How is chocolate made?

Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), which are commonly called cacao beans. The process begins with harvesting cacao pods, fermenting and drying the beans, and then roasting them to develop flavour. The roasted beans are cracked open to remove the shells, leaving the nibs, which are ground into a paste called cocoa mass. This paste is combined with sugar, milk (for milk chocolate), and other ingredients, then refined and tempered to achieve a smooth texture. The final product is moulded into bars or other shapes. Cacao trees grow in tropical regions, with major producers including Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Indonesia.