This Is Where Chocolate Begins

Before chocolate reaches our lab in Porto, it goes through a long and fascinating journey. What we work with isn’t just an ingredient — it’s the result of careful cultivation, time, and craftsmanship at origin.

Understanding this process is key to understanding flavor.

1. Plantation

Everything starts with the cacao tree. Grown in tropical regions around the world, cacao thrives in humid climates close to the equator.

Each origin has its own soil, climate, and biodiversity — factors that will later define the flavor of the chocolate. Just like wine, cacao expresses its terroir.

2. Harvest

Cacao pods are harvested by hand when they reach full ripeness. Inside each pod are cacao beans surrounded by a white, sweet pulp.

Timing is crucial here. Harvest too early or too late, and the flavor potential is compromised.

3. Fermentation

This is where flavor truly begins.

After harvest, the beans and pulp are placed in boxes or piled under banana leaves to ferment for several days. During this process, natural yeasts and bacteria break down the pulp and trigger chemical changes inside the beans.

Fermentation develops the precursors of chocolate flavor — without it, chocolate wouldn’t taste like chocolate.

4. Drying

Once fermentation is complete, the beans are spread out to dry under the sun.

Drying reduces moisture and stabilizes the beans for transport. It also continues to shape flavor, depending on how slowly and carefully it’s done.

5. Sorting & Transport

Before leaving origin, the beans are sorted to remove defects and ensure quality.

Only then do they begin their journey to makers like us.

Origin Defines Flavor

At GLAD, our 70% dark chocolate bars come from carefully selected origins: Ecuador, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and Madagascar.

Each one carries a unique flavor profile shaped by everything you’ve just read — from soil and climate to fermentation and drying practices.

This is why chocolate can taste fruity, nutty, floral, or deeply intense — even at the same percentage.

What Happens Next?

Once cacao arrives at our lab in Porto, a new phase begins.

Roasting, cracking, grinding, refining — this is where we transform cacao into chocolate.

But that’s a story for the next post.