FAQs: About the protocol
Q: What is the actual name of the protocol?
A: The official name of this protocol is Sensory Evaluation of Unroasted Cacao Beans as Coarse Powder, yet it is also sometimes referred to as the “FCCI protocol” (due to our organization’s role in its authorship and dissemination), the “field method” (due to its potential use in cacao production settings without electricity), the “popcorn method” (due to its sometime use of an electric popcorn popper), and even the “dancing protocol” (due to the shaking – like maracas – of the popcorn popper and coffee grinder during sample preparation).
Q: Does this protocol involve roasting or “flash roasting” the cacao beans?
A: Using an electronic popcorn popper to impart heat to the cacao beans serves the purpose of reducing moisture in the cacao shell, making it easier to peel the shell and release the cacao nibs. This exposure to heat must not last longer than 60 seconds. This heat exposure does not roast the cacao, and one must be careful not to do so. If you wish to use this protocol with roasted cacao, refer to the chapter on roasting in the Guide for the Assessment of Cacao Quality and Flavour for guidance.
Q: What constitutes a representative sample in this protocol?
A: For a small amount of cacao beans, randomly select 30 to 50 beans. For a sizable amount of beans (e.g. from a sack or lot), choose a 2kg sample from different parts of the lot and weigh 500g of beans to use for the protocol. For more information, follow the guidelines for selecting a representative sample in the Guide for the Assessment of Cacao Quality and Flavour.
Q: How can I assess the flavor of one cacao bean?
A: The taste of one cacao bean will not accurately inform the sensory profile of a finished cacao-based product. We recommend assessing cacao quality according to the sampling guidelines in the Guide for the Assessment of Cacao Quality and Flavour.
Q: Is this protocol better than, or does it replace the need for evaluating chocolate liquor or finished chocolate?
A: No, this protocol has always been intended as a simple, quick, and inexpensive complement to the more costly and time-consuming production and consumption of chocolate liquor and finished chocolate. It serves as a first opportunity to evaluate the quality and flavor of cacao beans in preparation for their further processing. It also allows cacao producers, frequently excluded from the process of sensory evaluation, to evaluate their cacao themselves. We recommend visiting the Guide for the Assessment of Cacao Quality and Flavour for more information.
Q: Can a consultant or trainer charge money to teach me, my community, or my company this protocol?
A: Access to protocol demonstration and materials are available for free via FCCI and Cacao of Excellence. No individual consultant, company, or trainer has the right or permission to charge for training on the FCCI methodology; however, we welcome those who wish to make a reference to or demonstrate the protocol in their for-profit work. If outright for-profit training on FCCI protocols/resources does occur or you suspect that you are being sold a paid training by a for-profit third party (other than FCCI or Cacao of Excellence) using these resources, please contact us at contact@chocolateinstitute.org.
Q: I am a for-profit consultant, company, or trainer that would like to teach this method as part of my work. How can I do it?
A: As an individual consultant, feel free to use this protocol and its open access resources to complete current and future client-specific projects. Please always guide your clientele to the language and methods explained in the Guide for the Assessment of Cacao Quality and Flavour for the purpose of disseminating accurate information. If you are planning to host a training session – such as a workshop or a course – charging a price for participants and/or receiving financial support from a private/public organization, we ask that you practice professional courtesy by contacting us at contact@chocolateinstitute.org to share the objectives of your training and determine how best to collaborate in the dissemination of accurate information. FCCI reserves the right to proceed according to mechanisms available in the United States and abroad to protect the not-for-profit and open access nature of these resources for the general public.
Q: Where can I take a class or workshop to learn this protocol?
A: FCCI provides open access instructional videos demonstrating the protocol and related tools. The Guide for the Assessment of Cacao Quality and Flavour provides detailed textual guidance on the protocol. Newcomers and avid users of this protocol should need no further training on how to complete the protocol after reviewing all open access resources available. If you have any questions, please contact us at contact@chocolateinstitute.org. If you are interested in broader quality or sensory evaluation training, please contact Cacao of Excellence via the Program’s Coordinator Julien Simonis (j.simonis@cgiar.org) or the Associate Team Leader of the Cacao Quality Laboratory and Training Center Sebastián Escobar Parra (s.escobar@cgiar.com).
Q: My preferred language of instruction is not represented in these videos; how can it be added?
A: These videos can be adapted to fit any language of instruction. If you are interested in participating in making the protocol instructional videos available in a language other than the ones offered, please contact our executive director José López Ganem (jose@chocolateinstitute.org).