1
Sourcing Beans
The Aggie Chocolate Factory sources its cacao internationally. Beans are pulled out of cacao pods, fermented, and dried before being shipped directly to Logan, Utah.
2
Sorting and Roasting Beans
The beans are then hand-sorted to separate out inedible items and unusable beans. Good beans are placed in the roasting machine and the rest are used for research.
3
Winnowing
After the beans are roasted, they are placed in the winnowing machine, which separates the shell from the beans. They are crunched into cocoa nibs, ready for pre-grinding.
4
Conching
The finely-ground cocoa nibs are then placed into the melanger machine, where they are mixed into liquid and refined. Sugar is added at this point to sweeten the chocolate.
5
Blocking and Tempering
The chocolate is then set in blocks to age, which improves the flavor. Tempering melts the blocks down to make it smooth, silky, and glossy. This gives the chocolate a clean snap when broken or bitten into.
6
Molding
The chocolate is then poured into molds and placed in the fridge to set. Every chocolate bar is inspected for imperfections. If the bar is not fit for sale, it is placed back into the tempering machine.
7
Packaging
Then the chocolate bars are hand-wrapped and packaged to be ready for sale.
8
In the Hands of the Consumer
The Thistle and Rose Aggie Chocolate bars are enjoyed by the public, as well as used in the pastries sold in the Aggie Chocolate Factory Café.