BalTraWed

Cocoa

Chocolate is the best-loved dainty of millions of people around the world. Its taste is inextricably linked to the quality of the cocoa beans used for making. Therefore, care should be taken in selecting a supplier of raw materials.

Annually 0 tons

of cocoa beans come from Africa

0 % of the entire market

consumers are in Europe

Subequatorial Africa is traditionally considered to be the site of the best cocoa beans. The trees can produce fruit all year round due to the hot climate, but harvesting usually occurs during the rainy season and lasts for several months. Collecting fruits from a tree is associated with certain difficulties, since cocoa trees are fragile and can be easily damaged. First, the fruits are cut from the lower branches using a sharp knife or machete, after which the harvest is removed from the branches located above.

The storage duration of cocoa fruits is only 5 days, so it is important to extract them as quickly as possible. The peel is removed using a sharp machete, by extracting the core and leaving it to dry on large banana leaves. The shell can then be used as soil fertiliser or livestock feed.

The extracted cocoa beans have a bitter aftertaste and a soft and watery structure, in no way reminiscent of the classic chocolate known to the consumer. For the beans to acquire their characteristic taste and aroma, the harvest must undergo fermentation. During this process, physical, chemical, and biochemical changes occur that transform cocoa beans into raw materials suitable for making chocolate.

Fermentation can last from three to seven days, its duration depends on several factors: the variety of tree, amount of pulp, and environmental conditions. By the beginning of the third day, cocoa has the smell of alcohol or vinegar, and the temperature of the fruit can rise to 47-57°C. The end of fermentation is indicated by a stable temperature of the beans and a brown tint. After fermentation has been completed, the cocoa beans are dried under the sun.

To ensure that the beans do not lose their properties, storage conditions must be strictly observed.

Due to the high content of cocoa butter, beans can easily absorb environmental odours, so they must be stored and dried in well-ventilated areas. The fruits are also sensitive to humidity levels: linen or jute bags are used for short storage. Cocoa beans are a sensitive product in terms of processing and storage conditions since the slightest violation of technology will certainly affect the taste and aroma of this product. To produce high-quality chocolate, you need the best grades of raw materials collected and processed under specific conditions.

We are suppliers to the largest processors and traders of cocoa beans. Our company has its own units in Africa, which take responsibility for monitoring and improving the quality of cocoa beans supplied from farmers and cooperatives. We pay special attention to this process to ensure that the goods we ship from Africa meet the highest quality standards. Our goal is to provide our customers with a reliable supply of high-quality cocoa that will help them achieve success in the market.

Harvesting cocoa beans

Processing procedure

Fermentation

Storage and transportation

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