Chocolate products have been a treat for centuries. Early usage can be traced back to the Aztec word “xocoatl,” a bitter drink made from cocoa beans. When Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived around 1519, he found the beverage unappealing. Cortés added cane sugar and honey to it and brought the concoction back to Spain where it quickly became a popular drink.

Chocolate’s key ingredient is the fruit from the Theobroma cacao, a tropical tree whose name means “food of the gods” in Greek. Cacao (or cocoa) bean plantations are located 20 degrees north and south of the Equator. Harvesting the bean from the cocoa pod (fruit) is a multi-step process before it is ready for shipment to food processors worldwide.

While the refined processed product imports a smooth, velvety taste, the cocoa bean itself has natural bitterness and astringency. Manufacturers producing chocolate products, including snack bars, frostings, syrups and sauces, brownies, cakes, and beverages, are tasked with potentiating the flavor profile to its fullest.

LifeWise SimplySavor can help with this task. It is a natural flavor modifier which can be added to your formula to boost the decadent chocolate notes or even to replace some of the cocoa within it, while still maintaining the rich indulgent profile. The usage level (depending on application) of 0.1-1.0% by weight does not affect critical label claims.