Cocoa beans – The most important ingredient in good chocolate

Many people think that the taste of chocolate depends mainly on the cocoa content or the recipe. In my opinion, however, truly good chocolate begins much earlier – namely with the cocoa bean.

That's precisely why we at Neuhausschoggi place so much importance on the selection of our beans.

As a Swiss bean-to-bar manufacturer in the Sense district, we process the cocoa ourselves – from roasting and cracking to shelling and grinding in the melangeur over several days. This allows us to get to know each bean and bring out its natural aromas in the best possible way.

For us, one thing is certain:

High-quality chocolate can only be made from high-quality cocoa beans.

Not all cocoa beans are the same.

getrocknete Kakaobohnen

Just like with wine or coffee, there are different varieties of cocoa.

Each one brings its own character and provides very different flavor notes.

The most well-known varieties are Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario.

Criollo – The king of cocoa beans

Kakaofrüchte

Criollo is considered the finest and rarest cocoa variety in the world.

It is only cultivated in small quantities and is significantly more sensitive than other varieties.

Criollo grapes impress with their delicate aromas, often reminiscent of fruits, nuts, honey, or flowers. At the same time, they contain fewer bitter substances and have a particularly elegant appearance.

No wonder, then, that

These beans are primarily used for exclusive chocolates.

Forastero – The mass-produced bean

The situation is quite different with Forastero. This variety makes up the largest part of the world's cocoa harvest and is most commonly used by the chocolate industry.

The reason is simple: the trees are more robust, produce higher yields and are more economical to cultivate.

However, this doesn't automatically mean that Forastero is inferior. Excellent chocolate can also be made from it – provided the beans are of high quality and carefully processed.

Unfortunately, for many industrial products, the focus is on the cheapest possible production. Large quantities of different beans are often mixed and roasted more intensely to ensure a consistent taste. This results in the loss of many of the delicate natural aromas.

Trinitario – The perfect blend

Trinitario originated from a cross between Criollo and Forastero.

This variety combines the robustness of the Forastero with the delicate aromas of the Criollo. Depending on its origin, chocolate made from this grape can taste fruity, spicy, caramel-like, or slightly nutty.

Many bean-to-bar manufacturers therefore particularly like to work with selected Trinitario beans.

What really matters to us

In recent years, research has shown that there are actually many more cocoa varieties. Therefore, when selecting our beans, we don't just look at the variety name.

Much more important to us are questions like:

• Where was the cocoa grown?

• Were only ripe fruits harvested?

• Was the cocoa fermented properly?

• Was it dried slowly and gently?

• Is the origin traceable?

Because this is precisely where it is decided whether a bean can later become an exceptional chocolate.

Why we only process high-quality cocoa

We don't simply buy our beans based on the lowest price.

It is important to us that the cocoa has been cultivated and processed with care and that we know its origin. Only in this way can we produce chocolate that reflects its natural character.

Each bean is gently roasted and then refined into chocolate through several processing steps. In doing so, we don't try to alter the taste, but rather to highlight the aromas already present in the bean.

That's exactly what Bean-to-Bar means to us.

Good chocolate takes time.

High-quality chocolate isn't made in just a few hours. The grinding process alone in our melangeur takes several days.

We consciously invest this time.

Because it ensures that the aromas develop optimally and that the chocolate retains its fine, melt-in-your-mouth consistency.

This isn't mass production – but that's precisely what makes our chocolate special.

Our conclusion

Every cocoa bean tells its own story.

Therefore, for us, the production of good chocolate does not begin in the manufacturing process, but rather with the selection of the raw cocoa.

We consciously use high-quality cocoa beans and process them with plenty of time, care and passion to create Swiss bean-to-bar chocolate.

Because we are convinced: You can taste the difference.