It all starts at the cacao tree.  The ripe cacao pods are removed by hand from the trunk and heavier branches of the tree.  The pods are then opened carefully with a machete, and the seeds and pulp are removed. The extracted seeds and pulp, called baba, are placed in specially made wooden boxes and covered with banana leaves.  This starts the crucial fermentation process, which takes 7 days to complete.  Fermentation removes some of the natural bitterness of the cacao seed, and in a great part, develops the chocolate flavor.  It takes another 7-10 days to sun-dry the cacao seeds, or beans, after fermentation is complete.  Sun-drying also helps remove more acidity through evaporation.  Then, we have the roasting process, which really brings out the flavors and aromas of this delicious seed.  After roasting only the select beans, they pass through the Winnower, which separates the shell from the husk, by cracking the beans and vacuuming away the shell. The resulting small pieces of chocolate are called nibs. The nibs are ground to a paste, called cocoa liquor, to make unsweetened chocolate, the foundation of any flavor of chocolate we plan to make.  The cocoa liquor is then combined with organic raw cane sugar and refined for 30-40 hours in our stone mill, which creates a silky smooth chocolate.  Finally we temper our chocolate to create a delicious bar or bonbons. Our varieties are 70% dark chocolate, 60% chocolate with coconut milk and 55% milk chocolate with caramel.