Glossary

This term is used to describe one business where growing, pod and bean processing, chocolate making and distribution all happen under the same management. Every part of the production process is handled by one company, from growing the cocoa through fermentation & drying, to making the chocolate and distributing the final bars. This is by default bean-to-bar, with the additional challenge of producing well-fermented beans. It is possible to be tree-to-bar while being based in the UK, but you would need to own both the farm and the chocolate-making and not outsource any part of the production process. 

A company that sources cocoa beans and turns them into chocolate, controlling all stages of the manufacturing process from the bean to the finished product without subcontracting any stage of the process. A key element of craft chocolate is the aim to identify and fully develop the unique flavours inherent in the beans. Craft chocolate does not involve the addition of ultra-processed additives or artificial flavourings

For the association, we define a bean-to-bar craft chocolate company as a chocolate maker who roasts the beans whole, crafts the natural flavours of cocoa from bean-to-bar and is committed to preserving the personality of each cocoa origin (a result of the genetics, terroir and post-harvest practices). They honour the work of the producers through their crafting processes to develop the flavour potential to its full through all stages of the process. They source beans from growing and trading communities who share their passion for flavour and transparency. 

The bean-to-bar chocolate maker does not just follow a recipe or process, but they also have a commitment based on the following core values: transparency, fair trade, respect for producers and the environment, sustainability and quality. Used interchangeably with craft chocolate. 

It is important to note that neither the term “bean-to-bar” or “craft chocolate” are protected, so the definition as identified by the association and applied by its members is also at risk of being distorted to suit a “Big Chocolate” manufacturer's agenda to present a false “craft” perception. The consumer should therefore be aware of this risk when making their choices.

As the name suggests, this refers to a maker who sources nibs and turns them into chocolate, controlling the remaining parts of the production process.  This type of maker does not necessarily have visibility, understanding or control of the processes before the receipt of the nibs (see roasting definitions). It may still be fully traceable back to the farm level. Various industrial processes may be used in the production of the nibs, including, for example, "nib roasting", where the shells are removed before roasting.  Nib roasting can dramatically reduce the control over flavour that a maker can craft from these beans.

Cocoa mass (also known as liquor) is a partially processed product, unsweetened nibs are ground to a smooth paste before being transported to the company that will finish processing it into chocolate. As with nib-to-bar chocolate, the origin of the beans may be fully traceable, but this may also not be the case. The maker will have limited or no influence on the processes which have been utilised to get to the cocoa mass stage, hence various industrial processes may have been used, which could have dramatically reduced the flavour potential available to the maker for the production of their final product.

Roasting happens to whole beans with the shell still on. Roasting supports the development of flavour, kills any pathogens present on the skin of the beans, and assists in loosening the skin from the nib.

This means that the maker utilises unroasted cocoa beans directly in their chocolate production.  It should be noted that unroasted does not mean raw, as the beans, when fermented at origin, pass the raw temperature in that process, commonly accepted as 42 degrees Celsius.

The two terms are interchangeable; cacao is the original Spanish form, and cocoa is the English translation. Within the industry, often cacao is used to describe the tree and initial processing, and it changes to cocoa during the transportation of the beans, however, there is no formally recognised definition.

From a craft chocolate maker's perspective, transparency refers to the openness of a chocolate maker's supply chain, including how the cocoa is sourced and how the chocolate is made. Transparency is important because it helps consumers make ethical choices and gain an understanding of how the ingredients are sourced and the processes with which the chocolate is made. Key areas for transparency relate to child labour, environmental practices, farm gate prices, as well as seeking attainment of appropriate sustainable development goals. Such sustainable development might be achieved via long-term contracts being paid to farmers and co-ops, and price guarantees which incentivise the farmers to want to grow the finest beans and maintain cocoa production as opposed to alternative crops, which might have a greater impact on the environment or community. A key differentiator between craft chocolate and Big Chocolate is the craft chocolate maker's willingness to communicate the transparency of their process and the sourcing of the beans they craft into their chocolate.  This compares to Big Chocolate, which by its nature and scale is not able to partition production according to origin due to the need to produce in such volumes and mix origins.  This has resulted in the European Chocolate Association (ECA) securing an exemption to the requirement to identify the origin of the cacao used.

Broadly speaking, the place where the cacao in a bar has been grown. Can refer to the country, region or farm/cooperative. Craft bean-to-bar chocolate makers will generally give detailed information about the origin of their cacao beyond the country of origin, down to the farm or cooperative and region.

A person who works with cocoa beans to craft natural flavours of the cocoa from bean-to-bar, sourcing cacao from growing and trading communities who share their passion for flavour and transparency. The maker ensures the quality and best flavour (defined as a combination of balance, complexity and distinctiveness) are being extracted from the beans and into the chocolate.

A person or company who works with chocolate (generally known as couverture) that they have bought in from another company (can be either industrial or craft bean-to-bar chocolate) to create confections, bonbons and bars. Sometimes a chocolatier may also identify themselves as a “chocolate maker”, hence the consumer should therefore be aware of the potential for confusion when making their choices, noting that a Craft Chocolate Maker's products will declare other key identifiers as discussed elsewhere.

“Big Chocolate” is a term used to describe multinational chocolate producers who are collectively responsible for producing the vast majority of chocolate globally. The chocolate produced by “Big Chocolate” is characterised by its aim to produce a consistent product with no variations in flavour, generally in as cheap a way as possible. The aim may result in significantly reduced cocoa percentages utilised in the product, over-roasting to achieve a consistent flavour profile when utilising bulk beans from different origins, and the use of cheaper substitutes for cocoa butter, such as vegetable fat or polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR). To achieve such a cheap commodity product, “big chocolate” is more likely to be less selective in its acceptance of cocoa, which has been produced less ethically or sustainably, which has a higher impact on the environment.

There is no single, universally agreed-upon definition for ultra-processed foods/additives; however, the NOVA classification (Group 4) talks about food which contains “formulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, typically created by a series of industrial techniques and processes”. Such industrial processes include hydrogenation, hydrolysis, extrusion, and pre-processing via baking and frying, where this type of processing cannot be done at home.

Some have also defined ultra-processed foods as foods which contain ingredients that you might not find in your kitchen cupboard (for example, types of additives or emulsifiers or stabilisers). In terms of ingredients added to mass-produced, not-craft chocolate, these include palm oil, trans-fats, hydrogenated fats, invert sugar, maltodextrin, insoluble fibre, PGPR, modified starches. It should be noted that the emulsifier sunflower lecithin (unlike soya lecithin) is not an ultra-processed food as it is derived from cold-pressed seed, with no chemical solvents used.

These are defined as any substance, the function of which is to impart flavour which is not derived from natural things. Examples you may see in mass chocolate are "essences", which are not derived from the implied natural thing, but synthetically, as opposed to “extracts”, which are derived from the natural ingredient through a process of extraction.

Direct trade refers to a sourcing model where a maker buys directly from the bean producers rather than through intermediaries. This approach aims to establish mutually beneficial, transparent relationships with producers and ensure a more equitable distribution of benefits. While there's no single, universally accepted definition, it generally involves higher quality products, direct payment to producers, and a focus on building long-term, sustainable relationships.

Bean sorting is the first stage of the bean-to-bar chocolate production.  Removal of any defective beans (for example, flat, stuck together, damaged) and foreign bodies (for example, stones, pieces of string, wood) is a key part of ensuring the best quality beans are used in the production of the chocolate.

Roasting of the cocoa beans allows the maker to develop flavour nuances that they wish to emphasise.  This is achieved by tailoring the temperature profile and duration of the roast, and can take several attempts to achieve the desired result.  Roasting also has a benefit in killing any pathogens which may be present on the skin of the beans, loosening the skins before cracking and winnowing, and driving off any residual moisture. Different makers utilise different equipment to roast their beans, including converted coffee roasters, flat bed roasting, or small rotating ovens to create their signature roast style. 

Roasting the whole bean allows for better flavour development. Some industrial processors will roast the nibs to allow for faster workflow, however, this is detrimental to flavour development.

Once the beans have been roasted, they are allowed to cool and then broken/cracked.  This process takes the whole roasted beans and breaks them into a mixture of the nibs (small chunks of the inside of the bean) and the shell.

Winnowing is the process by which the nibs are separated from the papery shell. Winnowing uses air to blow or suck away the light shell from the mix, leaving the heavy nibs to fall through the machine which are then collected at the base.

Some makers use a pre-grinder to start breaking down the nibs before they are fed into a melanger or ball mill. This process starts to release acetic acid and breaks down the nibs into smaller pieces, which reduces the overall grind time.

A melanger uses stone wheels that rotate against a base stone to progressively grind the nibs to the maker's desired particle size. Melangers range in capacity from 1kg to the 100s. They can be used as the main machine for refining, conching and grinding the nibs. You can also add the sugar and other ingredients into the melanger. The maker will monitor the chocolate throughout the grind (which can take between 24 and 72 hours or more), tasting for the dissipation of any unwanted volatiles, as well as the particle size, which is key to achieving the desired mouth feel.

As an alternative to using a melanger, a roll refiner can be used. Roll refining offers a quicker method of achieving the desired particle size than with a melanger, but it is higher priced and requires separate conching. Giant rollers take the chocolate liquor through and refine the particle size down to the desired level. They do not generally affect the flavour. As with the melanger, under refining will result in a grainy mouth feel, whereas if over-refined to too small a particle size, the chocolate feels claggy in your mouth.

A ball mill is another alternative way to refine the particle size of the chocolate. This technique uses a bed of metal or ceramic balls, which are circulated with cocoa nibs or paste, rapidly breaking down the particle size of the chocolate.

A little like kneading dough, this process beats air into the chocolate or liquor to develop the flavours and drive off unwanted volatiles. You can conche anywhere from 20 minutes to a whole week, and the changes to the taste and flavours can be truly fascinating.

A cocoa bean is made up of around 40 - 50% fat, also known as cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is utilised by makers to achieve the desired viscosity of the chocolate, or mouth feel. It also forms the basis of white chocolate. The cocoa press extracts the fat from the solids. It can be done with liquor or nib. After extraction, the cocoa butter may be used in its natural form to make the most of its flavour, or deodorised.

This is the cocoa solid left after pressing, milled into powder form, and can be Dutched or Natural. Dutched cocoa powder starts with cocoa beans that have been washed in an alkaline solution of potassium carbonate. This wash neutralises their acidity. So, dutch-process cocoa powder is neutral. Alkalizing cocoa makes it darker in colour, mellow in flavour, and dissolves easily into liquids. Natural cocoa is just that, natural powder from roasted cocoa beans. It’s acidic and bitter, with a very strong and concentrated chocolate flavour.

Tempering is the controlled process of heating the chocolate to a specific temperature and then cooling it to form the desired crystal structure form 5 within the chocolate that, when cooled, results in a clean snap and shiny finish, which characterises well-tempered chocolate. Tempering can be done by hand or by using a tempering machine that both tempers the chocolate and keeps it in temper for the chocolatier/chocolate maker to work with. Due to its nature, it is possible to retemper chocolate to allow re-moulding.