SIS JOURNAL 2 | HOW IS CHOCOLATE MADE ? A LENGTHY AND THOROUGH PROCESS

Chocolate is made after the cocoa bean has undergone a lengthy and thorough process. The story of how chocolate is made, from harvesting the cocoa to transforming it until it reaches our near-by shops is a marvel. This voyage, although requires hard work, is a revelation of art and science, disclosing a universe of flavours and aromas.

Everybody's favourite

When we choose our heavenly chocolate, the process of unwrapping it, taking the first bite and letting it linger in our mouth, is a bliss. We celebrate this harmony and joy by relating the journey of the cacao bean harvested from lands of origins, ground and roasted to be produced and crafted to finally come your way.

The art of making chocolate

1- The cacao is cultivated from a tree, Theobroma cacao. It grows in countries within a belt 10 degrees north and 10 degrees south around the equator. It blooms in hot temperatures, shade, and rain. These trees require a tremendous amount of hard manual work and intensive care.

The tree bears egg-shaped fruits or pods which contain more or less 40 seeds that are known as cacao beans and which will ultimately give us chocolate.

2- Once turned yellowish, the labourers delicately harvest the pod then open it and take out the seed to plant it in rows.

3- Passing to the fermentation phase, the beans are either stacked on the ground or in packs. In both cases, they are covered with banana leaves to be fermented. The fermentation lasts between 2 to 9 days until the beans change colours and put on some flavours.

4- After fermentation, the beans are left to dry completely under the sun for 7 to 14 days. Once dried they are packed in sacks and checked for quality.

Cocoa beans are ready to travel

5- The processor receives the cocoa beans, either blends them with other origins or keeps them separated as "single-origin chocolate". They are then cleaned and roasted at a low temperature to develop flavour.

6- The nibs, after being separated from the shells, will be ground and will turn into chocolate liquor or mass, which will produce the cocoa powder and butter when placed under very high pressure. The mixture is added to a conch or a large agitator, to be kneaded, heated and aerated. Under the heat, the mixture will become very smooth.

This delicate process will produce a consistent, pure, and smooth chocolate. The final aromas and flavours will be expressed. Eventually we can add any fluid to the chocolate to refine it.

7- Finally, the last phase of the process, the chocolate is brought to temperature (the tempering and moulding phase) and put into blocks, where the cocoa butter reaches its most steady form.

Unleashed creativity

After the long process of transformation, the chocolate reaches its final stage, it is time for the chocolatiers' elaboration. They will unleash their limitless creativity and artistic spirit and bring us the most sublime of their creations. Sunday in Scotland holds on to this lengthy process and admires it by honouring the cocoa bean.
It combines extraordinary ingredients and crafts exquisite and delightful chocolate to deliver a taste of heavenly bliss and utter perfection.

At Sunday in Scotland, we celebrate the beautiful and aromatic cocoa bean that travelled from its land of origin and treat it to become the perfect sumptuous chocolate we desire. With its array of gourmet chocolate, Sunday in Scotland brings you single origin chocolate bars and chocolate exquisite made from the finest cocoa beans. The cocoa bean will grant us extraordinary chocolate moments. We make decadent and artisanal chocolate that will capture the deep essence of Sunday in Scotland.


SUNDAY IN SCOTLAND JOURNAL