For over 100 years, cocoa has been a driving force behind commercial agriculture in Papua New Guinea. But until now there has been little local use of PNG cocoa; instead, large quantities have been exported. In 2011, Paradise Foods Limited embarked on a new project to process PNG-grown cocoa beans into world-class single-origin chocolate couverture, investing in the establishment of a pilot plant in Port Moresby.

Packaging the chocolate. Credit: Paradise Foods

‘Our chocolatiers have been developing fine covertures using recently developed equipment that is able to process PNG’s unique rich cocoa beans to chocolate from a single source,’ says David Peate, Managing Director of Paradise Foods. ‘This means we are able to use the whole bean without any additional cocoa butter, which has resulted in a very pure, rich taste.’

The finished Queen Emma chocolate

Paradise Foods, through its Queen Emma Chocolate Company, has developed three types of chocolate: Dark Couverture, Lovina Milk chocolate and Queen Emma Gold, each with a distinctive taste profile.

100% pure PNG product

The Dark Couverture is produced from a single-source Cocoa Bean from plantations in New Britain, Bougainville, Sepik, Kokoda, Madang and Morobe. Peate says ‘It is 100% pure PNG product. It is made out of 75% cocoa liquor, Ramu sugar and organic vanilla that is all grown here in PNG. Even the box is made from local kunia grass!’

Executive Chef of Port Moresby’s Crowne Plaza Hotel, Gavin Wilcock, has been testing the Queen Emma dark couvertures: ‘The PNG dark couverture has a very distinct taste,’ Wilcock declares. ‘It has a biting, beautiful flavour that makes the palate beg for red wine.’

In contrast to the dark chocolate couverture, Lovina Milk chocolate and Queen Emma Gold display light and delicate chocolate flavours.

Quality assured

The process begins with the sourcing of highest quality cocoa beans from the growing regions of PNG. After initial post-harvest processing, the beans are brought to the plant in Port Moresby, which converts them into fine dark covertures.

‘We would like to ensure that PNG gets international recognition and benefits from the crops that we use’

The Queen Emma chocolate brand is building on PNG’s excellent reputation as a producer of full-flavoured cocoa.

Beans are cooled and checked before being transferred to a winnow, where the shell is separated from the cocoa. The cocoa is then ground to a fine paste and transferred to the ball mills where the sugar and other ingredients are added The chocolate is milled for a number of hours to develop a fine texture before being transferred to the chocolate temper. After tempering, the chocolate is poured into moulds to cool before the packaging process can begin.

‘We would like to ensure that PNG gets international recognition and benefits from the crops that we use,’ Peate emphasised. The project also represents a new career opportunity for Papua New Guineans, as well as contributing to the development of other PNG-made products.

This article first published in Made in PNG 2012