Process
The difference between the Eldora way of making chocolate and other bean-to-bar makers is that we do not use a “one size fits all” approach to making chocolate. We assess each Bean, including where it is sourced from, it's moisture, cocoa butter fat content, initial raw flavor, the flavor as it develops, texture. The result is some beans have a shorter roast profile, some longer. Some beans we conche longer, some shorter. In effect, we let the Bean tell us what it needs and what’s best for it. We also notice that most Bean to bar makers over conche their beans. They believe this makes the chocolate liquor very smooth and the single flavor left is the most popular one for that bean. We believe there is an optimal conche time that smooths the liquor but retains many flavors, not just the popular one.
Our Process
We source our cocoa beans from around the world using only sustainable supply chains where the farmer is paid 100% to 300% above the industrialized chocolate makers price.
Our chocolate beans are sourced from 28 countries and over 40 origins.
We only use real ingredients which means no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no lecithins, and no preservatives in every product made and sold by Eldora - no exceptions! And we use only organic, natural, or Fair Trade ingredients.
We consider chocolate food, not candy.
We test every potential cocoa bean by sample to make sure the beans meet or exceed our standard for well fermented, true flavors that are realistic and transparent to tease out. We consider the origin, the type of bean, and it's Terroir to determine how to tease out the flavors. Once we understand this flavor we determine what pairs well with this chocolate, be it inclusions, or just single-origin bars. We make the chocolate match the inclusion, not the other way around.
Our machines used in the chocolate-making process are used to tease out the chocolate's flavors, rather than to maximize efficiency, or lower production costs. Outstanding taste and flavor is always the # 1 goal.
We love to experiment! We are not afraid to fail! We love to test new combinations of flavors and ingredients. Many other bean-to-bar chocolate makers don't make it as a customer-facing product, however, many innovative and amazing products come through this process.
We push to compare our products at the State, National, and World levels.
We set a high bar for excellence for ourselves!