Grinding cacao seeds

On a cacao plantation in Barlovento, Venezuela, a man turns a metal hand crank to grind cacao seeds. The paste made from grinding the seeds falls into the tin container underneath the gears. The seeds come from the cacao tree (Thebroma Cacao), which is native to tropical Central and South America. Cacao seeds go through many steps on their way to becoming cocoa. These seeds have been picked, removed from their pods, fermented, dried, and roasted. Grinding the seeds is one of the final steps in the cocoa-making process. By adding ingredients like sugar and milk, the cacao will be made into chocolate.