Discover the fascinating skill of cacao bean sourcing and analyzation in this informative article.
Welcome to the world of cacao bean sourcing and analysis! In this post, we will take a deep dive into the fascinating journey you'll have and the science behind those delectable cocoa beans in the course. Join us as we explore the origins and flavor profiles of cacao beans, as well as the nibs, paste and craft chocolate in your FREE Practice-Tasting Kit. We sourced everything from companies certified as child-slave free by non-for-profit, Pono Cocoa. As you get involved in sourcing you will learn much about human-rights. Get ready to unravel the chemistry and appearance of cacao beans, to understand the importance of fermentation and roasting, and to ethically trace the journey from bean to bar.
Exploring our Cacao Bean Analysis & Sourcing Course
Let's start our cacao bean journey by knowing into their origins. These precious beans are native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, where they have been cultivated for centuries. From the lush rainforests of the Amazon basin to the foothills of the Andes, cacao trees thrive in environments rich in biodiversity. Its equatorial.
These prime growing regions contribute to the unique flavors found in cacao beans. Just as grapes grown in different regions produce distinct wines, cacao beans exhibit distinct flavor profiles influenced by their terroir. Cacao, is twice as complex as wine so when analyzing growing regions, there is a lot more overlap in terroir, compared to wine. But...basically, the nutty flavors come from the bean and the fruity flavors come from the pulp. All is influenced by nano-terroirs of micro-lots across the cocoa belt.
One fascinating aspect of cacao bean cultivation is the intricate process of pollination. Cacao flowers are pollinated by tiny midges, which are small flies that play a crucial role in the reproduction of the cacao tree. Not all beans you will evaluate will be organically pollinated. Certain aspects of flavor and aroma have not been compared to artificially, or manually pollinated cacao trees.
Furthermore, yes, every trees can create different flavor precursors (precursors to the Maillard Reaction). Yes, every pod and even each bean in the pod can be one-of-a-kind in the world and have unique flavors. It is because of how its pollinated. However, the journey from cacao bean to chocolate involves a series of meticulous steps, including fermentation, drying, roasting, and grinding -- pollination can happen at multiple sites on the flower. That is what can cause every bean in every pod to have one-of-a-kind genetics. Its likely even the flavor is a one-off. That could be good or bad. Just remember, this is why cacao beans are melanged, not mixed. It requires the flavors of beans of all sizes to blend to properly marry terpenes and tastes. Each stage in the process influences the final flavor and quality of the chocolate. The fermentation process, in particular, is essential for developing the complex flavors that chocolate enthusiasts savor, no matter how many time the flowers are pollinated. As the cacao beans ferment, chemical reactions transform the bitter beans into the rich, aromatic essence that defines fine chocolate.
"In cacao bean sourcing and analysis, the proof is in the pudding. If the chocolate is bad, the source is not prepared." - Cocoa Coach
The Impact of Terroir on Cacao Flavor Profiles, Shapes, Color, Look and Composition
Terroir, a French term often associated with wine, refers to how a specific geographic region's climate, soil, and other environmental factors shape the characteristics of a crop. In the case of cacao beans, terroir plays a crucial role in determining their flavor profiles.
Varying levels of rainfall, temperature, altitude, time of year, companion planting, fertilization and soil composition contribute to the diversity of cacao bean characteristics. For example, beans grown in Ecuador's equatorial climate may possess fruity and floral notes, while those from Madagascar's tropical forests may showcase complex acidity and hints of red fruit. They could look, identical. Even the pods could look identical. Tasting and smelling unroasted cacao beans becomes an ideal form of analysis for the purpose of terroir distinction testing.
"There is no way to tell the strain of cacao by the bean unless tested; or even by the pod although, some characteristics can be indicative of multiple original indigenous strains." - Cocoa Coach
Exploring the diverse flavor palette of cacao beans provides not only sensory pleasure but also insights into the intricate relationship between color, shape/size, appearance and flavor development. Take a look at this sheet we use to judge cacao beans for our many sourcing clients.
Terroir relates to all visible characteristics as well as flavor. Strain does too. And while fermentation is the last major determinate of chocolate flavor, different strains can look and taste different from different terroir. Strain, fermentation and terroir are the 3 main factors for chocolate flavor. Of course, you will need the Maillard Reaction to taste and compare chocolate. So tasting and comparing cacao beans is the ONLY way to learn about the distinctions between terroirs, strains and fermentation styles.
Ethical Considerations in Cacao Sourcing
As consumers, it is important to consider the ethical implications of the products we enjoy. In cocoa the word, "ethical", doesn't mean what you think it does... "Almost all chocolate lacking (all) human-rights is considered 'ethical'". - Cocoa Coach Child labor, torture, abuse, assault and exploitation all their wages to get channeled directly to CEO's and shareholders at Mars Inc., Cargill, Hershey's and many more "Big Chocolate" companies. They use commodity cacao, which is ungraded and unanalyzed. Here is a list of companies violating human-rights, knowingly. And willingly committing wage-theft against children who are abused and trafficked, bought and sold. No they are not paid either. They have no human-rights. For more on that. Read this article here... if you want to just grab some CERTIFIED pono brands, eat it up without guilt, check out this list of over 185.
"It's well known, burning the beans, leading to overwhelming bitterness, is the common practice to homogenize flavor." - Cocoa Coach
There have been zero successful projects in 23 years fighting child-slavery despite having non-gradable, unevenly fermented, moldy, old and rotten cocoa beans creating the worst chocolate flavors know to man. Also the most common. And that flavor is common because its only created through the terroir of West Africa where trafficking children into forced cocoa-labor is considered normal. These are not beans we are legally allowed to handle. They are illegal to produce, store, sell, buy and manufacture. So, yes, a million chocolate employees are breaking the law to bring you M & M's. US Customs Border Patrol is even covering it up and allowing the illegal beans into the US to allow privately owned chocolate companies to profit. Again, these are the lowest quality cocoa beans in the world and should be destroyed. They are unfit for human consumption.
Deforestation, habitat destruction and high heavy-metals are just some of "Big Chocolate's" other problems. Covering it up, and suppressing the issues is a huge problem. Sourcing cocoa thats certified slave-free is nearly impossible. Find slave-free cocoa farms selling beans by first looking out-side of West Africa. Second, find all the slave-free cocoa farms in West Africa. They are all listed on Pono Cocoa and used by Uncommon Cacao, Silva Cacao, Meridian Cacao and other smaller-scale cocoa distributers.
Who not to source from?
OFI, Barry Callebaut and Cargill are the worst offenders, followed closely by Olam, Mondelez, Mars and Nestlé who used to be the very worst.
"Do not partner with these companies or associations that work with them or you will be networking with anti-black, pro-slavery candymen peddling heart-disease and diabetes." - Cocoa Coach
Grab the list of brands using child-slavery to boycott them right here!
Understanding the Process of Cacao Bean Fermentation
Once the cacao pods are harvested, they undergo a crucial process known as fermentation. Fermentation unlocks the full potential of the beans' flavors and aromas, by initiating a series of chemical reactions within the bean. This is what we are analyzing as well as the strain of the bean itself. The terroir cannot be omitted in any analysis. Understanding fermentation will help you understand, analyze and source great cacao!
"Everyone has different tastebuds, just like eyesight, so its likely no one is tasting the same flavors in cacao bean taste tests." - Cocoa Coach
Its in the course but, during fermentation, the natural sugars in the pulp surrounding the beans are converted into alcohol and later into acids. Its super important to know because this fermentation process can take up to a week and is typically carried out in wooden boxes or banana leaf-covered heaps to provide optimal conditions for bacteria and yeast to work their magic. It causes the beans to get a bit puffy, which is how they should remain. Not flat, thin or sunken. You won't need to analyze unfermented beans. They typically all taste the same as only few farms in the world produce this cacao known as, "lavado" (some folks, with very different taste buds then your instructor and author, do enjoy lavado cacao. It means washed. As in, they washed the beans off instead of fermenting them. You cannot compare them in a taste test to fermented beans, only other washed beans. They are 2 separately studied flavor profiles with their own pros and cons.
Proper fermentation is essential in developing the desirable flavors, weight and looks, and removing any undesirable compounds from the beans which can lead to rotting, molding or off-flavors. Being familiar with off-traits like bad flavors, rotting, funk or mold, its important to try a hundred different farms beans. And every time, you need to test about 5 beans at once. Typically on the farm, 50 beans are checked simultaneously to discover the effectiveness of a current fermentation. It takes too long. Getting familiar with improper looks will spare you from unnecessarily tasting off-flavors. Off-flavors are described in the course slides.
As the fermentation progresses, the temperature within the cacao mass rises (well it should), creating an environment that is conducive to the breakdown of proteins and complex sugars. This breakdown is crucial in developing the chocolate's unique flavor profile, as it allows for the formation of precursors to the rich, complex flavors that chocolate enthusiasts love. When tasting non-roasted cacao beans you are tasting the precursors. Not the final flavors. Memorizing the precursor flavors is essential as a professional Chocolate Sommelier.
"Taste as many beans as you can." - Cocoa Coach
Additionally, the fermentation process helps to reduce the astringency and bitterness often associated with non-roasted cacao beans. Through controlled microbial activity, the beans are transformed into a more palatable form, setting the stage for the subsequent steps in chocolate production. It tastes like a green banana or ripe banana if done correctly. And its super accurate. The astringency and bitterness together. Neither of which are all bad.
"In your Practice-Tasting Kit (free w/ course) you can taste great beans, average beans and look at (don't taste) poor beans. It arrives in the mail with your FREE 43-page signed paperback course textbook when you enroll." - Cocoa Coach
You are Indirectly Analyzing the Chemistry of Cacao Beans
We are not chemists. Just good at our own senses. And this course is how you master them, your own senses. On Teachable.com, we explore the rich chemistry behind the flavors we love in the chocolate-tasting course, course 1. Cacao beans are composed of various chemical compounds, such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and lipids, all playing a role in taste and aroma. Most are analyzed when delving into the world of the Chocolate Sommelier. You can become a professional sensory analysis after learning how to host online and in real life chocolate-tastings like an expert. "Flavor is Chemistry" - C.C.
In this course, you will experience lipids, in particular, contributing to the fattiness of the bean, while polyphenols provide the savory taste and antioxidant properties. Alkaloids, including theobromine and caffeine, offer both the mild stimulation and pleasurable effects associated with consuming chocolate. Some of the 1300 chemicals taste like chocolate but not like cacao. They are in cacao and more bio-available in the beans then chocolate bars. So, the lesson here is the same as when tasting chocolate...Only taste a little bit! Use a spittoon if necessary. As cacao bean judging can go late, you could end being awake all night long because of the long life of the theobromine (which oddly is not related to the plants name (Theobroma" Cacao).
"When analyzing cacao bean flavor and aroma, you are tasting the chemistry of the genes or dna of the Theobroma Tree." - Cocoa Coach
Meticulous analysis of these compounds allows chocolatiers and scientists to understand and manipulate the flavors present in cacao beans, creating delightful and revelations like theobromine is in lots of foods just not as high a quantity and the name comes from the latin for "Food of the Gods." Expert info like this while give you an edge over all the other chocolate schools which out of respect we will not name.
Quality Control Measures in Cacao Sourcing
To ensure consistency and excellence in the chocolate-making process, strict quality control measures are implemented throughout cacao sourcing. From the selection of cacao beans to post-harvest processing, attention to detail is paramount. Beans are tasted constantly from the farm to the maker as sometimes, just 1 sac out of hundreds could go bad after getting left out in the rain. Samples are key. You can request and pay for samples from every reputable and human-rights providing cacao farm. If you can't get samples, do use another farm and keep in mind, no one origin farms the best tasting chocolate in the world. The world's best cacao beans do not exist, only the best sommelier's exist. And they are taught at ChocolateSommelierSchool.org.
Farmers and chocolate producers work hand in hand to establish quality standards with organizations like, "Cocoa of Excellence". including factors like bean size, color, moisture content and even chocolate flavor. By maintaining consistent quality, cacao sourcing not only ensures superior chocolate products but also benefits both the farmers, environment and consumers. Beans with the triple bottom line supporting shareholders, employees and customers with human-rights are ideal and typically fermented better and at a higher quality. The amount of money you pay for the beans is NOT equal to the quality of the beans. As a cacao bean judge or Pro Chocolate-Sommelier, you should never pay to taste any of your work. Chocolate it self, can sometimes be payment, but it will feel like riches if its sourced well.
Innovations in Cacao Bean Analysis Techniques
Advances in technology have revolutionized the field of cacao bean analysis. From sophisticated spectrometers to high-resolution imaging, scientists and chocolatiers have a wide range of tools at their disposal to better understand the chemistry and quality of cacao beans.
"In the field we look at PH, sugar content, temperature and time of beans to properly ferment them through 2-stages. Moisture content is typically measured during drying stage." - Cocoa Coach
Beans should have approximately . 6/.7% moisture when dried, stored and shipped. and even determine the geographical origins of cacao beans. If the PH is higher during fermentation and the beans aren't being stirred, the acidity and astringency will be very high. When tasting cacao beans, its possible to discern how the fermentation quality. Even sugar content of the pulp. Beans taste different every harvest. Especially because "Without fruity notes, its possible to determine for example, that the beans were fermented late, rather than would be ripe and ideal." - Cocoa Coach
The Role of Roasting in Developing Cacao Aromas
Crucial to the development of flavorful chocolate, roasting cacao beans is an art in itself. This is only relevant to the Chocolate Sommelier taste testing chocolate. Cacao beans are analyzed and sourced dried and non-roasted. Its been mis-named "raw cacao", but fermentation temperature can cross above agreed upon (non-regulated),"raw", temperatures.
Wanna learn more about chocolate-tasting? Check out all the different info in the paperback and in the blog on my Hawaiian Craft Chocolate Page IslandSharks.com
Cacao Bean Tasting and Analysis
Tasting cacao beans is a sensory experience that allows us to appreciate their unique flavors, just as one would approach wine or coffee tasting. Professionals trained in bean tasting and analysis evaluate the beans based on their appearance, aroma, flavor complexity, and mouthfeel. This means comparative taste testing, discriminative taste testing and comparative taste testing. Their is a triangle test that works great when comparing the origins, strains, fermentations or variations of any one of them. See the textbook for more on this
How to do this? The popcorn test! Use a popcorn maker with some unpeeled, non-roasted beans to heat them and pop them, revealing just a glimpse into their flavor potential. Its a way to eliminate some precursors through a big of flavor development via the Maillard Reaction.
Tracing the Journey from Bean to Bar
To truly understand the complexities of cacao bean sourcing, we must trace its extraordinary, equatorial journey from bean to bar. From the hands of dedicated farmers to the meticulous craftsmanship of chocolatiers, multiple steps are involved in transforming the "raw" cacao beans into the beloved chocolate bars we enjoy. You should know how its done and how to do it right.
This course encompasses the harvesting and fermentation of the beans. You will learn to ferment, dry and sort.,. The precise roasting and grinding, and the conching and tempering processes that contribute to the final texture and flavor are not yet taught yet at Chocolateeducator.com or ChocolateSommelierSchool.org
Cacao bean sourcing and analysis is a science and art intertwined, a reflection of humanity's dedication to exploring, understanding, and cherishing the natural wonders of our world. Relationships matter so get to know your farmers and thank them by sourcing their beans so next time you can indulge in a piece of chocolate you helped create. Take that moment to appreciate what it takes to truly appreciate cacao and not just exclusively test and judge it.
As you study and learn the rich tapestry of flavors in your next cacao beans analysis, remember the sourcing difficulties, farming exploits and analysis methods. We encourage you to take the course and help us, as we strive to promote this online certified child-slave free a cocoa masterclass, chocolate sommelier course and cacao bean analysis and sourcing certification. Start with course I or course II! "If you have more questions, just ask our craft chocolate GPT or AI on our homepage for all answers about craft chocolate." - Cocoa Coach
Visit CraftchocolateAI.com Today! The Curriculum
Quiz I
score 90% or above to pass
Quiz II
score 90% or above to pass
Personal Chocolate History
One page personal history of how you got into your cacao and chocolate journey.
Practice-Tasting Kit Analysis
Taste cacao beans, paste, nibs and even chocolate. Complete an analysis using our downloadable pdf worksheets.
Host a Chocolate-Tasting
Use our email list and social media to advertise YOUR Chocolate-Tasting and share our audience to advertise your amazing event...We help promote your event to ensure success in your certification course(s).
Don't forget to complete Course 1 and 2 to get Certified as a Master Chocolate-Sommelier!
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