The diagram shows a series of stages involved in chocolate production.
Overall, the process is relatively time-consuming as well as labour-intensive, consisting of 10 distinct stages, from cultivation of cacao tree to obtaining chocolate liquor.
Cacao trees are predominantly grown in the higher latitudes of South America, Africa and Indonesia.
The trees bear fruits resembling pods, which turn red once ripe. These are harvested manually and opened in order to extract white cocoa beans. After collecting the beans, they go through a process termed as fermentation. Once the fermentation process is over, the beans are spread in the sun to release moisture. Afterwards, they are placed in large sacks to be transported to a factory. Upon arrival at the factory,the beans are subjected to extreme heat in a special oven, where temperature reaches up to 350 celsius degrees. Over the course of the following stage, the beans are placed in a crusher; a machine removes the outer shell and grinds the beans. Finally, the inner part is pressed and liquid chocolate is produced.