On Aug 21, 3:04*pm, Farrel > wrote:
> A few years ago I and my family enthusiastically signed up for a tour
> of a "chocolate factory." I was expecting to see roasted cocoa beans
> on one side of the factory and chocolate on the other. Instead I saw
> that the factory started with 5 kg or 10 kg slabs of chocolate
> purchased from chocolate wholesalers. Slabs were tossed into a giant
> cauldron of molten chocolate in the middle of the factory. Molten
> chocolate was then taken from there to make a huge variety of
> chocolate candies some of which were specifically designed for the
> local market.
>
> I told the owner of my surprise about not seeing chocolate being made.
> He explained that there were only about 12 chocolate makers in the
> whole world. Companies such as Hershey, Cadbury, Nestle, Mars and
> Ghirardelli fit into that category. However, companies such as Godiva,
> Sees and thousands of others make chocolate products but do not make
> chocolate itself.
>
> I thought the readers of this group would be interested in this
> knowledge. Can those of you in the know confirm it?
>
> Which other companies make chocolate as opposed to create and market
> chocolate products?
>
> So if one is a chocoholic who enjoys all chocolate products but
> particularly likes plain, neat unadulterated chocolate, wouldn't one
> only buy chocolate bars from the chocolate makers.
>
> By the way the the factory I visited was Sherm Edwards Candies in
> Trafford, PA. The tour was lots of fun and the owner was friendly and
> enthusiastic.
>
> Where does one go to tour a chocolate factory that makes chocolate. A
> few years ago we went to Hershey, PA but that factory tour was not a
> factory tour instead it was a simulated factory a la Disney style -
> nice, very nice but not the real deal.

www.roguechocolates.com was on martha stewart...he buys the cacao
beans and makes his own chocolate all thru the whole process...and he
makes his own machines to make the chocolate...guy is a wizzard...just
genius...no wonder martha is smitten with this kid...it is a difficult
process and if you go look at this, you will see...also, if you go to
the "chocolate alchemy" guy...he will help you do it yourself at
home...let me go get the proper addy's for these two....okay, the guy
is here in the states http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/ and i hope to
learn how to make chocolate this way, too...