Theobroma cacao (cocoa). The process for making chocolate is
1) Harvest the pods and scoop out the pulp covered beans
2) Bacterial fermentation over 2-5 days breaks down the pulp so it’s easy to remove and warms the beans accelerating chemical changes inside
3) Slow drying in the sun or a dryer over 1-2 weeks followed by roasting at around 250 degrees f for 30 minutes to 2 hours reduces the moisture content and determines the darkness/flavor/strength (much like coffee roasting)
4) Winnowing is the process of breaking open the seeds and removing the husk to leave the cocoa nib.
5) The Cocoa nibs are crushed and warmed to form cocoa liquor (pure unsweetened chocolate) which is then combined with other ingredients to make milk chocolate, sweetened chocolate etc.