Chocolate – from bitter to sweet, Sheet «Cocoa bean»

Chocolate is an important symbol of Switzerland. However, the journey from the fruit of the cacao tree to melt-in-the-mouth temptation is a long one. This refinement process is being recognized in two special stamps. The fruits, which grow in the tropics, are harvested twice a year and each contain 20 to 30 initially white cocoa beans, which are dried after fermentation. The raw cocoa is then cleaned, broken down, roasted and ground. The resulting cocoa mass is mixed with sugar and cocoa butter. The result is the basic ingredient for chocolate. Milk chocolate is made by adding milk powder or condensed milk. Cocoa itself is anything but sweet. The Aztec word “xocóatl” – the origin of the word chocolate – actually means “bitter water”.