What is Bean to Bar chocolate?

What is Bean to Bar chocolate?

Do you want to know more about your chocolate? Discover the concepts of Bean to Bar

If, like us, you want to know the origin of your chocolates and understand their manufacturing process. This is particularly crucial when it comes to chocolate. Let us remind you that this is why we are dedicated to producing Bean to Bar chocolate.

The chocolate industry faces various challenges, including fair wages and working conditions for farmers, environmental impact, and variations in cocoa quality, to name a few.

The "Bean to Bar" chocolate making method means that the chocolatier oversees every step of the production process. They ensure that ethics, sustainability, and the quality of the final product are respected, without forgetting the taste.

It's an excellent way for chocolatiers to take responsibility for every aspect of their business. Moreover, it is beneficial for consumers, as they can better understand the chocolate-making process.

Bean to Bar chocolate

There are several definitions of Bean to Bar chocolate. Here's the general information you need to know about the term.

Technically, every chocolate product is "Bean to Bar" (meaning it starts with a cocoa bean!). However, chocolatiers use this term to refer to a specific method of chocolate making.

There is no official definition of the term Bean to Bar. This means you will need to examine each Bean to Bar chocolate brand's interpretation to understand what it truly means for their practices.

Here's how we define Bean to Bar chocolate at Amango Cacao...

Every step of the process

It's often a closely guarded secret, but some chocolatiers do not participate in the entire chocolate-making process. However, a product explicitly labeled "Bean to Bar" indicates that the chocolatier has been directly involved in overseeing every step of the creation process.

From sourcing raw cocoa beans to packaging the finished chocolate bar, they are responsible for everything. From selecting cocoa plantations to collaborating with growers, grinding, roasting, and refining the beans, Bean to Bar chocolatiers are literally on the ground.

Outsourcing in the cocoa industry

When talking about Bean to Bar, it is useful to distinguish between in-house and outsourced production.

Many steps can be outsourced in chocolate production: some chocolatiers even buy ready-made chocolate from other manufacturers and melt it down to create their own branded products (though they don't like to disclose it).

Bean to Bar chocolate requires a greater commitment. It's always easy to cut corners, but where's the passion in that? When you buy Bean to Bar chocolate, you know that every delicious bite has benefited from care, attention, and expertise.

If a chocolatier operates on a Bean to Bar model, it's a sign that they care about the quality and sustainability of their products, as well as transparency with their customers.

With Bean to Bar chocolate, every step, every process, and every source are documented and traceable. Production practices and the well-being of employees and producers are at the heart of these chocolate companies, which helps ensure a high level of quality in all respects.

At Amango Cacao, we always work in a way that respects the principles of our committed ethics program and our cocoa sustainability charter:

Know our farmers.
Prosperity (increasing income, providing educational opportunities).
Community (supporting the health and education of our farming communities).
Environment (ensuring zero deforestation while encouraging biodiversity and tree planting)...

Join us!