Once harvested, the beans undergo fermentation, during which they begin to develop their characteristic brown color. Then the beans are dried and shipped to the U.S. and other chocolate manufacturing countries, where chocolate manufacturers clean and roast the beans. Chocolate liquor can be processed into cocoa powder by pressing most of the cocoa butter out of the chocolate liquor. Dutched cocoa powder is natural cocoa powder with the acidity neutralized. It has a darker color and different flavor.
Cocoa butter is the natural fat of the cocoa bean.
It has a delicate chocolate aroma, but is very bitter tasting. It is used to give body, smoothness, and flavor to eating chocolate. Or the liquor can be poured into molds, cooled and hardened to become unsweetened, or baking, chocolate. The higher the cocoa butter content, the thinner the viscosity of the end chocolate product. The majority of chocolates made in Europe have a higher cocoa butter content than those made in the U.S. Chocolate liquor plus cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla flavoring are processed to produce dark, flavorful chocolate.