kokumicraft
saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, savoriness: it all comes down to crave-worthiness
First, the science-y bits and a wee re-cap.
Taste is the perception stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor cells located on taste buds in the oral cavity, mostly on the tongue, but also in the back of our throat. For a long while it was thought only four tastes existed (sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness), until umami (savoriness) was discovered.
Umami-rich ingredients include parmesan, soy, mushrooms, and black garlic.
Taste, along with the sense of smell (remember our discussions about aromatic volatiles?) and nerve stimulation (texture, pain, sound, and temperature—mint reads “cool” whereas certain spices read “hot,” and there’s much to be said for why so many of us equate “crunch” with yum) conveys flavors of food.
Kokumi is now thought to be the sixth “taste,” but…is not exactly a taste, it’s a taste impression identified in an amino acid that interacts with our tongue’s calcium receptors. Like maillard, which requires reducing sugars and proteins to create enzymatic browning (unless we use culinary trick-wizardy, like the above plant-based caramel which had neither), kokumi is created under specific circumstances. I hope this notion set off a lightbulb for you, because “specific circumstances” says to the inclusioncrafter in me “how can I/what can i use to mimic kokumi.” I’m working on a kokumi-inspired bar for September: Tokyo Street Corn bar. The corn is sweet and savory, will be grilled (produces bitter), salty (from bonito flakes), lime juice will add the sour, etc. Sound weird? of course. Did I wonder what people would think about a black garlic bar? a bit, but not after I made it and tasted it.
The goal is crave-worthy, not TikTok stunt chocolate.
I first learned about kokumi in a class on sensory perception (How to Improve Your Sensory Skills), taught by Fabiana Carvalho, a Brazilian neuroscientist and founder The Coffee Sensorium, a research and education project. Fabiana described it as “fattyness,” a way the other five tastes came together, which in my (chocolate crafting) mind = creaminess. The idea of kokumi made sense to me in a “so that’s why I adore certain combinations” way, filling in a blank in my tasting experience. When I googled “kokumi” the word that came up a lot was richness, alongside the words “heartiness", "full flavor, “mouthfulness.” Any guess what I thought of immediately?
Not a single dark bar on the planet.
Kokumi isn’t a flavor or taste, but IS something that brings flavors together, by highlighting the other tastes. Single origin dark chocolate might be sweet (70% and below), sour (certain origins high in esters and acids can “seem” sour), salty is less-often used as a descriptor though! fermentation expert Sarah Bharath recently described encountering a salty batch (no salt added), makers definitely encounter bitterness in dark chocolate (sometimes quite pleasant as it gives interest), and yes, we have umami-forward origins. I can’t help but wonder how much taste is lost when an origin is buried under sugar.
That said, I adore milk chocolate. And I crave the chocolate I gave up when I took the craft oath lol, became a craft chocolate maker: the joke in my family is that, because we buried our beloved Springer Spaniel Hughbert with a can of his favorite forbidden food (the cat’s food), maybe I should be buried with a packet of Reese’s peanut butter cups.
What this has to do with inclusioncrafting and why I see the need for yet another -craft (kokumicraft) in the slow batch lexicon
I was on a trip recently and looking for locally crafted chocolate (I knew in advance the makers that live/craft in that town and state), did some quick research, swung by Whole Foods (couldn’t find any, even after asking an employee), was directed by my pal google to a wonderful coffee shop, and found, really good coffee and a slice of pumpkin bread, a distributor’s curation of big craft (they sell a certain stable of makers). I was there to buy chocolate, but I didn’t buy any chocolate.
Imagine Consumer Shopping for Craft Chocolate the board game. If you land on “go to jail where you have to eat dollar store chocolate,” it’s no less disappointing on your next roll of the dice to land on Boring Big Batch selections, because at least the cheap stuff is cheap. By boring I am being 100% subjective. I’ve had all the 70% Kokoa Kamili Tanzania for a lifetime, but an 85% would at least get a second glance. I’ve also supported the craft community by buying other makers’ bars, so I have tried a lot. Of course, to a “regular” chocolate shopper, the Tanzania 70% can be okay. But that same shopper in the game can easily land on Trader Joe’s has craft-ish looking and sounding bars for $1.99, so why should they spend an extra $10 for something that doesn’t knock their socks off at least even visually?
I know I say this often and I know some of you may think I am biased and heck yes I am. If the most exciting, intentionally creative and enjoyable chocolate I encounter over and over again ONLY comes from small/slow batch makers, I’m perfectly okay with my bias, as is my wallet.
What’s kokumi got to do with it
The PSL (pumpkin spice latte) effect is a year-long craved beverage, hot or cold, that has sweetness, a slight undertone of saltiness, bitterness from coffee, umami from the spices (including a “greenness” from cardamom that is possibly a teensy sour note against the sweetness), and a rounded, fatty, rich mouthfeel bringing it all together. A PSL has kokumi beating in its happy little Starbuck’s heart.
Maybe it’s just me, but fall (here in the US it’s September-Thanksgiving in late November) is the season when my inclusioncrafting ideas explode. I suddenly long to make creamier, sweeter, saltier, crunchier, umami-bombs, toastier, boozier, nuttier, spicier creations. I want layers of flavor, texture, unctiousness! And I don’t think I’m the only chocolate fan with these cravings.
I hope these mood board will be useful/inspirational. In the livestream (Wednesday, for paid subscribers) we’ll go through a bunch of how-to’s how would I’s. Each bar began as an idea, or as a specific ingredient I wanted to work with. All I did was brainstorm how to turn it into chocolate.
Happy crafting!
Mackenzie
Ok, now I go in search of Kokumi. 🙏🙏
and you'll start finding it everywhere!