Chocolate Flavor May be Controled by Yeast During Fermentation

Chocolate has a distinct smell. Now, though, researchers may have found a way to modify the smell of chocolate with the help of the yeasts used to ferment cocoa during chocolate production.

After cocoa beans are harvested, they're collected in large plastic boxes, or piled in large heap on the soil, right in the farms where they are grown. The beans are surrounded by a gooey pulp, which is fermented by yeasts and bacteria. Any species in the environment can get into the mix, which impacts the ultimate flavor of the chocolate.

At the beginning of the study, the researchers were looking for robust yeast strains that could outcompete the many invading yeast strains that flood cocoa beans during fermentation. In theory, robust yeast strains could prevent variability in taste.

Interestingly, the researchers found that there were striking differences in aroma among the chocolates made from fermentations using different robust yeasts. This was remarkable since only the yeast strains were different.

The scientists then bred novel yeast hybrids that would combine robustness with strong flavor production. The researchers believe that the volatiles are protected from evaporation since they are dissolved in the fat fraction. The new findings mean that it's possible to dominate cocoa fermentations to produce a specific flavor.

"This means that for the first time, chocolate makers have a broad portfolio of different yeast strains that are all producing different flavors," said Jan Steensels, one of the researchers, in a news release. "This is similar to the current situation in beer brewing and wine making."

The findings are published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

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