Chocolate fans can attest to the vast range of flavors that this sweet treat has to offer, not only from brand to brand, but also from country to country. Consumer preferences are also just as diverse.
US chocolate: Sweet, thick and often with filling
Cocoa arrived in the North American colonies as a drink from Latin America in the 17th century.
The dense, sweet chocolate that is popular today, however, was brought to the New World by Swiss chocolatiers in the second half of the 19th century. Despite their common origins, Swiss and US chocolate taste very different.
In the United States, the most successful brands prioritize a long shelf life and a flavor that many European palates take some getting used to.
This is partly due to the use of butyric acid, which gives US chocolate a slightly sour note — which is often unsettling to European palates. But the high sugar content and additives such as corn syrup or vegetable fats are also characteristic of the typical flavor of American chocolate. "What is also very popular there are large, thick bars with filling," explains German chocolate sommelier Julia Moser.
European chocolate: Tradition is important
In Western Europe — especially in Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Germany — the focus is on fine taste and high quality.
Chocolate recipes in the EU, for example, are more strictly regulated than in the US: Milk chocolate must contain at least 25% cocoa solids, and cocoa butter is required as the main fat. Manufacturers rely on traditional processes such as conching, which gives chocolate its fine, creamy texture. "The appreciation for good chocolate is growing here, even though milk chocolate is still the most widely consumed, because that's what most of us are used to from childhood," says Moser. "Dark chocolate only starts to become more popular in adulthood."
Growing markets in India and Africa — with their own preferences
In India and other parts of Asia, chocolate is a relatively new delicacy. Industrial production only began here in the mid-20th century.
However, the market is now growing rapidly and is replacing traditional sweets, especially among younger people. "Indian chocolate is considered an insider tip at the moment," says Julia Moser, "The cocoa beans there have a very distinctive fruitiness with a nutty note."
Africa, especially West Africa, is the world's largest producer of cocoa. However, chocolate consumption there accounted for only around 4% of the global market in 2018.
This is also due to the heat, which makes it very difficult to produce chocolate bars, explains Julia Moser: "People there typically enjoy the fresh pulp of the cocoa beans or make a paste from roasted beans, which they then use to make chocolate drinks."
In countries such as Ghana, however, the world's largest cocoa producer after Côte d'Ivoire, interest in locally produced chocolate is growing.
The most unusual chocolate flavors, at least from a Western perspective, can be found in Japan, where KitKat bars in flavors such as matcha, soy sauce and wasabi have been cult favorites for years.
The dark side of chocolate production
Despite all the pleasure we derive from delicious and special types of chocolate, we should not forget the dark side of its history: Cocoa's triumphant journey from Latin America to the rest of the world is inextricably linked to colonial exploitation. It was the European colonial powers that deliberately introduced the cocoa plant to their tropical colonies in order to meet growing demand in Europe. Cultivation and harvesting were carried out with the help of the local population — usually under inhumane conditions.
And even today, many cocoa farmers are still at the mercy of the power mechanisms of the global market. Despite their hard work, many live in extreme poverty because they are not adequately compensated due to the low prices paid by trading companies.
