Last night, this 5pm Dining blog writer was at a chocolate-themed event as part of Edinburgh International Science Festival (check their GastroFest strand).
I was there for the ‘Chocolate: Food of the Gods’ event which might have been subtitled ‘Cacao: Everything You Always Wanted to Know But Were Too Afraid To Ask’.
As you might expect, the evening was chocka (sorry) with cacao facts. For example, the idea of chocolate bars is a relatively new one. For most of the time that people have been enjoying chocolate, they have consumed it as a drink. People only started making chocolate bars in the 1840s.
In evolutionary terms, the cacao plant as we know it has been around some 10 million years and humans have been cultivating it for about 2000 of them.
Bitter water
The Spanish may have been the first to bring cacao to Europe in the 16th century but it didn’t really take off in popularity for around 150 or so years. The Spanish really weren’t keen to begin with describing the Aztec’s chocolatl drink as tasting like ‘bitter water’.
While the plant is originally from South America, that region has been eclipsed in cacao production by West Africa. The plant was introduced to Ghana in 1857 and West Africa now produces of 75% of all cacao consumed worldwide.
Growing demand from countries like India and China – relatively new converts to the delights of a chocolate bar – mean that there is increasing pressure on the cacao supply chain.
But don’t panic. Fortunately, top scientists such as Professor Paul Hadley of the University of Reading, are doing their best to ensure that we won’t run out of chocolate by improving the sustainability of cacao farming.
Your blogger was at the event as a guest of Mackie’s. The Aberdeenshire company is well known for its ice creams and crisps. It has recently moved in to chocolate production.
Chief chocolate taster
They are currently running a promotion to recruit a chief chocolate taster by challenging people to come up with their own flavour ideas.
Perhaps not surprisingly, more than 2600 people applied with entries from Irvine, Scotland to Irving, Texas.
Surprisingly, only one entry was illegal but more unusual suggestions included pandanus leaf, bacon, garlic, pickled onion, seaweed and a rainbow.
The suggestions have been whittled down to two: Raspberry and Rose from Gayle Veitch of Aberdeen and Popcorn and Peanut Butter from Jamie-Lee O’Neil of Hamilton.
Which should win? Voting is underway here.