Chocolate production begins with the harvesting of cocoa beans from the cacao tree. Farmers collect ripe pods, split them open, and extract the beans, which are then fermented for several days. This fermentation process develops the beans' flavor and is followed by drying, roasting, and grinding them into a paste called chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor can be further processed to separate cocoa solids from cocoa butter. These ingredients are then blended with sugar, milk, and other flavorings to create various types of chocolate, such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Finally, the mixture is tempered, molded, and cooled to produce the finished chocolate products.