Estudio de factibilidad del uso del Saman (samanea saman) en la elaboración de una barra de chocolate sucedáneo

Abstract

The growing global demand for chocolate and the unsustainability of cocoa plantations prompted this research, which focused on the development of a chocolate substitute from the fruit of the Saman (Samanea saman), a tree of the Fabaceae family, native to warm areas of Ecuador such as Guayas, Manabí, Esmeraldas, El Oro, Los Rios and Santa Elena. In its first phase, the study involved a detailed analysis of the botanical characteristics of the Saman, whose elongated pods contain small seeds and a relatively sweet, viscous pulp. The experimental process involved two tests. The first was rejected because the flavors and fat stability in the bar did not meet the desired standards. However, in the second test, these aspects were perfected, achieving stable bars. From this established foundation, different variants of bars were created. To evaluate the acceptance of the product, a focus group was conducted with a blind test in which three types of the substitute bar and one type of 100% chocolate were tested as a comparison. The results revealed a variety of preferences, highlighting that the sweet bar received unanimous approval from participants. This study demonstrates the potential of the Saman fruit as a viable and sustainable alternative to cocoa, offering a new product with organoleptic characteristics attractive to the consumer. It is recommended to conduct further research that focuses on optimizing the production process and exploring more taste and texture variants as well as other derived products to meet different market preferences.