Cacao Origins

 

Our Own Cacaotal - Finca Cuyancùa, Izalco, El Salvador

( Picture: Juan Rafael Trigueros Hill, Co-Founder, Vaicacao)

Our farm is located in Atecozol, Izalco, a municipality of Sonsonate at 1,312 feet (400 meters) above sea level. We are near many waterways, and a small stream crosses the farm and fills up the reservoir that we use for irrigation.

Originally we grew coffee, and in the early 2000’s JuanRa’s dad, Rafael, started to diversify to cacao while also creating a cooperative of cacao producers. He took the initiative to develop a cacao nursery, and to transform the old coffee mill into a modern post-harvest facility where cacao from all the growers in the cooperative is fermented and dried to bring out the best quality the beans can offer. Over the years, we’ve held many seminars on proper agricultural practices at different stages of cacao growing, from planting and grafting to pruning and harvesting. 

Apart from the fact that we helped plant some of the trees that produce these cosmically delicious beans, we are very attached to this farm because of all the wonderful learning experiences we’ve had here. This was where our initial encounter took place with the magical plant of theobroma cacao, and where JuanRa formed precious family memories of going to the farm during the weekend with his grandparents and father ever since he was very little. Fine flavor trinitario acriollado and DNA test-confirmed criollo cacao trees now grow underneath the tropical rainforest canopy, in community with other plants such as mango, banana, star apple, avocados, oranges, tropical flowers, vanilla, and cinnamon. 

Another interesting fact is that the region where the farm is located used to be an indigenous settlement thousands of years ago. While walking or working on the land, you can easily find carved obsidian objects and small pieces of pottery scattered around, left by the people who called this home before we did.

Sensory analysis of the cacao

Aroma: Rum, slightly sweet, with notes of chocolate and caramel.

Flavor: Intense, dark, earthy flavors initially, with upfront bitterness. The flavor notes develop into green and floral notes reminiscent of orange blossom and jasmine.

 

Single farm - Finca Parras Lempa, El Salvador

( Picture: JuanRa, Vaicacao, Benedicto Morataya, Owner F. Parras Lempa, and Eli, Vaicacao )

River valley beauty: The cacao in our Tlaloc chocolate bars, and holistic ceremonial cacao comes from a single estate, and we invite you to travel there with us virtually, to imagine the tropical landscape as you taste this terroir! The farm is located in El Salvador’s lush Lempa River valley, in the municipality of San Vicente, at 131 feet (40 meters) above sea level. A smaller river called the Acahuapa flows through the farmland, watering its crops of cacao, coconuts, and plantains. We love the fine flavor cacao that grows in this fertile land crisscrossed with life-giving water, so we named the chocolate bar Tlaloc, after the god of water celebrated by the Aztec and Maya civilizations.

A team of seven plus a supervisor handle the daily tasks on the farm. After harvesting their cacao, a hybrid of trinitario acriollado varieties, they ferment and dry the cacao onsite to ensure the utmost quality. Benedicto, whose family owns the estate, is one of several co-founders of a local cooperative of cacao producers, where we are also members and with whom we have worked since the beginning of our cacao and chocolate projects. It is a pleasure to have witnessed their hard work firsthand throughout the years, and an honor to be the first to bring our dear friend Benedicto’s specialty cacao outside of El Salvador and to share it with the rest of the world! 

Sensory analysis of the cacao

Aroma: Very mild, with notes of subtle milk chocolate, sweet caramel, and dates.

Flavor: Initial rich chocolate kick that develops into more earthy flavors with subtle green notes. Finishes with pronounced nutty flavors and a nutty and chocolatey aftertaste.

 

 

Single Estate Farm - Finca San Fernando, Ateos, El Salvador

( Picture: Jesús Mazariego, Manager, Jimhy Quality Control, and Elisa, Vaicacao )

Mountain forest fresh: Cacao cultivation on the San Fernando farm started just several years ago, thanks to advocacy from VAICACAO co-founder JuanRa. When JuanRa outlined to one of the farm owners the environmental and economic advantages of planting cacao trees, as compared to other crops, the farm owner was inspired to join the local cacao cooperative and to begin growing fine flavor trinitario acriollado cacao. He quickly developed the farm into one of the steadiest cacao producers in El Salvador. A team of six people work on the cacao farm, using modern and technologically advanced methods. 

The San Fernando farm sits at 2,198 feet (670 meters) above sea level, on the outskirts of the gently sweeping mountain range Cordillera del Balsamo, located in Ateos, municipality of Sacacoyo, in the La Libertad department. The cacao trees here grow among fragrant mahogany and cedar trees, plus a local white cedar called volador. We are proud to be the first to export this cacao from El Salvador and to offer it to the world through our Atehuàn, chocolate bars and holistic ceremonial cacao, which we named after the historical pre-Columbian name of this beautiful region.

Sensory analysis of the cacao

Aroma: Soft notes of sweet vanilla fudge, cream, and toffee.

Flavor: Starts off quite dark in flavor, then gives a strong sweetness. Some brown fruit flavors, with very subtle stone fruit flavors. Bitter finish.

 

Single farm in the Biosphere close to the Jiquilisco Bay, El Salvador

( Picture: Ing. Jairo Vigil and Ing. Hernández of Hacienda del Real de la Carrera, El Salvador, Eli and Juanra, Vaicacao founders )

About the farm

Tropical fruit paradise: The Hacienda San Jose del Real de La Carrera is one of the oldest and biggest cacao farms in El Salvador. This farm sits beside the mangroves of Jiquilisco Bay, in the department of Usulutan, on the southeast Pacific coast of El Salvador, a region known for its rich and fertile soil. The cacao trees here were initially planted more than half a century ago, and were at one point left unattended due to civil war and government-imposed land reform. Today, younger generations have done tremendous work to rescue these previously abandoned cacao lands. A natural hybridization of many special trinitario acriollado cacao strains has developed into a unique hybrid found only on this estate. Skilled farm workers complete the post-harvest process onsite by carefully fermenting and drying the cacao. 

To give you additional visuals of the beautiful blue and green landscape: the area where the cacao is planted, at 82 feet (25 meters) above sea level, is surrounded by mango trees. Farther away on the estate, coconut trees border the mangroves, and still farther away on the same property you’ll find plantains and sugar cane. We named this chocolate bar after the Lenca, a Mesoamerican indigenous people who enjoyed a thriving culture for centuries and likely millennia before Spanish invasion, who had frequent contact with Maya and other groups, and who endure and flourish to this day.

Sensory analysis of the cacao

Aroma: fruit cake, fruity, nutty.

Flavor: chocolatey, fruity, floral. A variety of different fruit flavors. It develops into richer banana and dried fruit flavors with an earthy backbone, and ends on green banana notes. The aftertaste is clean with lingering chocolate and banana notes.

 

Single origin - Cacao from Cobán, Alta Verapáz, Guatemala (Cooperatives System)

Rainforest collaboration: The magical cacao beans in our Q’Eqchí chocolate bar and Artisanal Ceremonial cacao come from deep in the rainforest in Guatemala, from FEDECOVERA - the Federation of Cooperatives of Cobán, Alta and Baja Verapáz - an association of 40 cooperatives made up by approximately 31,000 Qʼeqchiʼ and Pocomchi farmers. The federation is one of Guatemala’s leading reforestation organizations, and they are recognized worldwide for their production of organic cardamom. They have been leading by example since 1976, fulfilling their mission to provide a way for farmers to improve their living conditions while honoring and protecting their culture and ecosystem.

Farming families produce and export diversified crops which range from cacao to coffee, cardamom, pepper, and turmeric, across the Mayan rainforest canopy of northern Guatemala. Their delicious cacaos are certified organic and consist of a blend of criollo and trinitario strains.

Sensory analysis of the cacao

Aroma: Ripe cherries, cocoa, cardamom, cream

 

Single origin - Cooperatives in Upala and Guatuso 

About the growers

Scrumptious social impact: Nahua is Costa Rica’s leading fine flavor single origin cacao provider, with a strong social mission of improving farmer livelihoods and conserving the environment. The organization is B-Corp certified and works directly with local farming families to grow some of the best trinitario hybrid cacaos available. We rely on their diligent work in handling the crucial post-harvest processes, which ensure the very best outcome for these flavorful beans. Nahua is made up of a network of 430 smallholder cacao farming families, in an area of 800 acres across Guatuso and Upala in the northern part of the country, between the Caño Negro Wildlife Reserve and the Cordillera de Guanacaste mountain range. This area is named for the region’s original inhabitants, an indigenous tribe known as the Maleku, who still reside in the area.

Nahua founder Juan Pablo has been an active pioneer and mentor not only locally in Costa Rica, but also throughout Central America’s cacao farming community, by sharing his experience at regional seminars and through ongoing friendly advice. We have expanded our knowledge of agricultural practices thanks to him, and have also benefited from his excellent example of how to create added value to the cacao crops by transforming the magical fruits of the cacao trees into top quality sustainable products. Power to the people!

We source this cacao throughtout our partner, Daarnhowuer. 

Sensory analysis of the cacao

Aroma & Flavor: Nahua’s cacao bean flavor profile is very balanced, characterized by strong cacao notes, yellow fruits, and warm and full cherry flavors, combined with a subtle hint of grapefruit and full-bodied caramel notes.

CACAHUATIQUE, EL SALVADOR 

Ancient Criollo Crop 100% (True Criollo Genetic Verified)

Single Estate - Cultivar: Finca El Copinol Escondido

Queste fave provengono da Copinol Escondido, una bellissima e piccola tenuta cui proprietario, Elmer Martinez, è sempre impegnato nella conservazione e riscatto delle varietà locali di criollo trovate sulla collina di Cacahuatique. Questa collina, situata sopra le città di Ciudad Barrios e Osicala nella provincia di Morazàn, deriva il suo nome dalla lingua Maya Quichè, che si traduce in "Collina degli orti di cacao". El Salvador ha sempre nascosto tesori unici, e questo cacao è proprio uno di quelli che si trovano poche volte, ma soprattutto vengono riscattati da persone visionarie, che fanno del loro meglio ogni giorno per poterle preservare. We source this cacao directly from the farm. 

TUZANTÁN, MEXICO

Collective of cacaoteros: Asociación El Vado, Tuzantán, Chiapas, Messico

Collected at: Finca la Rioja, Cacaohatán, Chiapas, Messico 

Tuzantàn è il nome che abbiamo dato a questo cacao coltivato e lavorato con grande attenzione dall'associazione di coltivatori di cacao di "El Vado", composta da 14 famiglie cacaotiere, i quali hanno stretto un'alleanza con Finca La Rioja, dove il cacao viene classificato, fermentato, essiccato e preparato per l'esportazione. Con questa alleanza, si sta cercando di preservare la natura del loro territorio, riscattando e valorizzando il cacao che è sempre stato presente in questa zona, sin dai tempi degli Olmechi, così come trovare alternative lavorative sostenibili per le persone del posto. We source this cacao throughout our partner, Daarnhouwer.