Gary Guittard claims that at 155 years old Guittard Chocolate is “the oldest continuously run family business in the United States.” Founded during the California Gold Rush, the company initially made products that could be ground, like coffee, tea, mustard, and spices. But Guittard’s chocolate became the company’s signature, and it continues to be a favorite of chefs.
Guittard attributes the company’s success to the beans it uses and sources from across the globe. “The cocoa bean, that’s our hero,” he says. “We have beans from all over the world, from Peru, from Colombia, from Ecuador, Trinidad, West Africa.”
The company puts each cocoa bean through rigorous processes in the production of its chocolate to meet its meticulous standards.
“We test our product every time it goes through a process,” Guittard says. “A finished piece of chocolate’s probably been tested 72 times.”
The company even submits everything it makes to a taste test. “That will include everything from the cocoa butter that we get in, the chocolate liquor that we produce,” says Guittard. “Everything from beginning to end, we will taste.”
Watch the full video to see what goes into making chocolate for fine-dining chefs.