The diagram illustrates the process of producing chocolate, from growing cacao trees to manufacturing liquid chocolate.
Overall, chocolate production is a linear, multi-stage process consisting of agricultural, preparation, and industrial stages. It begins with the cultivation of cacao trees and ends with the production of liquid chocolate after several processing steps.
Initially, cacao trees are grown in tropical regions such as South America, Africa, and Indonesia. Once the trees mature, ripe red pods are harvested and split open to extract the white cocoa beans. These beans are then fermented before being spread out in the sun to dry thoroughly.
After drying, the beans are packed into large sacks and transported by train or lorry to a factory for further processing. At the factory, the beans are roasted at high temperatures, after which the outer shells are removed. The inner part, known as the nib, is then crushed and pressed, producing liquid chocolate as the final product.