then they go through the winnower which is connected to a vacuum and it separates the husks from the nibs, the husks go into a separate section and the nibs go into the bucket, the nibs is what we use to make the final chocolate.

Click on our video to see how we process our Cocoa Beans

First you need to temper the chocolate, you can refer to our tempering blog here

Prior to tempering you should ensure your Easter Egg silicone moulds are completely dry. 

Once the chocolate is tempered pour into a piping bag then fill the moulds half-way only. Fill another piping bag with peanut butter and then squeeze some peanut butter into each mould and then tap the mold on the bench to flatten the peanut butter. Now fill the rest of the mold with chocolate to the rim and then tap again to get the air bubbles out.

Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes then pop out the eggs from the mold. The eggs can be left as halves or you can stick them together.

To do this heat up a metal tray in the oven and then place on your bench, then while wearing golves carefully place each half egg onto the hot tray for a few seconds only to melt the edges then lift them off and stick them together to make a whole egg.

Click on our video to Make Peanut Butter filled Easter Eggs

First you need to temper the chocolate, you can refer to our tempering blog here

Prior to tempering you should polish your bunny molds with a muslin cloth/cotton to remove any blemishes and fingerprints.

Once the chocolate is tempered fill each bunny mold (front and back) to the rim with chocolate and then tap the mold vigorously on the bench to get the air bubbles out, then tip out the excess chocolate into your bowl while tapping the sides of the mold with your scraper.

Keep tapping till most of the chocolate is out of the mould and a thin shell remains. Scrape the mold to remove any excess chocolate and then place face down onto a tray lined with baking paper.

Refrigerate for 10 minutes then repeat the process to get a second layer of chocolate into the mould so you have a thick layer.

After the second layer is done refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or when you see the chocolate has come away from the mold.

Heat up a metal tray in the oven and then place on your bench, then while wearing golves carefully place each half of the bunny onto the hot tray for a few seconds only to melt the edges then lift them off and stick them together to make your bunny whole.

Check out our video to see How to make Chocolate Bunnies

 

 

What does Tempering Chocolate mean and why should we do it?

It is the process of heating and cooling the chocolate to specific temperatures called (pre-crystallising) in order to isolate specific cocoa butter crystals that allow the chocolate to hold its shape, have a finished glossy sheen, crisp snap and improve the overall mouth feel.

Put simply in the seeding method we are adding 10-20% tempered chocolate into the already melted chocolate that’s been heated to 42 degrees. This does two things it not only cools the chocolate down but because the chocolate we are adding is already tempered it contains the stable cocoa butter crystals that we want, which will grow more stable crystals in the chocolate. We keep stirring and adding more seeded chocolate until we reach 31 degrees and the chocolate is melted.

Check out our tempering video

Temperature

Chocolate should not be stored in the fridge, but in a cool, dry place around 18 degrees. Because cold chocolate makes it harder to detect flavour nuances. If you have a wine fridge that is a good place as you can set the temperature and there is no humidity.

If you have stored chocolate in the fridge, it is very important to allow the chocolate to come to room temperature before tasting.

Cleanse your Palate

When tasting lots of different chocolates, it is best to drink some water in between chocolates to cleanse your palate as you would when you taste wine.

Smell

Bring the chocolate to your nose and deeply inhale its aroma. Does it smell fruity or sweet? Can you detect any vanilla or spice? Our coffee and cardamom bar has a very fragrant aroma. Smelling chocolate before you put it in your mouth is important as it stimulates your taste buds.

Hear

Break off a piece of the bar. How did it sound? Good dark chocolate has a clean snapping sound, while milk chocolate has a softer snap due to the milk content. A lack of a good snap could either indicate bad tempering or that the chocolate is too warm.

Chew Vs Melting in your mouth

It amazes me how many people I see chomp chocolate and quickly gulp it down! Chocolate is not meant to be chewed and gulped it is meant to be savoured and allowed to melt on your tongue. Your mouth is the perfect vessel for chocolate to melt slowly. So let the flavours unfold, and move the chocolate around in your mouth and indulge in the tasting experience.

Tasting experience

During your tasting experience you will notice the texture of the chocolate, is it smooth and creamy? Does it coat your entire mouth? Are there crunchy inclusions like nuts? Three of our bars have nuts so you will get a mix the smooth silky chocolate and the crunchy nuts. You will also pick up on the flavours, for example with our Australian Dark 70% you will notice a mix of fruity and nutty flavours.

Lastly the finish is how the chocolate lingers in your mouth. Does it have a long finish, or do the flavours disappear quickly?

We hope that by tasting chocolate in this way you will gain a deeper appreciation for chocolate!