New study could help boost Australian-grown chocolate

Chemical composition plays a central role in determining flavour potential and provenance-based differentiation of cocoa; however, data for emerging production regions such as Australia remains scarce.

Working with growers in Far North Queensland, scientists from the University of Queensland found local microbes and the natural cocoa fermentation process may have a bigger influence on the flavour of chocolate than the cocoa tree itself.

Food chemist Dr Marlize Bekker compared the aroma, flavour and composition of crushed cacao beans, called nibs, from Fishery Falls, Mt Etna and Shannonvale.

Bekker said in this study the method and location of fermentation played a greater role in the taste of chocolate than the location of the farm or type of cocoa tree.

“We had different types of cocoa trees and we thought that would have a big impact on the flavour, but the tree’s genotype had a much smaller role to play than the fermentation process itself,” Bekker said.

“Whatever is in the environment drives the natural fermentation — nothing is introduced — and we know it is critically important for flavour and quality.”

Bekker said understanding the driving forces behind unique flavours allowed producers to control flavour.

“Cocoa can display a remarkable diversity of flavour characteristics, ranging from classic chocolate and roasted notes to buttery and even tropical aromas,” she said.

“By understanding Australia’s unique fermentation environment, we can intervene during the process and start to direct those flavour profiles.”

Bekker said the study could help bolster the Australian chocolate industry.

“This is a preliminary study, and we are hoping to do more work, so we can position Australia on the world stage and show the unique characteristics Australia has,” she said.

“We don’t want to compete with the mass-produced chocolates; it is about positioning Australia as a premium unique market.”

CEO of Australian chocolate company Charley’s Chocolate Factory and CACAO President Chris Janke agreed, describing Australia as a “small cottage industry” dependent on ensuring consistent quality.

“In Australia we have high labour costs compared to where most cocoa is grown in West Africa — $30 an hour compared to $30 a month — so we are focused on an absolute premium product,” Janke said.

“In order to have a premium product you must control the processes very tightly and understand the likely outcomes.”

Janke said working with UQ researchers had given scientific backing to a long-held belief in the industry about the importance of the fermentation process.

“The study confirmed the mix of microflora present at a location influences the fermentation which is a key part of flavour development.”

The next step for the project is sensory trials and metagenomic testing to discover what microbes in the environment are driving the flavour profile of chocolate.

The research paper is published in ScienceDirect.

Image credit: iStock.com/id-art