My hardworking Hubster is usually reluctant to spend much money and tends to make do or mend almost everything. However, he is partial to a small piece of good quality chocolate as an after dinner treat and a very occasional bedtime cup of cocoa. The antioxidants in dark chocolate have been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of clotting and increase blood circulation to the heart, thus lowering the risks of stroke, coronary heart disease and death from heart disease so it really is good for him. I quite like a chunk or too but must remember that a moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips so it’s all about moderation!
It’s disappointing that we can’t grow cocoa here on the smallholding as quality dark chocolate is the food of gods, but that’s not the only reason. The future of cocoa is starting to look increasingly uncertain and that is not good news for any chocolate lover.
The Bittersweet Reality
Climate change has dealt a harsh blow to West Africa, the heartland of cocoa production. Droughts have ravaged crops, leading to an almost 11% decline in global cocoa supply for this season. Imagine parched earth where once lush forests stood. My African counterparts, smallholder farmers, are my cocoa heroes. Yet, they grapple with low incomes and lack the means to reinvest in their land. Ageing cocoa trees yield less over time, perpetuating a cycle of scarcity. It’s like teaching a class with outdated textbooks – knowledge dwindles. Optimum temperatures for cocoa growth range from 18–32°C yet current temperatures are reaching over 40°C. In addition, cacao trees only prosper under specific conditions of high humidity, abundant rain, nitrogen-rich soil, and protection from wind. In short, cacao trees thrive in rainforests.
Investors, like alchemists seeking gold, have recently driven cocoa prices to unprecedented heights and chocolate makers face a conundrum. As cocoa costs climb, they grapple with shrinking profit margins. The solution? Price hikes and a dash of shrinkflation – where our favourite chocolate bars mysteriously shrink while the price remains the same. Are you old enough to remember when Wagon Wheels were the size of dinner plates? (this may not be factually correct).
Fairtrade for farmers
In school we learn about the importance of supporting farmers down in the tropical embrace of equatorial regions by purchasing Fair Trade goods when possible. The science of chocolate is fascinating. I get pupils to picture lush rainforests, where cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) stretch their limbs toward the sun. These magnificent trees bear colourful pods, each cradling precious cacao beans. The beans are the heart and soul of chocolate. Harvesting the cacao pods is an art – a delicate balance between ripeness and readiness. Once picked the beans are laid out to ferment where bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms break down the cocoa. This is sun dried to coax out flavours – fruity, floral, earthy. It’s the crafting of a masterpiece.
Once dried into the oven they go – our beans, now dried and wrinkled. Roasting is where the magic intensifies. The kitchen is filled with aromas – toasted nuts, warm spices, and dreams of chocolate bars. Grinding then transforms the roasted beans into a thick, viscous paste. Sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt is sometimes added before conching – the elegant dance of particles to produce velvet-smooth chocolate that caresses your taste buds. Finally, the chocolate is tempered so the cocoa butter crystallises into harmony.
Cheap choco-hell
When I give my students different quality and types of chocolate to taste they usually select the cheap, mass-produced bars with which they are so familiar. It’s always disappointing but young taste buds have been teased into falling for sugar over flavour.
The only ingredients needed in good quality dark chocolate are cocoa beans and sugar. Cocoa butter can also be added to confer extra creaminess and a rich texture – the chocolate hubster likes is between 70% and 80% cocoa solids, he accepts 90% and has even eaten 100% (ugh!) but rejects all lesser variants. Cheap brands usually contain lecithin, usually from soya, as an emulsifier and often unsustainable palm oil or shea butter in place of more expensive cocoa butter. There is a plague of cheap choc in school which is far less healthy than a chunk or two of dark. In the EU, the minimum percentage of cocoa for milk chocolate is 25%, although UK-style 20-24% cocoa milk chocolate like Dairy Milk and in the United States, the required amount of cocoa solids is just 10% but I’d rather eat school dinner custard!
Not just a sweet indulgence
I was walking down the corridor behind the rather unfortunate Pupil H yesterday. He had a dark brown smear across his rear. A motherly urge made me catch up and enquire if he was feeling okay. It turned out to be a chocolate smear from sitting on a melting bar of choc-gak.
So, chocolate shouldn’t just be considered as a sweet indulgence; it’s a testament to nature’s chemistry and human ingenuity. Whilst crops are failing in the tropics, we need to savour those squares of dark bliss, remember the cacao forests, the sun-drenched drying beds, and the unctuous texture that melts perfectly at our own body temperature. They are little chunks of heaven.
Note to self: Keep trying to encourage the students to choose a high quality Fair Trade chocolate and just eat less of it. It’s much better for their health and, although it might taste bitter, research shows that a child needs to be exposed to a new food between up to 15 times before they feel comfortable eating it. Perseverance is key!
