As Tomoya Yamashiki points to the three chocolate muffins before him, his eyes light up as he describes in turn their rich, umami and fruity flavors.
Though the muffins all contain the same two ingredients — cocoa beans and cane sugar — each one has a completely different taste. The secret, he explains, is the origin of the beans used to make them. And Yamashiki, quite the expert, can pinpoint whether the beans were sourced from Ecuador, Madagascar or the Dominican Republic after a mere mouthful.
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