When people think of a chocolate factory chances are that most immediately conjure that whimsical place inhabited by Willy Wonka and a steadfast crew of Oompa Loompas. And while the reality is far less enchanting, the truth remains that the modern chocolate factory turns out its own form of magic as it labors to bring the gift of chocolate to the masses.
The statistics say it all; it is estimated that chocolate consumption reaches over 3.3 billion pounds a year in the United States alone. To keep pace with this constant demand, the chocolate factory of today utilizes an intricate system to deliver a variety of chocolate treats to consumers in record time.
The process of chocolate making in todays chocolate factory has remained much the same as it did when mechanical chocolate production made its debut during the Industrial Revolution. It begins with the cocoa seeds which are carefully sorted through to discard imperfections. This is normally a process done by hand one of few hand-done processes still done in the chocolate factory and one that culminates in the separation of each particular seed into type and country from which it originated. From there, the...