World leading agricultural practices
Australian chocolate is a high quality product produced with carefully controlled safe practices. This results in chocolate with optimal flavour that’s among the world’s best. The sourcing and production practices also ensure Australian chocolate production follows sustainability guidelines and standards.
It takes about five million tonnes of cocoa to make the chocolate the world consumes each year. 70 per cent of those five million tonnes is grown in West Africa. Major producer countries are Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana. In 2019 Ivory Coast produced 1.9 million tonnes or 38 per cent of the world supply. While hugely important as an economic driver for the West African region, cocoa production is not without problems.
Life isn’t easy for a West African cocoa farmer. The vast majority of cocoa is grown by small subsistence farmers on one to five hectares and often with only a few hundred cocoa trees. Cocoa is a cash crop along with rubber, coffee and oil palms and the farmers generate a meagre income. Most of the farming work is done manually. Indentured labour and child labour are still common and corruption is entrenched. Fertiliser is rarely affordable and pest management is usually not used. As soils in established growing areas are depleted, mass deforestation has occurred. Other factors impacting cocoa quality are poor yields, harvesting, fermenting and drying practices.
Harvesting, drying and fermenting
Cocoa should be harvested at the ideal stage of ripeness. Ripeness is determined by the colour of the pod. Harvesting too early results in beans with diminished flavour. Harvesting too late results in beans with ‘off’’ flavour. Due to the economic circumstances of the farmers, pods are often picked at less than ideal ripeness.
Fermentation is the critical step in producing excellent flavour in the finished chocolate. Fermentation methods, appropriate fermentation vessels, absolute hygiene and temperature monitoring are required for consistently excellent results.
Drying needs optimum conditions. Sun drying is ideal. As cocoa is grown in high rainfall areas, however, moisture can cause moulds. Contamination by domestic and wild animals is a concern for some farmers. Wood fired drying is often used. If not done carefully there will be a smoke taint in the chocolate.
Chocolate makers who import beans must be on the lookout for substandard beans.
Australian grown cocoa
Australian agriculture is technologically advanced. From the early stages of the Australian cocoa industry, it was recognised by key influencers and farmers that Australian cocoa must be of the very highest quality. Australian cocoa would also need to be high yielding.
Australia is a well-regulated country committed to social justice principles and does not tolerate poor practices such as deforestation and indentured labour. And Australian cocoa growers understand the economic benefit of producing premium quality beans.
Australian cocoa processes
Australian cocoa pods are harvested at optimum ripeness. Pod opening and fermentation is done in controlled, covered situations. Australian fermentation takes place in clean vessels rather than directly on the ground. Time and temperature are plotted carefully and recorded. Samples are regularly tested in accredited microbiological labs. Drying, followed by bean storage, is carefully monitored with testing for specific moisture content.
Awards
Charley’s is a highly awarded cocoa grower and chocolate maker both nationally and internationally.
Charley’s chocolate has won numerous gold, silver and bronze awards at top food shows in Australia over the few years since Charley’s was founded–as well as trophies for best in show (not the movie!). Competition is stiff, confirming that Australian chocolate is very good and Charley’s amongst the best in Australia.
In October 2017 Charley’s achieved elite global status when the international Cocoa of Excellence program at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris judged Charley’s Mount Edna cocoa as one of the world’s 18 finest.
The taste test
Why not put on a chocolate tasting and see the differences between imported, local and mass produced products. Advisory board member Fred Schilling, champion taster, can assist if asked.