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From tropical cacao pods to the chocolate bars lining store shelves, chocolate’s journey is a rich fusion of science, culture, and global systems. Chocolate Unwrapped introduces students to the biological, chemical, and physical transformations that convert raw cacao seeds into one of the world’s most cherished foods. Through engaging lectures, guided tastings, and discussions, students explore how fermentation, roasting, conching, and tempering shape chocolate’s flavor, texture, and quality.

Equally central to the course is chocolate’s global story, its origins in ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, its evolution through European industrialization, and its current role as a complex global commodity. Students investigate ethical and sustainability issues in cacao farming, including labor practices, trade inequities, and environmental impacts, while considering how consumer choices influence global food systems.

Designed for non-science majors, this course blends accessible scientific inquiry with cultural, historical, and ethical perspectives, empowering students to connect food technology with its broader societal implications. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper appreciation for how science transforms cacao into delight and how that transformation shapes the world.

Global Perspectives

Every Fall