Chocolate can take on many flavors – from fruity and floral to rich and bitter. Now researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding the fermentation of cocoa beans. An international team led by Prof. David Salt from the University of Nottingham studied beans from three regions in Colombia and showed how specific microbes during fermentation play a decisive role in shaping the final taste.
Nine key microbes as the “secret ingredient”
While beans from Santander and Huila developed fruity and floral notes during fermentation, those from Antioquia lacked these flavors due to the activity of different microbes. Using genetic analyses, the researchers identified nine key microbes that together produce citrus, fruit, and floral notes. In an experiment, they fermented sterile beans with this microbial community – resulting in cocoa with refined flavors, reduced bitterness, and less astringency.
According to Salt, the discovery opens new possibilities for chocolate production. Farmers could deliberately foster the right microbial communities to consistently produce fine-flavor cocoa. This could not only reduce costs in chocolate manufacturing but also lead to entirely new taste profiles – a kind of “secret sauce” for the future of chocolate.
