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The origin
of the Cacao Tree
 The
cacao tree is a tropical evergreen plant and was christened
Theobroma Cacao during the eighteenth century by the Swedish
botanist, Linnaeus. Theobroma Cacao means ‘the food of the
gods’ from the Greek ‘theos’ meaning ‘god’ and ‘broma’
meaning ‘food’, reflecting the reverence chocolate has. The
tree bears fruit in the form of bright red, green, purple or
yellow pods, which change colour as they ripen. The pods are
harvested from May to December and are cut using
long-handled, curved steel knives, because the trees are too
frail to climb.
How to taste chocolate
Each individual chocolate offers its own distinctive
flavours, textures and aromas, allowing an appreciation of
the wealth of variety that can be created from the fruits of
the Cacao tree. As with wine tasting, there are a few simple
steps to truly savouring fine quality chocolate.
Chocolate should always be stored in a cool, dry and
odour-free environment, but not in the fridge. Allow it to
reach room temperature (18-20*C) before tasting. Begin with
white chocolate, followed by the milk varieties, and move
onto the stronger flavours of dark chocolate. Before you
begin, sip a little water or limejuice to cleanse the
palate. And repeat after every tasting.
Tasting solid chocolate
Look at the surface of the chocolate. It should be smooth
and glossy.
Now savour its aroma - this will vary greatly depending on
the type of the chocolate. Chocolate made from good quality
cocoa beans can have floral, fruity, nutty, grassy, spicy,
sweet and woody aromas. Chocolate made from poor quality
cocoa beans can produce a ‘rubbery’ aroma (caused by
under-fermentation of the beans), ripe fruit (caused by
over-fermentation of the beans) and staleness (caused by
mould on the beans)
Snap off the chocolate. It should make a clean, crisp
snap.
Place a piece of the chocolate in your mouth and wait a few
seconds. This will allow you to taste the immediate flavours
and aromas. Notice the feel of it on your tongue (called
‘mouth feel’) - it should feel firm and melt ‘cleanly’,
without a waxy, sticky or grainy texture.
Chew the chocolate to expand the surface area and release
the second level of flavours and aromas. By rolling the
chocolate around the tongue you will experience the full
range of flavours by triggering the four taste zones - sweet
and salty (tip of the tongue), sour (sides) and bitter
(back).
Alcohol and chocolate
Wine is easily overpowered by chocolate, so it is
important the wine has a strong single-note aroma, to
withstand the strength of the chocolate flavour.
Port and dessert wines (such as
Marsala or Muscat) work
well. For red-wine lovers, cabernets are a good alternative;
they contain a hint of cocoa, as well as spices, but avoid
the more oaky ones, as they will inhibit the flavour of the
chocolate. Fruit wine also works well with dark chocolate.
Rum can work well with
ganaches
and pralines, while cognac
and Armagnac suit dark chocolate or centres that are not
sweet.
Chocolate Producers
Roughly two-thirds of the world’s cocoa is produced in
Western Africa, with close to half of the total sourced from
Côte d’Ivoire. Like many food industry producers, individual
cocoa farmers are at the mercy of volatile world markets.
The price can vary from between £500 ($945) and £3,000
($5,672) per ton in the space of just a few years. While
investors trading in cocoa can dump shares at will,
individual cocoa farmers can not ramp up production and
abandon trees at anywhere near that pace. A number of
manufacturers produce Fair Trade chocolate, whereby cocoa
farmers are given a higher and more consistent remuneration.
Fair Trade chocolate is produced by Oxfam, Trade Aid and
Green and Blacks, among other companies. All Fair Trade
chocolate can be distinguished by the logo
Varieties
The three main varieties of cacao beans used in chocolate
are Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario.Criollo, the variety
native to Central America, the Caribbean islands and the
northern tier of South American states, is the rarest and
most expensive cocoa on the market. The flavour of Criollo
is characterized as delicate but complex, low in classic
chocolate flavour, but rich in “secondary” notes of long
duration. Forastero is a large group of wild and cultivated
cacaos, probably native to the Amazon basin. The huge
African cocoa crop is entirely of the Forastero variety.
They are significantly hardier and of higher yield than
Criollo. Forastero cocoas are typically big in classic
“chocolate” flavour, but this is of short duration and is
unsupported by secondary flavours. There are exceptional
Forasteros, such as the “Nacional” or “Arriba” variety,
which can possess great complexity.Trinitario, a natural
hybrid of Criollo and Forastero, originated in Trinidad
after an introduction of (Amelonado) Forastero to the local
Criollo crop. These cocoas exhibit a wide range of flavour
profiles according to the genetic heritage of each
tree.Nearly all cacao produced over the past five decades is
of the Forastero or lower-grade Trinitario varieties. The
share of higher quality Criollos and Trinitarios (so-called
flavour cacao) is just under 5% per annum. Different
manufacturers develop their own “signature” blends based on
the above formulas but varying proportions of the different
constituents are used.
Storing Chocolate
Chocolate is very sensitive to temperature and humidity.
Ideal storage temperatures are between 15 and 17 degrees
Celsius (59 to 63 degrees Fahrenheit), with a relative
humidity of less than 50%. Chocolate should be stored away
from other foods as it can absorb different aromas. Ideally,
chocolates are packed or wrapped, and placed in proper
storage with the correct humidity and temperature.
Additionally chocolate should be stored in a dark place or
protected from light by wrapping paper. Sunlight may warm up
the surface of the chocolate and cause it to turn ‘grey’
from the formation of cocoa butter crystals; the taste may
be slightly different due to the altered cocoa butter.
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