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Author(s):
Peter Fryer and Kerstin Pinschower

Chocolate is a common confectionery material throughout the world that has seen generally increasing production trends over the last 10 years.  Making chocolate requires an understanding of how the consumer perceives it. The preferred type of chocolate varies from country to country; for example, common U.S. and U.K. chocolate tastes are mutually incomprehensible, while the rest of Europe hates both of them! The different tastes and uses for chocolate reflect the histories of the industry in different places.

The taste of chocolate is partially determined by the chemistry of the product; typical formulations of chocolate are shown in Table I. Whatever type or taste of chocolate, however, the taste experienced by the consumer also depends critically on the micrometer-scale structure of the chocolate, which can consist of crystals and particles ranging from 10 m to 120 m in diameter, depending on the product.  Taste depends on the release of flavor compounds to the mouth and nose, while perceived texture is a function of the way in which the material melts and breaks up in the mouth. This is a materials-science problem; making chocolate involves solving problems that are familiar in other areas of science.

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