10 NEW TRENDS IN CHOCOLATE,

Life is tough out there for all of us. Some people consider it frivolous of me to keep on blogging about chocolate. Well for lots of us, both those who produce chocolate and those that eat chocolate, life is still has some joys. Christmas may not see turkey on our tables, but there will be chicken at least and chocolate pudding at the end.With glasses of home-made wine. It is going to be sustainable years for chocolatiers from 2009 on. Chocolate trends that have begun in a small way during the last decade are favourably gathering momentum.

1) Chocolate is being less regarded as a snack. It is now being respected as a food. There is no need to elaborate of the nutritional and health benefits of chocolate, they are already well known. Large companies like Nestle and Mars have very responsibly begun to move with these trends. In time manufacturers will make demands on suppliers to provide types of chocolate that are aimed at the "chocolate-food" market.

2)Artisans are becoming a major force in chocolate. Artisans with "there are more horizons" atitude are leading the trend rather than those who are mired down by traditional and dour thinking. Artisans in the US are taking the lead. The grouping of Art Pollard, Shawn Askinosie, Alex Whitmore(Taza)DeVries, Alan McClure(Patric) will undoubtly grow in numbers and in setting some exciting trends. Surely Tim Childs, Pierre Marcolini, Ramon Morato(Chocovic),Michael Cluize among others will soon join the ranks. I hope they let Clothilde Dusoulier join too for being, if not a pure artisan, the best looking chocolatier in the world.

Here in Indonesia there are a small group of artisans producing some great chocolate too. We have vast potential to grow in numbers and skills using our own resources.

3)The focus of the cocoa BEAN will shift from the Americas and Africa to South East Asia. And I hope to even parts of north Australia.From Vietnam to the Northern Territory of Australia to Vanuatu,lies vast unexplored resources for great cocoa. There are no less than half a million plantations within this area. The soils and climate of this region undoubtly produce some of the best flavours and sensations waiting to be discovered. The adventure of discovery of cocoa is endless. I hope the artisans from the United States, and Europe, with pack their rucksacks and come here. Let me assure you that in this area there are no adverse issues on Fair Trade nor Child Labour. You can go searching with a clear conscience.

4)Premium Chocolate segment is growing. Though now only 10 percent of the total chocolate market and about $12.9billion in value, Nestle estimates that it will soon grow to $14 billion. Growth of premium chocolate in 2007 over 2006 was 18%. Premium chocolate is steadily encroaching on and influencing the mainstream. In effect this means that mainstream will have to seeks news ways to convert chocolate from a snack, often frivolous, to a god healthy food. The Food Services industry will also be demanding not just great taste, but also great goodness and suitable credentials.

5)That Belgian chocolate is the best in the world will be relegated to the book of myths. The widely held belief, particularly among the Swiss, that Swiss chocolate is inimitable will be of no consequence. European chocolate with have to revent itself with a promise of "adventure" in every bite.Verona is sitting too contentedly on its laurels and Lindt has caught the "drift" and making some tentative forays.Spain is the exception and continues to show flair and passion.Having brought chocolate to Europe in the 16th century they have the responsibility to revent chocolate for the rest of Europe.

New Tree says it's Belgian Chocolate. Thought it has broken away from the dour traditions of Belgium Chocolate and have launched a very innovative range that may point the way to the future of marketing and even pricing chocolate.

6)The next artisans will be adventurers. They may be Asian or others. For Asians the good beans, exciting beans, are in their own backyard. The experienced and adventurous Americans, must expand their horizons. Some merely have scratched the surface in Asia-Pacific.But pottering around is not real adventure and often results in inaccuracies or simply with convenient stories.But at least it has been a tentative poke into the unknown.

7) Innovation, some of which was seen at the recent HIE show in Paris, is the next big word in chocolate after Adventure. Natra, of Spain has made some early entry inby adding Omega-3 and fibre. Conveniently Natra owns 50% stake in the Natraceutical Group. There is a promise of more to come, not just in health aspects but also in tastes and flavour surprises, or all three.

8)Should cocoa continue to be classified as Criollo, Forestero and Trinitano? Or should we start classifying cocoa,rationally, according to origin? Is Criollo still to be consdered as the superior bean? The debate will begin and my guess is that we go will go the wine way.

9)Mainstream chocolate will become smaller, chunkier,milk rich or cocoa rich, healthy of course, nutritious and need-occassion targeted(as opposed to youth-occassion targeted).Natra-Natraceutical type alliances may help. Appeal not just to the mouth but also to the intellect.

10)It will all begin at the farm.With happy,coco-wise, chocolate-wise,farmers. Farmers admit to being somewhat intimidated by the "big guys".So this is precisely i where farmers,artisans, the small bakers, horeca,home industries,smaller processors and manufacturers and others can all work towards interesting, involved and personalised relationships.

11)There is one more. Start a trend. Get your children interested in becoming professional chocolatiers rather than lawyers and bankers.There could be money in it as well as the immense possibility of them growing up to be good people too.

YOUR CHOCOLATES TO COST MORE?

I cant blame Bloomberg for bleak news. It seems to be the trend these days. But they reported yesterday that our(Indonesia's) cocoa production could fall by as much as 21% in three years. Due to diseases infecting crops. That not a small bunch of beans nor small in consequences considering that Indonesia is the third largest producer of cocoa beans in the world.

Bloomberg quotes Halim Razak, Chairman of the Indonesian Cocoa Association who said yesterday that annual production could fall as much as to 380,000 to 400,000 tons if the diseases are not contained.

The cocoa trees have suffered from the blight of the pod borer larvae the late rains and late flowering and the Vascular Streak Dieback disease.It is very serious because 60 percent of trees in Sulawesi, Indonesia's main cocoa producing region, have been infected.

Halim Razak said yields can fall to 380kg a hectare, from the current 500.

Yesterday's Cocoa for December Delivery fell 2.1 percent to $2,540 a ton on ICE Futures US. The most active contract reached $3,290 a ton the highest in twenty years.

Earlier the International Cocoa Organisation had predicted that Indonesia's cocoa production for 12 months, ending October may only total 480,000 tons. Indonesia produced 530,000 tons in 2007.

Last month Mars Inc, makers of M&M and Snickers, said it was girding up to persuade cocoa farmers in Indonesia to raise production by planting cloned seedlings. The Company confidently stated that cocoa has a definite future in this country. Mars is working in Sulawesi as part of a sustainability programme funded by the Indonesian Cocoa Association, Australia, Belgium, Germany, the Indonesian Government, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the International Finance Corporation.

The Indonesian Government Ministry of Industry handbook( the best I have seen) commits that Sulawesi will be developed as a cocoa producing center.

Crop diseases may cost the Indonesian Farmer as much as $388million in output losses.

Mars Symbioscience coordinator Mohd. Hussin Purong said last month that his team was trying to persuade farmers to prune or cut down diseased trees and teaching them the benefits of composting to improve yields. Compositing has revived some trees and farmers are prepared to learn about clones derived from disease resistant strains.

On the market front Hershey's have already raised prices amidst rising costs.

WHICH INDONESIAN CHOCOLATES ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

In the last few weeks I have received many emails from those you who have been reading my blogs. I have also been asked by teachers, mothers and others who I sell chocolates to, which chocolates, or more precisely which Indonesian chocolates, should they buy to get the benefits I have written about in my blogs.

The delay in replying is obviously because I had to talk to experts. Nutritionists, doctors, universities here and abroad to get some valid answers.

No Indonesian chocolate actually contain no polyphenols to provide an anti-oxidant effect or to be really good to lower your blood pressure or good for your heart or have beneficial effects on your blood pressure.Polyphenols in are rich in cocoa but are destroyed(not completely) during fermentation and by heat during cocoa processing.

Flavonoids also present in cocoa is lost during processing. Its benefits to memory and learning are non-existent in locally produced chocolate.

What is therefore of benefit in say Silver Queen,the most popular of all chocolate?
It is an important source of energy with its concentration of calories packaged in a small volume. Cocoa and chocolate are among the most concentrated vegetable energy suppliers.In fact it is probably true that a bar of Silver Queen will give more energy that a bottle of Extra-Joss.

Silver Queen like all good chocolates with its content of sugars and fats can produce a positive, soothing,"suntai" psychological effect while being enjoyed and for some time after. This is probably due to the presence of theombromine and caffeine(minimal).

Silver Queen, will also contain some insoluble dietary fiber which is important in providing a smooth passage of food through the intestines and keep their and stomach walls clean.

Milk chocolate and white chocolate will also contain calcium and proteins. Silver Queen will probably have about 3-4g of protein to 100g.

Silver Queen will also contain some amounts of vitamin A, B Complex, D and E(mostly in Black). But much less, less than 5% of the RDA of each. Minerals are also likely to be present in Silver Queen. Calcium, Copper, Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc and Magnesium, in small quantities.

Chocolate, according to hundreds of scientific studies, has no direct effect on obesity. It does not cause tooth decay or acne.

In the near future you will have chocolates from Mars Inc with Flavanols. Barry Callebaut have already introduced chocolate with polyphenols.Chocolates, with high content of cocoa and other beneficial ingredients are available from time to time at Sogo Food Hall.

Currently Indonesian chocolate manufacturers show very little interest in improving the nutritional profile of their chocolate. Recent launches of snack products show shocking disregard for nutrition.The focus is on taste and texture experiences which they feel cannot be compromised.

I sell chocolates face to face not from shelves and increasing I am asked if the chocolates I sell are indeed "good for you". The consumers of chocolate and chocolate snacks are demanding satiusfaction in health and balanced foods.

Manufacturers elsewhere are getting very serious about new recipes. Kraft has invested much in nanotechnology and molecular gastronomy which analyst the physiochemical laws to create new recipes.Since Kraft's investment in these sciences 15 universities have opened nanotechnology laboratories. The objective to create products that will identify with consumer needs. Manufacturers will soon have to work alongside with physicists and chemists.

IF YOU ARE STUDYING FOR EXAMINATIONS EAT CHOCOLATE

It's good for the heart. It is good for pregnant women.Now scientists confirm that it is good for students studying for examinations. Two studies reveal this. The latest commissioned by MARS and another conducted by Yale University.

THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF CHOCOLATE

In the MARS study it was discovered that cocoas rich in flavonols increased blood flow to the brain and therefore can help in learning, solving and memorizing. Besides giving relief from fatigue. It worked in participants who drank flavonol rich cocoa.

It also worked on mice. Mice fed on flavonol were more effective in solving and remembering.

Dr,. Ian Macdonald of Nottingham University, an old friend, said that flavonal works by enhancing nitrous oxide(NO2) circulation NO2 improves circulation by dilating blood vessels.

Flavonol is actually very bitter. It also is lost during processing. MARS however is coming up with a marketable version costing about $2.

The Yale study also revealed that even the smell of chocolate would improve memory and learning capabilities.