New products are being introduced at a record pace in spite of the U.S. chocolate market being considered mature.  It continues to be a market place that embraces creative and innovative products.

The current market supports such variety in chocolates that it can satisfy a diverse group of consumers while at the same time keeping prices affordable.

That may change.  Prices are speculated to increase drastically in the near future due to a recent, astonishingly bold move by a British Company called Armajaro Holdings.

Armajaro Holdings is a commodities and financial services business based in London.  Earlier this summer Armajaro purchased 240,000 tons of cocoa beans – which is about 7% of the annual global production of cacao!

At the time of Armajaro’s purchase, cocoa beans were already commanding a high price. 

Currently however, cocoa bean prices are dipping slightly.  But many large chocolate manufacturers are convinced they will see them rise overall.

The cocoa world is watching carefully.

Sources:  Market Wire, Wall Street Journal

Cocoa beans grow inside a thick-walled pod surrounded by a sugary pulp that provides nutrients to the beans (seeds).  The pulp is made up of about 12% sucrose which gets broken down by microbes, mostly yeasts. 

During the harvest, pods are cut down from the tree, opened, and the cocoa beans scooped out by hand.  Large mounds or heaps of pulp and beans are built in order to start the fermentation process.  To speed things along, big leaves (like banana) are used to cover the heaps in order to seal in the heat generated by the microbial action.

The temperature can reach 40C to 50C in the fermentation heap.  Many chemical reactions take place, and it is here during fermentation that chocolate acquires its color and flavor.

While the yeasts break down the sugar, ethyl alcohol and heat is produced.  Then, both the alcohol and the heat kills the yeast.  The heap has to be stirred and turned in order to aerate it and eventually stop the fermentation.  The whole process takes about 5 days.  Fermenting any longer than 5 days and the microbes will begin to attack the beans instead of the pulp.  Over-fermentation can result in creating off-flavors and odors in the cocoa beans.

The beans are dried thoroughly in the sun after fermentation to drive off all moisture and prevent further chemical and microbial activity.  At this time, the flavors are locked in and ready for transporting to the manufacturer for roasting, grinding, and making into chocolate coatings and bars.

Bean to bar means quite literally that the product was manufactured from the roasting and grinding of the bean to the tempering and packaging of the chocolate. 

What’s so special about claiming to be bean to bar?

Many chocolates are made by purchasing already made chocolate couvertures that get melted down and used for coating or molding into truffles, pralines, or chocolate bars.  While there is certainly nothing wrong with buying pre-made chocolate, there are advantages to controlling each step of the process.

Bean selection is critical from a quality standpoint.  Cocoa beans that are fermented properly will contain the best flavors to come out during roasting.  Creating proprietary bean blends will provide a distinct flavor for the companies’ products.

Roasting beans in-house will ensure a consistent signature flavor profile, and mixing and refining to formula specifications will make smooth, sophisticated chocolates.

Boasting a bean to bar product is something not all chocolate makers can claim.  These companies have the strong belief that the quality of their chocolate is the best it can be when they control the entire process from bean to finished product.

You be the judge.  Here is a small list of bean to bar chocolate companies to get you started on your tasting journey.

Valrhona
Hachez
Amedei
Cadbury
Nestle
Lindt
Scharffen Berger
Divine
Equal Exchange
Green & Black’s

And why not?  Besides the great flavor and a nice crunch, nibs have nutritional benefits as well.  Cacao contains antioxidants that are known to reduce blood clotting, improve circulation, and help regulate blood pressure. Antioxidants also protect us from environmental pollutants and help repair damage caused by free radicals.

Cocoa or Cacao Nibs are roasted cocoa beans that have been separated from their shells/husks.  You can buy them in health food stores, or online.

Scharffen Berger is a chocolate company that sells nibs online.  They also have a great collection of recipes, and some of them are listed under the Savory category.  One unique recipe is the nib rub for steak on the grill.

Rather than repeating the recipe here, just follow the link below.  Then be sure to browse the home baking section of their online store and pick up the nibs too.

==> SCHARFFEN BERGER CACAO NIB RUB ON TRI TIP ROAST

There are some exceptions to this system, but general speaking this is how the cocoa market categorizes cocoa beans.

The percentage of flavor beans in the total world production of cocoa beans is only around 5% per year.  Virtually all the cocoa harvested is classified as bulk cocoa.

A pure Criollo variety is rare these days but was the major variety in the 18th century.

Trinitario variety is considered to be a cross between Criollo and Forastero.  Trinitario planting started in the country of Trinidad and then spread to Venezuela, Ecuador, Cameroon, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Java and Papua New Guinea.

Some companies are dedicated to restore more Criollo and Trinitario growing farms.  Xoco Fine Cocoa Company of Nicaragua is one such entity. 

Xoxo’s mission is produce a high quality flavor, consistent flavor bean, bringing back a genotype from superior Criollo/Trinitario varieties.

Cacao is believed to have originated in South America.  There is a lot of evidence suggesting that the ancient Maya in Central America were the first to domesticate Theobroma cacao as a crop.

The Aztecs ground cacao into Xocoatl, a chocolate drink used mostly for spiritual and ceremonial rituals.

Hernan Cortés is credited with bringing cacao to Spain where it spread throughout Europe in the 1500’s and 1600’s.

Spanish friars began to grow cacao in Ecuador around 1635.  The French introduced cacao to Martinique and St Lucia, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil in the mid to late 1600’s.   England started growing it in Jamaica and the Dutch in Curaçao.  All of this effort just to meet the ever growing demand for the affluent in Europe.

When demand exploded again in the 1800’s even more had to be cultivated.  Cacao from Brazil was taken to Principe and Sao Tomé, islands off the coast of West Africa around 1830.  From there, it spread to Nigeria and Ghana.

Today, the largest cacao producing country is Ivory Coast, Africa.

Yep, that’s right, an aroma like brownies baking in an oven.  I use cocoa bean shells for mulch and it is true that when it gets wet, it smells delightfully like chocolate.

As the name indicates, cocoa shell mulch is made from the shell of the cocoa bean.  These shells come off the bean either during or just prior to the roasting process.  The shells are cleaned and packaged for sale as mulch.

Cocoa mulch retains moisture very well and is an excellent protector and insulator for the root systems of plants and shrubs.  It lasts longer than regular mulch, smells great and darkens with age.

When shell mulch breaks down, it becomes nutrient rich humus.  It is particularly suited for acid-loving plants.  My beautiful lavender-pink Rhododendron thanks me every year.

Possibly the only down side is that its not dog-friendly.  I don’t own a dog, so I don’t have any direct experience with this, but I have read that dogs are attracted to the chocolate smell and may try to eat the cocoa shells. 

Chocolate is dangerous to dogs if they eat it, but there is not enough of the chemical (theobromine) in the shell to cause as serious an injury as a piece of chocolate.  If the shells are eaten, the dog may get an upset stomach or an increase in the heart rate.  Still, something to think about if you have dog-owning neighbors you want to keep happy!

If there are no dog concerns then pour on the cocoa bean shells.  You’ll have the best smelling landscape in your neighborhood.

Roasted cocoa nibs are not for everyone.  They taste rather bitter because they are not sweetened.  If you can get past the bitterness, you’ll find they do taste rich and chocolaty and have a crunch similar to nuts.  In fact, nibs are often used to replace nuts in cookies and granola recipes.

Why would a person even eat cocoa nibs?  Well, nibs are one of nature’s superfoods.  They come packed with generous amounts of anti-oxidants, flavanoids and vitamin E.  I can tolerate nibs by themselves, but would rather enjoy them coated in chocolate – DARK chocolate.

Trader Joe’s brand Dark Chocolate Nibs are enrobed in a 65% cacao dark chocolate.  I find them delicious and addicting.  The first flavor that comes off is an intense chocolate, as you would expect.  Then nutty, and subtle fruity notes follow.  The finish is a long lasting cocoa taste with a hint of coffee. 

The nibs come in a 1 oz. tin.  Tiny bits of yum!