Know the Lingo: A Glossary of Chocolate Terminology

If you love chocolate, you’ve probably been curious about how chocolate is made. Part of understanding the chocolate production process is knowing some key chocolate terminology. Below, we’ve compiled a glossary of chocolate lingo, so you can learn more about how your favorite food goes from bean to bar. 

Conching 

Conching is the final phase of chocolate production in our factory. It is a refining process that introduces air and warm temperatures into the chocolate, which eliminates any unwanted flavors and aromas–such as bitterness–and yields an incredibly smooth final product. Chocolate is in the conche for anywhere from 6-40 hours; the exact time for each variety is determined by our conchemaster. Prior to conching, cocoa beans are ground in a ball mill to make chocolate liquor, which is mixed with sugar and transferred to an ice cold roll mill, which reduces particles down to 20-18 microns to create the exceptional mouthfeel Zotter Chocolate is known for. 

Cocoa Mass

Cocoa mass is the raw material of chocolate. It is made from ground cocoa nibs, which are the “meat” of the cacao bean. 

Praline

Praline is a sweet confection made from ground nuts, sugar, and flavorings formed into a paste. It is often found in chocolate confections like Hand-Scooped Chocolates. 

Cocoa Butter

Vegetable fat separated from chocolate liquid at high pressure. Cocoa butter is found in all varieties of chocolate, including white chocolate, which does not have other cocoa solids in it.

Couverture 

Couverture is a glossy coating of chocolate that coats the outside of a chocolate bar. The word couverture is French for “blanket.” 

Roasting 

Before cacao beans are delivered to our facilities, they are harvested, dried, and fermented. Once they get to us, they’re roasted to develop their nuanced aromas and flavor notes. Just like coffee, cocoa beans require different roasting times and temperatures for different varieties of beans. 

Discover the decadence of fair traded, bean to bar chocolate made the right way with a variety of gourmet chocolates from Zotter Chocolate. We ensure quality delivered to your door with our no-melt guarantee.