What is Bean to Bar chocolate?

'Bean to Bar' chocolate is an approach in which chocolate producers fully control the chocolate production process, starting from the cocoa bean.
Chocolate producers themselves choose the origin of the cocoa beans and process the beans themselves. They determine the flavor and character of chocolate by controlling steps such as roasting, grinding, crushing and tempering of cocoa.
Production is usually done on a small scale and requires manual labor. Attention is paid to details at every stage of production.
'Bean to Bar' chocolate producers produce chocolates with different flavor profiles using cocoa beans with varying characteristics and profiles.
They care about the source of the cocoa bean, the production process and sustainability practices, and support supply chain transparency and ethical practices.
'Bean to Bar' chocolate makers are always on the hunt for authentic cocoa beans. Every new cocoa bean is a new discovery.
.

The Journey That Started in Cocoa Farms

  • COCOA TREE

    Bean to Bar chocolate culture begins on the branches of the cocoa tree, with clean and sustainable products touched by human hands all over the world. The cocoa tree grows in a tropical climate between latitudes +/- 20 north and south of the equator. The fruit of the cocoa tree is the cocoa pod. Cocoa beans inside cocoa pods has. So actually cocoa bean is the seed of a fruit.

  • HARVEST

    Ripening cocoa pods are harvested twice a year. Each cocoa pod is hand-picked from the tree. The collected cocoa pods are opened and the cocoa beans inside the cocoa fruit are removed. At this stage, cocoa beans are covered with a white, sweet and slippery essence. This sap will flow and evaporate during fermentation.

  • FERMENTATION

    The collected cocoa beans are fermented in large wooden vats. The crates are covered with banana tree leaves to reach the required temperature during fermentation. The white and light purple colors of cocoa beans turn into brown tones. When mixed regularly, the cocoa flavor and the unique initial flavors of the bean develop. It takes 5 to 7 days for the cocoa beans to complete the fermentation process and be ready for the next step.

  • DRYING

    Cocoa beans whose fermentation process has been completed have a moisture content of 50%-60%. Cocoa beans are dried in the sun in a controlled manner for 4 to 8 days to reduce the moisture content to 6-8%. The drying process is done to increase the durability of cocoa beans and ensure that they can be stored for a long time.

  • TRANSPORT

    After the drying process, cocoa beans are pre-screened and placed in sacks. Sacks protect cocoa beans and provide ease of storage and transportation. Cocoa beans arrive from the homeland of cocoa to our production workshop in Ortaköy, Istanbul, first by ship and then by truck.

  • SELECTION OF COCOA BEANS

    We research various cocoa beans and chocolate varieties from around the world. We taste. We choose the original, special and best cocoa beans that we like and excite us.

  • SORTING

    After the cocoa beans that we have decided to produce reach our workshop, the cocoa beans that are not suitable for chocolate making (not fermented enough, broken, cracked, and trash, etc.) are sorted. And definitely, definitely taste the cocoa beans!

  • ROASTING

    The roasting process enables the unique flavor and aroma profiles of cocoa beans to be revealed. At Peraru chocolate, the roasting profile is decided after a long R&D process.

  • CRUSHING / SEPARATION

    Cocoa beans consist of cocoa nibs and shells. Roasted cocoa beans are crushed into pieces by passing through a crushing machine and the shell of the cocoa bean is separated. Using a machine powered by air flow, cocoa pods are removed from cocoa nibs. Cocoa nibs are used to make chocolate, and shells are used for cocoa tea. Zero waste!

  • MELANGER; CRUSHING/ GRINDING/ ADDING SUGAR

    Melanger is originally a stone mill. First, cocoa beans and then sugar are thrown into the melangeer. Melangerine contains granite stones, cocoa particles and
    crushing sugar; makes it smooth, shiny and intense. It takes time for the two ingredients to transform into chocolate. This stage lasts 2-3 days.

  • MATURATION

    The still warm chocolate liquor is poured into couverture moulds. After it solidifies, the blocks are removed from the couverture molds and packaged in an airtight manner. The chocolate matures in blocks on the shelves of our production workshop between 2 and 4 weeks. This is the time it takes for the molecules to find their place and for the chocolate flavors to emerge and settle.

  • TEMPERING

    Chocolate blocks are melted by heating to 50 degrees, and the fat molecules inside are loosened. By lowering the temperature to 28-29 degrees, the oil crystals are locked, tempering takes place, and by bringing the temperature back to 31 degrees, the chocolate becomes fluid and poured into the tablet. Tempering results in a glossy PERARU chocolate tablet, which you hear the sound of 'KIT' when you break it, and whose aromas are enriched!

  • PACKAGING

    Each PERARU chocolate tablet is packaged in a lockable packaging. This is the best way to preserve the taste and aroma of chocolate, in locked packaging. Always fresh, powerfully flavored chocolates!

  • BEAN TO BAR EXPERIENCE

    A unique taste experience awaits you with PERARU chocolate. Taste it!