Healthier, better-tasting chocolate

    Researchers from Ghent University in Belgium and the University of Ghana have developed a new technique for making chocolate that results in it being both healthier and more flavorful. The technique differs from conventional chocolate production in that cacao beans are roasted at a lower temperature and bean pods are left unopened for five days rather than split open right away. It is expected to be particularly useful in countries where cacao beans have less natural flavor and antioxidant activity.
     Cacao beans/seeds are normally removed from their pods shortly after these get cut from cocoa trees. The beans then go through a fermentation process that basically involves them sweating in baskets for a number of days, which causes a series of chemical changes that break down the sugar and plant embryo and prepare them for the next stage (after drying): roasting. The beans get roasted for 10-20 minutes,  bringing out the flavor but killing most of the polyphenols (antioxidants).
    Scientists believe that polyphenols have a significant health benefit, with links to reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and neurological diseases. 
     Normally in chocolate production, higher polyphenol concentration comes at the expense of taste – more polyphenol means more bitterness (which is an undesirable trait in chocolate). The technique will be particularly useful in countries around Southeast Asia and Latin America where cocoa beans produce chocolate with a less intense flavor.