Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory Picture Tour

Chocolate is the product of a long, complicated refining process that begins with the bean pods of the Theobroma cacao tree. Scharffen Berger is one of only a few American companies to make their chocolate from whole beans—most buy their chocolate in liquid form, after it has already undergone many of the manufacturing steps. It is easier to buy pre-processed chocolate, since it eliminates several steps and expensive machines, but it makes it difficult to precisely control the final taste of the chocolate. Therefore, companies like Scharffen Berger have started selecting and importing their own beans. This allows for the most control over the taste and texture of the finished product.