by Nuria Chantre

A chocolate factory on Windsor Street capitalizes daily on a non-traditional way of grinding, giving people a unique taste of chocolate. 

“We are chocolate men,” said W. Alexander Whitmore, who runs the Taza Chocolate factory in Union Square with Laurence J. Slotnick.

Whitmore said the entrepreneurs use millstones imported from Mexico to meticulously cut cacao beans. The stones cut the beans and grind the chocolate just right in a fast mill-rotating process, he said.

Initially, the beans contain water and are hard to grind, he said. When roasted, the cacao beans are chemically changed and, once ground, the chocolate renders its natural oils.

‚ÄúI haven‚Äôt tried their chocolate but these guys sound like they really pay attention to detail in the manufacturing process.  They sound like they are true artisans,‚Äù said Steven B. Almond, author of Candyfreak. ‚ÄúChocolate is such a sophisticated and complicated medium to work with.‚Äù

In a typical day, Whitmore said he spends 11 hours inside the chocolate factory where he handles the roasting, the grinding and the mixing.  ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs a passion in my life,‚Äù he said.

Slotnick said he takes care of the business development and finance side of the company. Most of the equipment is secondhand, including the refurbished grinding machine from Oaxaca, Mexico, he said.  ‚ÄúWe‚Äôve been able to make revenue for the company even before production,‚Äù he said.

‚ÄúWe‚Äôre probably one of the lowest-cost factories around. We‚Äôve pieced together here and there to build a real factory,‚Äù said Slotnick.  Before they ventured into chocolate production Whitmore and Slotnick worked for Zipcar, a car sharing company, said Whitmore.

Taza Chocolate launched late in 2006, after a trip to Mexico, where he had the chance to experience traditional Mexican chocolate-making traditions, Whitmore said. Taza imports its own cacao beans from Oaxaca, Mexico as well as Costa Rica, he said.  ‚ÄúStone mills are very popular in Mexico.‚Äù

Whitmore said the traditional manner of grinding typically involves pin mills and ball mills. Stone-grinding may be called an artisan move, since the stones process chocolate only minimally, said Whitmore.  ‚ÄúIt does create a very unique taste in the product,‚Äù he said. 

Whitmore said Taza Chocolate distributes their products through local specialty food stores like the Sherman Café and the Diesel Café. At Taza Chocolate Lounge in Central Square, chocolate drinks, chocolate covered nibs and chocolate ice-cream are served every Thursday, he said.

All Taza products are manufactured at 561 Windsor St., which houses 45 companies ranging from arts to construction, said Slotnick.  The Taza team takes advantage of the local publicity brought in by the farmers‚Äô market in Union Square and the neighborhood‚Äôs pedestrian traffic.  ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs perfect for food production.  We wanted to be in a neighborhood that had that kind of organization,‚Äù said Slotnick.