Yeast, cocoa beans and chocolate

Abstract

Yeast play a key role in the fermentation of many foods andbeverages. The best known examples are bread, beer and wine, where understanding of the ecology, biochemistry, physiology and genomics of the yeast contribution is well advanced. Yeast also have prominent roles in the production of other well-known commodities, such as cheeses, salami-style meat sausages, and soy sauce, where their activities in the fermentation and maturation processes are attracting increasing research. Still, there are many other products where yeast have a significant role in fermentation, but aspects of their contributions and how these impact on product quality remain a mystery. Such products include many indigenous fermented foods of Asia, Africa and Central and South America, and two economically important cash crops, cocoa beans and coffee. Consider life without chocolate or good quality coffee! We have been studying cocoa bean fermentations in Indonesia and now in North Queensland, Australia. In this article, we review the role of yeast in the production of cocoa beans and chocolate.