Abstract
The sensory quality and the contents of quality-determining chemical compounds in unfermented and fermented cocoa from 100 cacao trees (individual genotypes) representing groups of nine genotype spectra (GG), grown at smallholder plantings in the municipality of Waslala, Nicaragua, were evaluated for two successive harvest periods. Cocoa samples were fermented using a technique mimicking recommended on-farm practices. The sensory cocoa quality was assessed by experienced tasters, and seven major chemical taste compounds were quantified by near infrared spectrometry (NIRS). The association of the nine, partially admixed, genotype spectra with the analytical and sensory quality parameters was tested. The individual parameters were analyzed as a function of the factors GG and harvest (including the date of fermentation), individual trees within a single GG were used as replications. In fermented cocoa, significant GG-specific differences were observed for methylxanthines, theobromine-to-caffeine (T/C) ratio, total fat, procyanidin B5 and epicatechin, as well as the sensory attributes global score, astringency, and dry fruit aroma, but differences related to harvest were also apparent. The potential cocoa yield was also highly determined by the individual GG, although there was significant tree-to-tree variation within every single GG. Non-fermented samples showed large harvest-to-harvest variation of their chemical composition, while differences between GG were insignificant. These results suggest that selection by the genetic background, represented here by groups of partially admixed genotype spectra, would be a useful strategy toward enhancing quality and yield of cocoa in Nicaragua. Selection by the GG within the local, genetically segregating populations of seed-propagated cacao, followed by clonal propagation of best-performing individuals of the selected GG could be a viable alternative to traditional propagation of cacao by seed from open pollination. Fast and gentle air-drying of the fermented beans and their permanent dry storage were an efficient and comparatively easy precondition for high cocoa quality.
Highlights
The market of fine chocolates has been growing at the same pace as the overall mass chocolate market; it occupies constantly,5% of the global chocolate consumption
In the second period, 87 non-fermented and 78 fermented cocoa samples were available for analysis, owing to the lack of suitable fruits from several study trees, and incomplete fermentation that led to the exclusion of some samples
Analyses of variance confirmed the absence of significant differences of these two traits between individual trees, whereas there were highly significant differences (P,0.001) between the two harvests
Summary
The market of fine chocolates has been growing at the same pace as the overall mass chocolate market; it occupies constantly ,5% of the global chocolate consumption. The finest qualities have been traditionally obtained using Criollo and Trinitario cocoas. Definitions of general trading grades of cocoa (bulk and fine) and morphogeographic types (Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario) were provided by [1] The elevated prices paid for quality cocoa allow to enhance the incomes of poor smallholder producers that account for the bulk of global cocoa supplies. The transition from the production of bulk cocoa to more differentiated and higher-value cocoa is, among other factors, hampered by the informal distribution of planting material without clear identity and performance guarantee, the general lack of appropriate selection of suitable genetic materials, and by the predominant use of botanical seed multiplication onfarm, which leads to much segregation of quality attributes
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