In this blog section, you can learn more about some of the ongoing scientific research behind chocolate. As a scientific officer with a background in microbiology, I am used to reading scientific literature, working with experimental data, and following developments in the research community. We are expected to dig into publications of our respective fields and focus on how the research was done and what the results actually mean.

After visiting Chocoa and Amsterdam Cocoa Week in 2025, I noticed growing curiosity about the science behind fermentation, roasting, and cacao diseases. Many people don’t know where to find reliable research or how it’s published. I’ll attempt to summarise papers from roughly the last decade, in plain English. Focusing on what was investigated, how the research was carried out, and what the key findings were. When an article is open access, I will also share where you can find and read the original paper yourself. If you have a topic or paper you’d like me to cover, feel free to reach out.

Fermentation

• 
  Wood smoke gives cocoa beans smoky off-flavors
  One of the often recognised ‘off-flavours’ in cacao is a smoke-like flavour. It’s something I’ve heard people talk about frequently (as some people like it, though most consider it a defect); therefore, I thought this paper would be a great first pick for the first “the science of chocolate” post. What motivated the authors A… Read more: Wood smoke gives cocoa beans smoky off-flavors

Genetics and varieties

• 
  Comparing cocao of 7 Indian grown cacao clones
  Working at a molocular laboratory, I thought it would be interesting to look at the genetics of cacao. I started looking and found this cool paper that looks at cacao growing in a country most people won’t directly associate with cacao: India, specifically in the unusual region of Terai.In this paper they compare several cocoa… Read more: Comparing cocao of 7 Indian grown cacao clones

Plant diseases, challenges, and geographical features

• 
  Wild or Introduced? The cacao populations in South America
  Cacao has been moved around the globe by people for thousands of years. That makes it surprisingly difficult to tell whether a population of cacao trees is truly wild or the result of human transport and cultivation, making them introduced. This paper tries to tackle exactly that question, using genomic data. What motivated the authorsTraditionally,… Read more: Wild or Introduced? The cacao populations in South America

Processing and flavour development

• 
  Refining and conching decrease the aroma complexity of dark chocolate
  Chocolate aroma (volotiles) is shaped by so many different things: the terroir, genetics, fermentation and roasting are only a few things that shape the flavour profile of the chocolate we eat. What happens later, either in the factory or on smaller scales in homes, especially the steps of refining and conching, noticeably change the so… Read more: Refining and conching decrease the aroma complexity of dark chocolate

Other

• 
  The science of chocolate
  Here, you can learn more about some of the ongoing scientific research behind chocolate. As a scientific officer with a background in microbiology, I am used to reading scientific literature, working with experimental data, and following developments in the research community. We are expected to dig into publications of our respective fields and focus on… Read more: The science of chocolate