from Bean
to bar
Discover the complete process of manufacturing in Bean to Bar of our chocolate factory MENAKAO, located in Ambohidratimo in the suburbs of Antananarivo.
step 0/13
Plantations
We work with 5 partner plantations for our annual cocoa needs. 4 small family farms, respectful of the environment, producing organic cocoa but without certification, and one family company, whose premium cocoa is certified organic.
Working directly with plantations allows us to control the traceability and quality of the cocoa, and to avoid any intermediary.
More than 100 people benefit directly from these partnerships.
step 1/13
HARVESTING AND SHELLING
The ripe pods are harvested and transported to the shelling area. They are then cut in half to separate the interior (which contains a part of mucilage and cocoa beans) and the shell, all manually.
step 2/13
Fermentation
The cocoa beans and the mucilage are put in fermentation. The partner planters ensure a fermentation process of 5 to 6 days, following the rules and ancestral methods. The temperature in the tanks varies from 29°C/30°C to 49°C/50°C at the end of the process. Fermentation and regular stirring generate this heat. This step is essential for the development of the cocoa's aromas.
step 3/13
Drying
The beans are then sun-dried on the ground in the drying area. The beans can easily be moved under cover during the night and during rainy periods to avoid humidity.
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Sorting
A first sorting is made by the plantations, in order to eliminate any impurity and beans with big defects. The beans are then put in 65kg burlap bags.
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Shipping
The cocoa is shipped by truck from Ambanja to our factory near Antananarivo; the trip takes about 48 hours.
Most of the cocoa produced in Madagascar is for export. Less than 5% is processed on the island.
step 6/13
Quality control of the raw material
Upon receipt, the beans are checked for conformity. They undergo a new manual sorting to remove all impurities.
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Roasting
Another essential step in the production process, since roasting allows the development of the precursor aromas of cocoa. We use a gas roaster which respects the beans better than the new generation infrared roasters.
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Crushing
Once the beans have cooled, they are crushed into small pieces. The result of this crushing is called cocoa nibs.
A part of the cocoa nibs is used to produce cocoa butter, extracted in the press, which we introduce in our recipes.
step 9/13
Grinding and refining
The cocoa nibs obtained are then refined in roller mills in order to reduce the fineness of the particles to a size that is imperceptible to the palate, thus improving the texture of the chocolate.
At the end of the grinding process, a thick and fragrant cocoa paste is obtained, called "cocoa mass".
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Conching
The different ingredients (including sugar) are mixed in a conche which kneads, refines and heats the ingredients for several hours until a paste with a beautiful silky sheen and a homogeneous structure is obtained, our Chocolate.
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Tempering
Tempering consists in carrying out a crystallization thanks to a set of temperatures, which will bring the bright aspect and the behaviour of the chocolate. It is a major step in the production of a bar.
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Molding
The liquid chocolate is molded into bars or pistoles (for the professional range). It then goes through a refrigerated tunnel, an operation that will harden the chocolate.
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Packaging
The last step is packaging: after being removed from the moulds, the chocolates are packed in a flowpackwhich guarantees thermal and humidity protection. Finally, the chocolates are put into boxes, which is done manually in our factory.
Discover our chocolates