Making the Perfect Chocolate? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 144
Episode 144 of #PodSaveChocolate responds to a clickbait article published in Popular Science. [Spoiler Alert: they don’t reveal the secret to making perfect chocolate but they do refer to a very interesting article on fermentation published in Nature Microbiology.]
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Episode 144 Overview
The headline reads:
But does the article answer the question posed in the headline.
Spoiler Alert: No. No it does not. The article implies that making perfect chocolate (according to science) mostly comes down to Because. Chocolate Fermentation.
At about 700 words, there’s not a whole lot of room for nuanced presentation of the topic, which involves genetics, botany, agriculture, biochemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, and more areas of science.
So, if the article does not reveal how to make perfect chocolate (according to science) what does the article report?
- Natural fermentation is unpredictable.
- Controlled fermentations are controllable.
- The more we know about the variables involved the more control can be exerted over the final result.
- Ultimate control includes a tailored (not occurring naturally) mix of yeasts and bacteria.
The Research
The PopSci article links to a research paper published in Nature Microbiology titled, A defined microbial community reproduces attributes of fine flavour chocolate fermentation. Eureka!
David Gopaulchan
Click to read. Open Access, so it can be downloaded.
The lead author, David Gopaulchan works at the University of Nottingham. Other authors cited in the paper are Darin Sukha and Pathmanathan Umaharan (both at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad), whom I have both met. Authors on other research cited in the paper include Zoi Papalexandratou, with whom I have worked on projects in Nicaragua and Mexico and Juan Carlos Motamayor, lead author on a 2008 research paper on cacao genetics that expanded the language of cocoa variety beyond the classic Trinitarian view.
The rest of this episode of PodSaveChocolate is going to be a look at what can be learned from this paper.
How to read a research paper
- Abstract
- Main
- Results
- Discussion
- Methods
- References
- Code availability
Key points in the Results section
- Changes in temperature and pH inform fermentation progress
- Changes in microbiota composition drive bean fermentation
- Fermentation characteristics shape chocolate flavour profile
- Flavour is linked to fermentation abiotic[[1]] and biotic signatures
- Defined microbes reproduce fermentation metabolic profiles
[[1]]: Abiotic components are the parts of an ecosystem that are not alive, but play a crucial role in shaping the environment and influencing living organisms. These include things like sunlight, temperature, water, soil, etc.
What is new in this research?
Some of the references cites are twenty years old, with articles about using starter cultures in cocoa fermentation going back as far as 2010.
What doesn’t the article talk about?
- There is no discussion about how chocolate-making processes (and the scientific understanding of them) play a role.
- Who is going to pay for the recommended starter cultures and training?
- Who benefits from industrial-scale consistency?
Questions?
If you have questions or want to comment, you can do so during the episode or, if you are a ChocolateLife member, you can add them in the Comments below at any time.
Episode Hashtags and Socials
#Ferment #Fermented #Fermentation
#chocolate #chocolat #specialtychocolate #craftchocolate #beantobarchocolate
#cocoa #cacao #cacau
#PodSaveChoc #PSC
#LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife
Future Episodes
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Clay Gordon
Clay Gordon
Audio-only podcasts
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