The Lindt Invention

When chocolate first arrived in Europe, it was nothing like the chocolate we know today. It was coarse and dry, and it didn’t melt in the mouth. Then in 1879, Rodolphe Lindt changed the chocolate making process, with the invention of conching. It’s how we achieve the signature velvety smooth texture that sets us apart, and that people have come to expect from Lindt chocolate.

The conching invention story

Rodolphe Lindt’s dream was to make incredibly smooth chocolate, so he invested in some secondhand equipment and worked tirelessly, tinkering the process and formula. One Friday evening, Lindt left the factory without finishing his work. Whether he forgot to turn off the mixing machine, or he left it on intentionally, we can only guess.

But the machine continued to run for the entire weekend. When he returned Monday, what he found was his dream come to life: shiny and smooth liquid chocolate. The technology has been continuously refined, and today, Lindt’s groundbreaking invention is used throughout the industry.

conching

Conch·ing

Noun Conching is a pivotal step in the chocolate making process where the flavor and texture is refined by continuous mixing at a warm temperature.

How conching works

After roasting and grinding cocoa nibs, the resulting pure cocoa mass (called cocoa liquor) is combined with other ingredients like sugar and milk, and is then finely ground again to prepare the mixture for the conche. Here’s how Lindt’s state-of-the-art conche machines work: a long process of intense mixing, stirring and aerating of heated liquid chocolate eliminates unwanted acidity and bitterness, not dissimilar to evaporation. The time spent in the conche also dissolves any clumps to create an incredibly smooth chocolate texture. After this step, the chocolate is ready to be transformed into all your favourite Lindt products.