Good flavour is a sensation. You must experience it to know it. Dr Lopez says he got hooked on chocolate while on holiday in Trinidad and Tobago 30 years ago, and his work has since taken him to Brazil, Belize, Grenada, the United States and, currently, to Malaysia. Today, there are some 300 experts in Commonwealth countries at any given time with the Fund.
Malaysian cocoa faces a problem.
Many farmers switched to palm oil because prices were better. Others cut back on maintenance, which has enabled black pod, a fungal disease, and the highly destructive cocoa pod borer pest to gain footholds. With world demand expected to outpace production, the price outlook is reasonably good. Poor quality can cut 20 per cent off the price, and Malaysian cocoa has a reputation for acidity, a weaker flavour than its West African counterpart, and smoke contamination. Dr Lopez has therefore been experimenting with different equipment and techniques.