Controlling chemistry of chocolate making could speed up process without compromising taste

An alternative way to make dark chocolate has been created that is faster and more controllable than the conventional fermentation method. The chocolate made this way smells and tastes similar so could replace the usual process.

In the traditional chocolate-making process cocoa beans are harvested, covered in banana leaves and left to ferment for a few days so that microorganisms in the environment degrade the pulp surrounding the beans, heating and acidifying them. This microbial degradation triggers biochemical changes in the beans that reduces bitterness and astringency, and creates the pleasant flavours and smells typically associated with chocolate.