cacao has been a spiritual symbol for
indigenous people across central america
for millennia
but as the modern chocolate industry
grew the plant's ritual use was nearly
forgotten
any cracked or moldy beans are not up to
standard
she toasts them by hand in small batches
burnt cacao tastes too similar to coffee
but toasting it just the right amount
brings out the flavor and makes it
easier to peel
just up the road workers at lavalov's
factory inspect the beans again
and remove any remaining shells
from there the beans go to a facility
where machines grind them into a paste
workers scoop one pound of cacao into
each mold
[Music]
once the liquid solidifies workers
package up the blocks
they sell these across the world through
local ambassadors
so people can make their own cacao drink
at home