O Chocolate It is a delicacy appreciated all over the world and there are few people who don't like it. However, anyone who thinks that this product is a modern invention is mistaken, because according to historians, it has been known to mankind for 4,000 years.
According to current sources, the cacao seed was used as currency and a sacred drink in Mesoamerica (modernday Mexico) by the Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec peoples. The item was taken in rituals and prepared with a mixture of water and corn and was nicknamed “Xocoatl,” meaning “bitter water.”
Later, the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés brought the product to Spain, where it was prepared with the addition of sugar, milk and honey to mitigate its natural bitterness. From that point on, several more changes were made until we reached what we know today.
The taste of Chocolate It's so addictive that there are even scientists dedicated to researching improvements with the goal of giving people new sensory experiences. Researchers like Colombian ReinosoCarvalho have made it their mission to transform this dessert popular in all parts of the world.
What was new about chocolate?
In Colombia, the abovementioned scientist signed an important collaborative partnership with the psychologist Charles Spence, which led to the development of some experiments aimed at measuring the influence of sound on the composition of music. Chocolate.
In addition to healthy factors, bacteria are also very important for the fermentation of cocoa, the raw material for the delicacy. This true microbial symphony influences both the color and the texture of the product and is also able to break down its bitter substances and give the product particular aromas.
This is where DNA sequencing comes into play, allowing experts to map all the microorganisms involved in fruit fermentation in different locations around the world. This also makes it possible to build a genetic library aimed at associating the microbes from each country with the tasting notes.
Once this task is accomplished, it will be easier to stimulate the action of beneficial microscopic life forms to enhance the consumer's sensory experience and enable the creation of flavors previously unknown in the chocolate industry.
Finally, the advancement of research should soon bring more news and we will soon be able to see even more incredible options on the shelves of supermarkets and specialty stores. Willy Wonka, the famous character from the film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” would certainly be proud of so much progress.