Cocoa investors enjoy sweet taste of success in '08

Savvy investors should have piled into cocoa in 2008: With gains of 71 percent in London it was the best performer among the major financial markets, and could outperform again in 2009 because of worries over supply.

Cocoa futures have put in a commanding performance this year, outperforming other asset classes as the global economy switched from boom to bust.

"Cocoa has good fundamentals - sell it at your peril," said Lars Steffensen, managing director of London-based commodities fund Ebullio Capital Management.