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

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  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

Plant diseases, challenges, and geographical features

Processing and flavour development

Other

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  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