Long ago, the texture of chocolate was quite solid and crumbly and wasn’t pleasant on the palate. Conching was a process invented by Rodolphe Lindt (1855-1909) a Swiss chocolatier. A chocolate mixture was placed into a roller-grinder which moved and aerated the chocolate for 3 days. During this process, the action warmed the mixture and therefore, liquefied it. To further refine the mixture, Lindt experimented by adding additional cocoa butter. His experiment was so successful that he had a special machine built which he called a “conch” because of its shell-like, long, thin shape.

Conching is an important part of the chocolate manufacturing process. It involves stirring, mixing and agitating the chocolate mixture (depending on the type of chocolate being made, ingredients such as: cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, vanilla and lecithin are mixed) for an extended period of time to improve the flavor and texture. Large machines rub and smear the mixture against a solid surface, to create a silky-smooth product. There are many different styles of conches and conching times can last from a few hours up to about 8 days. The longer a product is conched, the more expensive it will likely be due to the longer and costly processing times.