How is dark chocolate made and what are the key steps involved in the production process?

Dark Chocolate is made from cocoa beans that are roasted, cracked, and ground into a paste called chocolate liquor. This paste is then mixed with sugar, cocoa butter, and sometimes other ingredients like vanilla. The mixture is refined, conched (a process of kneading and smoothing), tempered, and molded into bars or other shapes before being cooled and packaged for sale.