Luisa Vicinanza, a Nottingham artisan chocolatier and founder of Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates.
She says, "I have always loved chocolate and when I discovered the unique flavours of single-origin chocolate – the incredible flavour notes, almost like fine wine - my eyes opened."
Most of the chocolate we consume will be made with cocoa from different areas or countries.
Ms VicinanzaBedi claims that chocolate with a single bean variety from one farm gives it a distinct flavour.
She says, "We trade directly to our farmers and quality control the beans." We do a cut, weight, moisture analysis and aroma test.
It's similar to wine and coffee. The soils, climate and terrain of different regions can affect the flavours. Each one tastes mind-blowingly unique."
Scientists are trying out to determine where these special flavors come from so that they can be replicated more consistently.
Professor Irene Chetschik is the head of the Research Group for Food Chemistry (ZHAW) at Zurich University of Applied Sciences.
She is currently developing new technology processes to impact the cocoa flavor on a molecular basis. This will allow her to maximize each harvest and ensure consistent quality.
She says, "Now there's more appreciation for this product - now we know where the bean comes from, which farm it is from, and which variety - so we can enjoy a wider range of flavours."
Cocoa beans are traditionally fermented at the farm where they were originally grown.
The cocoa pods can be harvested and split. The beans with the pulp are placed in baskets or piled on top of each other, then covered with banana leaves or plantain leaves and left to warm up in the sun.
The environment is home to microbes that degrade the bean pulp.
The beans are then dried and laid out on mats in direct sunlight.
"Fermentation can lead to a variety of quality variations." Prof Chetschik says that not all fermentations work out well.
Poorly fermented cocoa beans have little flavor, while beans that are over-fermented produce a bitter taste.
Prof Chetschik's team has developed a new method of fermenting cocoa beans. This involves drying them, and then applying a lactic acid solution with ethanol.
She says, "This triggers the exact same reactions in the beans but is much easier to control."
She says the result is sweeter, richer, and more fruity.
Johannes Ansgar Schluter is a PhD student at ZHAW. He adds that the process allows for control over key flavour characteristics of cocoa. However, the process does not produce undesirable aroma components to the same degree as traditional fermentations.
Farmers in trouble could benefit from better understanding the fermentation process.
Around six million cocoa farmers are employed worldwide, and 95% of cocoa comes from small, family-owned farms. Due to low yields and limited power, many cocoa farmers are living in poverty.
Joke Aerts from Tony's Chocolonely, a Dutch bean-to bar chocolate company, says that "the cocoa value chain is still not equally divided."
"While a few large companies make enormous profits, millions of smallholder cocoa farmers get underpaid."
This creates a demand for low-cost labour and exploitation.
"It's been more than 20 years since big chocolate companies promised to eliminate child labor in cocoa, but nothing has changed," Ms Aerts says. "The prioritization of company profits over human right must stop."
Changes in weather patterns can also affect cocoa farmers.
Fairtrade International says that land suitable for cocoa production is likely to decrease in the future due to climate change.
Experts agree that understanding fermentation is crucial when considering the effects of climate change on a business.
"We get a lot rain and a lot humidity. It isn't good for the plantations," Carmen Magali Eraso Adarme, a cocoa farmer says.
The cocoa plantation of Ms. Adarme in Huila (Colombia) is situated on very steep terrain. It is dangerous and difficult to get around, especially if they are carrying large sacks of beans.
Ms. Adarme has joined Luisa's Vegan Chocolates, Nottingham University and a project to improve the flavour and price of their beans.
Researchers and farmers can use hand-held DNA sequencing tools to analyze the microbes that are fermenting Ms Adarme’s cocoa beans.
Fermentation can be improved by better understanding what drives premium chocolate's taste.
Ms Vicinanza–Bedi said: "We used DNA sequencing to determine exactly what is a good flavour in a cocoa bean. We then teach farmers how to maximize their cocoa production for the premium market using this data."
The beans from Ms Adarme were sent to Luisa's Vegan Chocolates where they were made into single-origin bars.
Ms Adarme was able to send her son off to college thanks to the increased profits. She also learned English as a result. She plans to continue improving the transport part of her business, making it safer and easier for her employees.
Dr David Goupaulchan is an international research fellow at University of Nottingham. He says that growing cocoa can be very risky. Depending on weather conditions, pests, and diseases, yields can vary widely from one year to the next.
Technology for business:
Dr. Goupaulchan has been researching the role of microbes in fermentation and how they react to the environment. His research will be featured in the Royal Society Summer Exhibition later in the year.
He explains that the fermentation process can have a significant impact on cocoa taste and quality. These processes are not controlled. This causes wide variation in the quality of farms.
He explained that better understanding the process would lead to better chocolates for consumers as well as better prices for farmers.
He says, "My hope is to use science to modernize and revive the cocoa industry and create sustainable livelihoods."
Professor Chetschik in Switzerland aims to extract the most from the raw material so that cocoa after fermentation requires less processing.
"Cocoa has a very rich flavour. She says that there are so many flavour-active molecules in cocoa, it is not necessary to add anything."
