Welcome to my chocolate blog! This is where my curiosity for chocolate and cacao comes together with exploring, tasting, and understanding what’s really going on behind the scenes. And who knows, one day I might make my own chocolate…..
What can you expect? I’ll write about my personal experiences with chocolate and cacao: chocolate tours, tastings, workshops, and how I obtained my IICCT chocolate tasting certificates.
A key part of this blog is the science behind chocolate. I follow developments in the research community and summarise scientific articles in plain English. What happens during fermentation? Why does roasting change flavour so much? What do we actually know, and where are things still unclear? I don’t aim to give definitive answers to everything, but wish to share what research tells us so far. Without jargon and without pretending it’s simpler than it is.
This blog is not about reviews, trends, or “the best chocolate ever”. It’s about understanding and experiencing chocolate and cacao, one bite at a time. Taste carefully, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Chocolate has far more depth than most of us realise.
How it’s made
The Science of Chocolate
- 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 - Wild or Introduced? The cacao populations in South AmericaCacao 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
- Comparing cocao of 7 Indian grown cacao clonesWorking 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
- Wood smoke gives cocoa beans smoky off-flavorsOne 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
- The science of chocolateHere, 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
Experiences
- Making drinking chocolate like the Aztecs (xocoatl)
I remember my first encounter with cacao. For our honeymoon in 2017, we planned a round trip through Costa Rica. Being so close to the equator, a chocolate tour was an absolute must. I had to dig around a bit, but eventually I found one at La Tirimbina in Sarapiquí, where we got to work… Read more: Making drinking chocolate like the Aztecs (xocoatl)
Tasting chocolate
- Organising my first chocolate tasting: The program
Following up on my chocolate selection, comes the next step: setting up the program.What an exciting journey this was! I was given a 3-hour timeframe with a break that provided savory food. A strong emphasis on “There should be enough chocolate”. I thought about it a lot and came up with an interactive talk(or rather… Read more: Organising my first chocolate tasting: The program - Organising my first chocolate tasting: Choosing the chocolates
To the people around me, I often talk about chocolate and don’t hesitate to explain why I call the stuff you buy in the supermarket ‘candy’. This led to a colleague of mine asking if I’d be interested in organising a chocolate tasting. A full evening, including food. I tried to rise to the challenge… Read more: Organising my first chocolate tasting: Choosing the chocolates
Events
- Eurobean 2025
A summer full of chocolate…. Who would have thunk?Yes, August 2025, I visited the Industry museum in Chemnitz, where the EuroBean festival took place. I’ve heard about this festival several times, but never managed to make it there. Figured 2025 would be the year to rent a car and make my way. Even though I… Read more: Eurobean 2025 - Chocoa 2025 – Academy style
In February 2025, I attended Chocoa in Amsterdam. I scraped together some of my savings and purchased an Academy ticket. I booked a return train trip, asked Tessa (my fellow cacao enthusiast) if we could share accommodation, and headed to Amsterdam with a notebook, an open mind, and a lot of curiosity. Why was I… Read more: Chocoa 2025 – Academy style - Chocoa Chocoladefestival 2019
Eind februari was het weer tijd voor het chocolade evenement in Nederland: Chocoa. Na een aantal dagen voor de pro’s is er in het weekend het Chocoa Chocolade Festival voor de consument. Hier kun je leren over onder andere het proces van cacaoboon naar chocoladereep. Ook kun je een grote diversiteit aan chocolade proeven en… Read more: Chocoa Chocoladefestival 2019
By Diënty 