Just about everyone I know, myself included, loves chocolate, and it's often a feature in our office. The history of this universally popular food goes back centuries, and has gone from being introduced to Europe as food of the rich to virtually a household necessity. However, the cost of cacao is increasing at an incredible rate, due, for example, to climate-change and farmers turning to other sources of income. There has therefore been interest in producing chocolate from other sources, as discussed by Chris Baraniuk of the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceqj3z4g0e1o, with varying, but improving, rates of success. I had previously heard of carob being used as an alternative, but some of these sources are more unexpected - sunflower seeds and fava beans. Not only might these sources help fill a gap left by the increasing cost of cacao, they may also provide the advantage of reducing the cost and climate impact of transporting cacao from Africa and the Americas.
Given the huge popularity of chocolate, I expect there to be substantial value in protecting any recipes and processing methods that result in a successful replacement of cacao and provide us with the taste and texture we know and love.
"The wholesale price of the key ingredient, cocoa – which is made from fermented, roasted and ground cacao beans – has increased by an astonishing 300% in 2024."
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