The invention relates to a system (1) for conching edible mass, in particular cocoa containing mass, such as chocolate, cocoa liquor or compound, including a shear device, in particular a so-called taste-changer (14), in turn has a housing (16), a shaft (17) rotatably mounted in the housing (16), means (19, 20) for subjecting the edible mass to high shear stresses, means (21, 22) for spreading the edible mass after it has been subjected to high shear, and an inlet (24, 25) for supplying a gas to the spread edible mass. The system further includes a thin film evaporator (15) to treat the edible mass exiting the shear device (14).