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Chocolates
Theobroma Cacao, food of the gods. The plant whose
beans give us CHOCOLATE, that delicious, sweet treat
that we readily have during special occasions, or give as
a gift for a special someone. A fragile plant, that needs to
be rown under very specIBc envIronmenLal IacLors Lo
survive, let alone thrive.
History in the Making
By Elaine Young
page 1
Le BrsL evIdence oI
mans love affair
with cocoa was
found in Ula valley,
in central Honduras,
from 2000 BC to
1000 AD. An area
which possessed
tropical heat,
abundant shade
from tall trees, and
rich soil.
Perfect for growing cocoa trees. In
the early 1600s, when the Spanish
chocolate monopoly was broken,
and cocoa was introduced to
other European countries, cocoa
trees were planted in East-Indian
States controlled by the Europeans
such as Java, Sumatra and the
Philippines. These plantations were
expanded during the early 1800s
when the Portuguese exported
Brazilian cocoa to Africa. Over the
course of several hundred years,
these breakthroughs transformed
chocolate from food only for
kings and nobility, to something
accessible to everyone.
The cocoa beans used by premium
European chocolate manufacturers
originate primarily from regions such
as the Ivory Coast and Ghana from
West Africa, or Java from Indonesia.
Occasionally cocoa beans are
sourced from other locations, such
as South American countries:
Ecuador, Columbia or even Mexico.
Each cocoa bean gives their
own favour nuances and aroma,
depending on the terroir, the forces
of nature and the fora and fauna
around it.
Could it be possible to grow it in
our own tropical rainforests, right
here in Australia? Consider that the
northern part of our country is still
within 20 degrees of the equator,
still very much considered to be part
of the equatorial belt. As chefs and
chocolatiers, wouldnt it be amazing
to savour, use and create something
capable of showcasing true
Austra||an favours by exper|enc|ng
chocolate produced from Australian
cocoa trees? Wouldnt that be
something that we can be proud
of? Wouldnt that be something that
youd want to experiment with?
Twenty years ago, this was just
another farfetched idea. A decade
ago things got a bit more serious,
when Dr. Barry Kitchen, then
executive chairman of Cadbury
Schweppes, conducted cocoa
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ABOVE: Daintree Estates Plantation
australian chocolates
ABOVE: Daintree Estate Gift packs
page 2
plantation trials in North Queensland
with the support of the Queensland
government.
In 2010, after eight years of
research, studies concluded that in
the foothills of our UNESCO heritage
listed Daintree Rainforest - where
a vast wealth of incredibly diverse
||fe forms, refned over 170 m||||on
years co-exist - the cacao plant
can grow and thrive successfully.
Horticulturists and scientists were
able to grow cocoa trees which
produced high yields of quality
cocoa beans while simultaneously
being able to control major pest and
disease problems.
Now that there was a viable
Australian location to grow cocoa
trees, the next challenge was
creating a business model that
would allow the industry to become
sustainable. The ultimate goal was
an ecosystem where farmers and
chocolate manufacturers both
benefted.
In 2010, Dr. Barry Kitchen became
the executive chairman of Daintree
Cocoa Pty Ltd. A business model
was subsequently developed to
establish a viable cocoa industry.
This model resulted in the farmers
being fairly compensated for their
cocoa pods by implementing
a unique, vertically integrated
business model. The name Daintree
Estates was g|ven to the frst cocoa
plantation in Australia. Daintree
Estates embraces practices to
grow and manufacture chocolate
in a sustainable and symbiotic
relationship of working the land and
operating the business. The cocoa
growers are not only exclusive
suppliers to the company, but
are also shareholders and have
representation on the company
board.
The company prides themselves
on their expertise in food science,
research, recipe development and
industry knowledge. They use
cutting edge technology and have
developed methods to streamline
processes that would otherwise
be very labour intensive, requiring
manual workers to cut, ferment,
dry and check the cocoa beans
for quality prior to chocolate
processing.
The company has designed a
revolutionary automatic pod splitter
and wet bean remover which
solved the challenges imposed
by high labour costs in Australia.
They also developed innovative
nursery processes to grow healthy
seedlings. With these advancements
in technology, general know-how
and an effc|ent use of resources,
Daintree Estates is able to generate
a plantation yield approximately
three times higher compared to
farms in Ghana and Indonesia.
The favour of the choco|ate |s
very much |nfuenced by |ts terro|r.
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Chocolates
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ABOVE: John_Goodman BELOW (L): Signage to Daintree. (R) Gift Pack
Daintree chocolates can be discovered, tasted
and experienced at different retail shops and
stockists around Australia and are available
online at www.shop.daintreeestates.com
page 3
Terroir is a term used to describe the
geographical location, environment,
quality of soil and climate conditions
that all play a part in the quality and
uniqueness of the end product. The
terro|r transm|ts a un|que favour prof|e
that makes the cocoa beans grown
in Queensland easily recognisable
based on the favours and aromas
that are in the cocoa beans made
into a bar. Each country of origin has
the|r own d|st|nct favour; |n fact each
estate develops chocolate which is
compr|sed of a d|fferent favour prof|e.
Depending on the weather conditions
|n a part|cu|ar year, vary|ng favour
nuances are developed. Daintree
Chocolates is unique as the cocoa
bean comes from a single estate. In
fact, they have recently developed
single-harvest chocolates which are
not unlike wine, where each harvest
produces chocolate bars that are
different from the next seasons
harvest.
According to Dr. Barry Kitchen, the
cocoa beans that are harvested are
currently of a volume that is enough
to meet demand for their single-
estate chocolate bars. Although
they are seeking more growers in
the region, the business model has
already proven itself sustainable. They
pride themselves on their industry
knowledge and expertise, and by
adding value to the product through
science, skill and technology and
general know-how, they are able to
maintain a more sustainable industry
- one that may grow slowly but will
be benefc|a| to both farmers and
chocolate manufacturers.
Daintree Chocolates has joined
an exclusive circle of companies
that control the entire chocolate
manufacturing cycle from plantation to
plate. This includes every step of the
way from growing seedlings through
to processing the pods, fermenting the
beans and chocolate manufacturing.
They are the only chocolate
manufacturer using Daintree Gold
raw sugar grown in the same area
as where the cocoa pods proliferate.
Th|s he|ps to bu||d the favour prof|e
in the chocolate bars. The processing
of the sugar controlled by their mill
reta|ns natura| favour compounds,
antioxidants and polyphenols (a
particular type of antioxidant which
aids in the elimination of free radicals
proven to prevent cancer and some
heart conditions). This contributes
to Australian chocolates having
a polyphenol content higher than
chocolate produced in other countries.
Sugar cane that is grown in the same
soils and climactic factors as the
cocoa beans create chocolates that
are truly Australian in origin and taste.
Daintree Estates will be launching
their Sweet Farm Tours soon, which
gives consumers the opportunity
to experience the entire process of
chocolate production, from plantation
to plate. Guests will be able to see
and experience cocoa plantations
alongside sugar cane plantations.
This tour also involves tasting and
educat|on about the fner po|nts of
chocolate production.
Australian chocolate produced by
Da|ntree Estates has a un|que favour
prof|e wh|ch |nc|udes a robust,
strong chocolate taste while leaving a
pleasant lingering tropical note on the
back of the palette. Daintree Estates
are also able to create chocolates
with unique, individual recipes for food
professionals. Chefs, chocolatiers and
confectionary manufacturers can now
use choco|ates created spec|fca||y
for the|r manufactur|ng and favour
requirements.
With this breakthrough in the new
Australian chocolate industry, where
are we heading? How far can we go
as a country placed on the chocolate
manufacturing map? What will its
effects be to our food culture?
W||| th|s be as s|gn|fcant a moment as
the changes that occurred back in the
1600s when cocoa trees proliferated
throughout the East-Indian states due
to European conquistadors? What are
we as chefs, chocolatiers, business
owners and consumers in Australia
going to make out of this? This is an
exciting time to be in the food industry.
Could it be history in the making?
ABOVE: (L) Australian Cocoa Pod, (C) Yellow Pods, (R) Roasted Cocoa Beans
australian chocolates
Elaine is a Consultant Pastry Chef/Chocolatier who has worked with food companies helping
them create an engaging connection with their consumers through professional and expert
advice, recipe development, demonstrations and informational content.
www.ediblejourneys.com.au
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