Cocoa Competence

A bar of ritter sport chocolate on a white background
We want to do the right thing to create really good chocolate. And that starts with our high-quality and sustainably grown cocoa. The art of turning this amazing cocoa into our beloved chocolate bars and to never stop inventing new flavours is what makes us special since more than 110 years of cocoa competence.

Cocoa is the source but

PEOPLE MAKE THE CHOCOLATE

Our whole team of chocolate makers is committed to continuously turn the cocoa we source into the best Ritter Sport ever. To combine the right cocoa origins with their different taste profiles with the right ingredients and always come up with new and exciting flavours is a science of itself which we mastered. It often takes months or even years and a lot of testing, refining and optimizing until a perfectly thought through new recipe leaves our chocolate kitchen and enters the production process.

It is all about

THE TASTE

Depending on where the cocoa comes from, the soil it grows in, the care it's been given it tastes different. Just like with wine there are numerous different taste profiles which are combined to create a consistent cocoa taste. But we at Ritter Sport cherish the differences and aim to use single origin cocoa where ever possible and combine it with selected ingredients that support the taste profile. Or you can enjoy it pure like in our Cocoa Selection flavours. In our production we use 10 different chocolate masses.

Cocoa is a real

GLOBETROTTER

We source cocoa from different growing countries. From Latin America and Africa we ship the cocoa to Germany and from there in the form of chocolate into the whole world. Since 2018, we are the first major chocolate bar manufacturer to source 100% certified sustainable cocoa.

A map of the world with nicaragua and peru highlighted

How much do you know

ABOUT COCOA?

How many cocoa fruits does it take to make on bar of alpine milk chocolate?

About one whole cocoa fruit is needed for one bar of Ritter Sport Alpine Milk Chocolate.

How many fruits does a cocoa tree bear per year?

A cacao tree bears about 20 – 30 fruits per year, in good years up to 50.

How big does a cocoa fruit grow?

Cocoa fruits grow to about 15 to 30 centimeters long and weigh 300 to 700 grams. Their colour ranges from greenish to yellow to red-purple.

From cocoa beans to delicious

CHOCOLATE IN 10 STEPS

1

The magic

BLOOM

Depending on the species, the cacao tree begins to flower between the age of 18 months and three years. After the flowers have been fertilized, it takes about 5 to 6 months for ripe cacao fruits to develop. A cacao tree bears about 20 to 30 fruits per year, and up to 50 in good years.

2

The perfect

HARVEST

At the time of harvest, the cocoa fruits are about 15 to 30 centimeters long and weigh 300 to 700 grams. Their colour ranges from greenish to yellow to red-purple. Knowing the right time to harvest the fruit is extremely important and requires a lot of experience and knowledge. The fruits are harvested individually by hand directly from the cacao tree.

3

Time to

FERMENT

It is only through the fermentation of the cocoa seeds that the aroma precursors are created which later form the typical cocoa aroma. First, the sugar contained in the fruit pulp is broken down with the help of yeasts. Alcohol is produced in the process. The pulp liquefies and separates from the cocoa seeds.

4

Drying the

BEANS

After fermentation, the cocoa beans contain a lot of moisture. To reduce their moisture content to 5 - 7%, they are dried. From time to time they are turned, because uniform, gentle drying from all sides is crucial for the quality and shelf life of the cocoa beans.

5

Ready for the

TRIP

Now the cocoa beans are transported to the ports in jute bags, from where they start their sea journey to Germany. When the cocoa beans arrive here, dust and sand or even coarse foreign bodies such as stones, wood or jute fibres have to be completely removed before processing.

6

On to the

ROAST

After their careful cleaning, the cocoa beans are roasted in roasting machines, on grates or in large rotating drums with hot air. At temperatures between 130 -150°C, the typical cocoa and roasted aroma and the dark brown colour of the cocoa beans develop.

7

Rough becomes

VERY FINE

After roasting, the cocoa beans are cooled and their shells removed by breaking and peeling - rollers, air streams and various sieving and shaking processes are used here. When the cocoa beans have been crushed into cocoa nibs, they are ground even finer in pre-mills and fine mills.

8

There comes

THE GRINDER

After mixing the ingredients milk powder, sugar, cocoa mass in the kneader, the resulting kneaded product goes to rolling and fine rolling.

9

Just the right

TEMPER

Conching is a refining process that can take up to 24 hours, depending on the type of chocolate. During tempering, the chocolate is gradually cooled from 45°C to about 28°C while being constantly stirred along a set temperature curve. Now the chocolate mass is ready to be poured into the mould.

10

May we introduce:

A BAR FULL OF JOY

Isn't it fascinating how great joy is created from small beans - millions of times every day? Every day, around 2.7 million 100-gram bars pass through the packaging machines at Ritter Sport. Well protected and securely packed, they then make their way to connoisseurs all over the world. Of course also to you.

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Want to know more about our

EFFORTS?

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

Our Goal is Ritter Sport packaging that can be recycled as a valuable material. We take care to reduce packaging to the essentials and to use renewable raw materials where appropriate.

SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS

We act sustainably out of conviction and report on our plans, goals and achievements.

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