Sourcing

WHERE IS COCOA GROWN?

Cocoa trees grow in a warm and humid climate around the equatorial belt, generally within 20°N and 20°S of the equator

3 TYPES OF CACAO

   – Forastero – Represents about 80% of the Global Production. Mainly found in Africa and Brazil. Typically bitter and slightly acidic in taste.

   – Trinitario – Represents about 15% of the Global Production. Found globally and slightly aromatic. A hybrid.

   – Criollo – Represents about 5% of the Global Production. Found in Central America and Asia. Mild nutty flavor, very aromatic, low levels of bitterness.

HOW IS IT GROWN?

The cocoa tree flowers in two cycles of six months.

Flowers develop into cocoa pods

Cocoa pods are fully grown after 6 months of maturation

Cocoa pods grow on tree branches but can also grow directly on tree trunks

They can vary in size depending on the time of year, weather, and region

The color of the pods changes depending on ripeness and tree type

The average tree produces around 30 pods

Average lifespan is approximately 25 years, bearing pods after around 3 years

Harvest periods can differ depending on the origin of the country

Harvesting is a very manual process, beginning with the pod collection

Farmers use machetes or pruning hooks to cut the pods from the trees

Machetes or wooden mallets are used to break open the pods

We work directly with the farmers and growers to ensure high standards are being met throughout the growing and harvesting processes. We look forward to creating great bonds over great cacao as we develop new relationships and work to create value for the crop our farmers put their heart and soul into.

How is it Harvested

The beans and the pulp are removed from the pods. The pulp, which is white and sugary, breaks down during the fermentation process to give the beans their flavor precursors

On average, there are around 40 beans per pod

The pods are often discarded

FERMENTATION & DRYING

After cutting pods open, beans are removed and fermented

The fermentation period is usually 5 to 7 days

In West Africa, typical fermentation occurs by placing the cocoa on a bed of banana leaves and covering with additional banana leaves

In other areas of the world, fermentation boxes are used

After fermentation, beans are dried; usually by sun

This is done to lower moisture content

Throughout the drying process, the beans are turned and foreign objects (such as rocks and sand) are removed

OBJECTIVES OF FERMENTATION

Prevent germination of the bean

Separate the bean from the pulp

Initiate chemical and enzymatic reactions inside the bean

Develop flavor and color precursors

Lower astringency and bitterness

QUALITY CONTROL AND SHIPPING

Beans are then brought to collection centers where they are graded and packed

The grading process evaluates bean color and size among other metrics

The beans are put into jute sacks

Each weighing about 130 LBS

Before the beans are exported, they receive an additional quality check

Beans are then shipped to manufacturing factories

Once we get the beans here, we go through a full, multiple step process to ensure the end product is absolutely stunning. We take great care in how we roast, winnow, refine, and conch our beans so you know every bite is full of chocolate goodness.

Processing

Roasting

Developing the aromatic and sensory profile of chocolate

Refining

Part of that quality is in how we refine the bean. We use modern refining technology and an old-world conch to bring all of the cacao mass, sugar, and cocoa butter together and release all of the unwanted aromatic compounds. This leaves you with nothing but smooth, tasty chocolate.

Finishing

To finish off, we bring our chocolate to temper. This is a process through which we cool and agitate the chocolate until it has achieved perfect crystallization.  You know we achieved this when you see a shiny, snappable chocolate bar.