Methods of producing chocolate from cacao plant cell materials

A method of producing chocolate, chocolate-like products, food products, or food materials, based on in vitro cacao plant cell biomass, comprising the steps of:

• a) culturing an in vitro cacao plant cell biomass in a cell culture medium, optionally with at least one microorganism and/or at least one enzyme, wherein the biomass comprises somatic embryos from Theobroma cacao L. explant material;
• b) separating the plant cell biomass from the cell culture medium;
• c) optionally drying the biomass from step b) at least partially to obtain an at least partially dried biomass;
• d) optionally roasting the biomass from step b) or at least partially dried biomass from step c) to obtain a roasted biomass;
• e) optionally grinding the biomass from step b), the at least partially dried biomass from step c) or the roasted biomass from step d) to obtain a ground material;
• f) optionally conching the ground material from step e) to obtain a conched material;
• and
• g) optionally tempering the ground material from step e) or the conched material from step f).