It's Gettin' Hot in Here: Breeding Robust Yeast Starter Cultures for Cocoa Fermentation

Abstract

Cocoa beans have to undergo post-harvest fermentation and drying to develop the typical 'cocoa flavor' associated with chocolate. Yeasts play a pivotal role during the fermentation but are generally outcompeted early in the process. Meersman and colleagues describe an elegant breeding-based approach to generate robust yeast starter cultures for cocoa fermentation.

Keywords: Saccharomyces; cocoa; fermentation; flavor; thermotolerance; yeast.