CHOCOLATE is well-loved by everyone. From health benefits to mood-boosting properties, it continues to hold a special place in the hearts of many.
While many are aware of the hard work it takes to produce these sweet treats, others are not as well-informed.
From planting cacao to producing chocolates and everything in between, making chocolate involves a great deal of effort.
Adam Lee and Terence Lee, known as the Lee brothers, manage a cacao farm in Tanjong Sepat, Selangor, and explain what goes on behind the chocolate-making process.
CARING FOR A CACAO TREE
The Lee brothers are more than familiar with planting cacao trees, having grown up assisting their father on his cacao farm.
"Around the 70s and 80s, Malaysia was the third largest exporter of cocoa," said Adam.
However, palm oil eventually emerged as a more profitable pursuit, resulting in many cacao farms being converted into palm oil plantations.
But with a greater understanding of the proper way to cultivate cacao trees, many farms today have reverted to planting cacao once again.
Having said that, cacao trees are not easy to maintain.
"We plant from the seeds. In around six months, we graft them," said Adam.
Grafting helps speed up the process for a cacao tree to bear cocoa pods.
It usually takes three years for a cacao tree to bear fruit, but with grafting in place, the cocoa pods could be ready within one or two years.
"We also have to prune the trees every two to three months to ensure ventilation. Without proper ventilation, there will be diseases like fungus," said Adam.
In the event of a fungal infection, Adam says the only resort is to burn the trees.
Besides the threat of plant diseases, there are also animals like squirrels and insects that feed on cocoa pods, leaving the farmers with spoiled pods.
HARVESTING
During the in-season, cocoa pods are harvested every week.
Back in the day, the Lee brothers would twist the cocoa pods open with their bare hands, ultimately damaging the tree.
They now use a proper tool to remove the cocoa pods without hurting the tree, allowing it to continuously bear fruit.
"Then, we remove the seeds for fermentation and sun-drying," explained Adam, emphasising that fermentation is the most important process.
After fermentation, the cacao beans are dried at a sauna house, an advancement of how cacao beans were dried during the Lee brothers' childhood.
Adam recalled that they used to dry the beans under the sun, which was tedious due to rain as well as the need to move the beans indoors at night.
Once the drying is done, the cocoa beans are ready for greater things at the chocolate factory.