The majority of us take advantage of the holiday season to spend more time with our family and unwind after a busy year. We are excited for the new experiences that the new year will offer, and we are going to make the most of this period of relative calm in our lives.
In honor of coming together and looking to the future, I’ve put together a list of cacao brands that you should put on your “must-try” list for the New Year’s holiday in 2019. It’s possible that some of these names are recognizable, but the vast majority of them are definitely brand new to you.
Even the notion of cocoa brands is a very recent development. However, it is a method of sourcing that is rapidly gaining popularity, and I anticipate that in the not too distant future, some of these brands will become just as well-known as the names of the manufacturers that utilize their beans.
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About Cacao Brands
In a previous piece, I highlighted how the demand for excellent chocolate would continue to increase and evolve over the course of the next decade or so, and cacao brands is a large part of this movement. Cacao brands are also a key part of this shift. Whether you’re a novice when it comes to tasting chocolate or you’ve always thought of a bar as being comparable to a bottle of high-quality wine, you’ll realize pretty soon that the business of exquisite chocolate engages in a kind of origin name dropping.
Cacao can only be cultivated in regions that are roughly twenty degrees north or south of the equator. This means that nations as far north as Hawai’i, Taiwan, and Mexico, and as far south as Australia, Bolivia, and Madagascar are capable of producing cacao.
The Americas, in particular, are ahead of the curve in the competition for cacao brand names. This is partially due to the fact that the area as a whole is more developed, but it is also due to the fact that cacao is indigenous to the Americas and has a long history there.
In the greater subject of growing cacao areas, the cultural importance of cacao in the Americas cannot be disregarded. Despite this, the relatively brief but pervasive presence of cacao in West Africa has had a significant influence on the region’s economics as well as its cultures. Cocoa has, without a doubt, had quite an impression in every location in which it has established its roots.
In order for cacao to be considered a brand, it must originate from a single nation, and more often than not, it must originate from a certain location within that nation. In point of fact, each of the brands presented here originates in a distinct nation. The majority of new cacao brands that are being developed at this time are also cacao cooperatives. This means that the cacao is obtained from a variety of small landholding farmers and is then fermented at a centralized location in order to ensure that the product’s quality is consistent. This often results in dried cacao of a much better quality, as well as higher pricing, as well as a constant market for farmers. However, some of the brands that are going to be discussed below are held by a single landholder, and that landholder works with local people to tend to the crops and harvest them.
As was covered in this article, not all cacao farmers have the intention of basing their primary means of subsistence on cacao, nor do they intend to ever produce chocolate or other value-added commodities. Part of them just wish to cultivate whatever they already have, using some of it themselves, selling some of it in the immediate area, and harvesting the remaining portion to sell to a co-op.
This possibility may be gained by actively participating in the creation of high-quality cacao brands. Therefore, despite the fact that it would be stretching things to label some of these beginnings a “brand” at the moment, they are nonetheless being referred to as “ones to watch out for” because of this very reason. By this time next year, I have no doubt that each and every one of them will be offered as a chocolate confection somewhere in your general vicinity.
*If there is an asterisk next to the name of a country of origin, it indicates that cacao from that country may be purchased from one of the three cacao importers listed further down.
North America
Cooperativa Rayen: the Soconusco Region in the Mexican state of Chiapas
The Rayen Cooperative is an indication of what is to come in the cacao-producing areas of southern Mexico, despite the fact that it currently produces on a scale that is considered to be very modest. Rayen is one of the first demonstrations of the quality and community that the Mexican government is aiming to attain. They have been spending money in the preservation and restoration of Mexico’s native cacao varietals for the last several years, and Rayen is one of the first examples.
Rayen was founded in 2016 in the Soconusco region of Mexico, an area that has a longstanding reputation for producing high-quality cacao. The cooperative’s long-term goal is to become one of many successful cacao producers located throughout the southern region of Mexico, specifically in one of the several designated cacao origins that Mexico is creating. In 2019 and beyond, I believe there will be a significant increase in the number of cacao brands that originate in Mexico. This will be done as a means of ensuring that high prices are paid for the country’s cacao.
Enliven Cacao: La Colonia, Nicaragua
Enliven is one of the only genuine charities that relies on cacao for its own financial support and works with farmers in the country of origin to help them increase their crop yields and maintain their commitment to organic farming in a manner that is sustainable. Cacao may be grown and post-harvest processing, such as fermentation and drying, can take place in the same general location because to the numerous microclimates that are provided by the surrounding mountainous terrain.
After the beans have passed a quality check and been used to create sample batches of chocolate, they are then sent to Minnesota, where they undergo a manual sorting process before being used to fulfill customers’ orders. However, the quality of the cacao speaks for itself in terms of how effectively farmers can process beans on their own if given continuous access to a market. The brains behind Enliven Cacao undoubtedly had a role in the inception of the brand, but the quality of the cacao speaks for itself.
*Nahua Cacao: Maleku, Costa Rica
Nahua is one of the few cacao brands originating from Costa Rica that has attained any form of size, and the company not only processes cacao but also manufactures chocolate. Because there are so many chocolate producers in such a tiny country, the majority of the country’s high-quality cacao is consumed domestically. This, in turn, drives up the price of Costa Rican cacao on the worldwide market. In order to satisfy the ever-increasing demand from consumers all over the world, Nahua purchases newly harvested cacao from nearby farmers, then ferments and dries the beans in a facility that they designed and constructed themselves.
*Cacao Maya del Montao: Toledo, Belize
Maya Mountain is one of the first cacao businesses that I ever witnessed actively promoting itself, and it is possible that it is the most well-known cacao brand in the whole globe. Their location in southern Belize, where they have been purchasing high-quality cacao from local smallholder farmers for the better part of a decade, has always been a factor in their business. On every occasion, however, the cacao was advertised as being from the Maya Mountain Cacao Cooperative rather than just Belize or even Toledo, Belize. Their cacao’s one-of-a-kind taste characteristics played a part, and the fact that their name is so well known helped spread the word that they come from a premium cacao origin.
The Caribbean
Tableland, Trinidad is the location of the Ramnath Estate.
Almost all of Trinidad’s cacao comes from the trinitario type, a cross between the criollo and forastero tree species that was developed in the 18th century and is known for its exceptional taste.
The soil conditions of Ramnath Estate, which are top for cacao growth and create a robust and gently fruity chocolate taste, are excellent since the estate is located in a location that is well-known for producing Trinidad’s greatest pineapples.
Ramnath is a rather tiny farm located in the southern region of Trinidad. There are only five individuals that take care of it, and each of them is entirely committed to their area of the estate. They even have a Saturday night dinner reservation set in stone. Because almost all of Trinidad’s cocoa is processed and eaten inside the nation, obtaining beans of a high grade from outside the country is an extremely rare occurrence.
Northern Haiti according to the PISA
PISA stands for Produits Des Iles SA, which is a centralized buyer of cacao and coffee as well as a fermentary with a location in northern Haiti. PISA is still the only cacao producer in Haiti that buys and centrally processes wet cacao beans, and their product seems to be popping up in chocolate everywhere, starting in the US but quickly spreading both east and west. PISA was founded just 4 years ago in 2014, and since then it has become the only company of its kind in the country.
Cacao in Haiti has a lengthy history of being neglected and improperly processed, as well as being purchased at a price that is far lower than the market price and then resold as inexpensive candy bars. It has been a joy to see how teaching farmers and regaining control over processing has resulted in huge increases in both the prices farmers get for their cacao and the quality of the cacao that is exported from the nation.
*Zorzal Cacao: San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic
It just so happens that the Dominican Republic’s northern province of Duarte, which is home to the Reserva Zorzal bird refuge and cacao plantations, is also home to some of the most highly rated chocolate in the whole world. Cacao is only grown on a tiny percentage of the reserve’s land, which is then subdivided into portions before being collected and processed inside those same parcels. The primary goal of the reserve is to preserve land, and more especially the habitat of Bicknell’s thrush.
In more recent years, the estate has developed into a cooperative-like scheme in which it buys cacao from farms located in the surrounding area and sells it under the brand name Zorzal Comunitario. Even while you may purchase their cacao via Meridian Cacao, the firm has become rather well-known for importing its beans directly into the United States, and they are happy to take orders from customers directly.
South America
Cacao Bahia: Bahia, Brazil
The Brazilian cacao industry has been undergoing something of a renaissance over the course of the last several years as Brazilian farmers have begun to place a greater emphasis on increasing the number of cacao varietals they grow and refining their post-harvest operations. After the biological disaster caused by witches’ broom in the 1980s, it appears that the entry of Brazilians into the craft chocolate sphere was what really jumped-started the production of fine cacao in Brazil. At the time, manufacturers looked to source locally but were disappointed by the quality of the cacao available.
The cacao produced in Fazenda Camboa, which is the biggest source of organic cacao in the state of Bahia and is owned and operated by a family, is sold under the brand name Cacao Bahia. Not only do they take care of the cultivation of the cacao beans themselves, but they also manage the whole post-harvest procedure.
Ucayali River Cacao: Pucallpa, Peru
Ucayali is progressively coming to popularity on the handmade chocolate scene as an unique origin. The name Ucayali comes from a river that runs through their territory in the center of Peru. It would seem that Peruvian farmers are either resigned themselves to poor prices or devoting themselves to the creation of value-added cacao goods as the process of making chocolate from tree to bar becomes increasingly widespread in the country. Ucayali has taken a different approach by establishing a market for the region’s small-scale farmers and collaborating with local organizations to incentivize farmers to replace their coca plants with cacao. This market was established in order to combat the illegal cultivation of cocaine in the region.
*Costa Esmeraldas Cacao: Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Costa Esmeraldas is one of the few single estates that is big enough to develop its own brand, and as such, it is in the enviable position of being able to make a unique guarantee about the quality and quantity of a select group of varietals. They are able to grow beans of a high grade because they have access to off-site fermenting and drying facilities, as well as a blending methodology that ensures producers get the same quality in their shipments as they did in the samples they were given.
It is pretty astonishing how well Costa Esmeraldas knows their beans, down to the fat content and varietal, and how they even divide their harvests according to the location of the farm from whence the beans originated. Have I mentioned that they’ve only been in business for around the last six years?
Alto Beni Cacao Company: Palos Blancos, Bolivia
The Alto Beni Cacao Company was founded in great part on the concept of obtaining cacao from “foreign” sources, which played a significant part in the company’s name. In 2010, the creator of Taza Chocolate was seeking for a new origin to add to his portfolio, and the undeveloped area of Palos Blancos in northern Bolivia made its way into his thoughts as a potential candidate. Palos Blancos is located in the country of Bolivia.
Following a discussion with an executive from a local coffee exporter, the two firms began a series of cocoa tests. Subsequently, they entered into a collaboration with a full-fledged cocoa cooperative known as the Centro Integral Agroecological de Alto Beni (CIAAB). They have been working with the cooperative up to the present day to enhance fermentation processes and other post-harvest procedures.
Hacienda Cacao Caribe: Península de Paria, Venezuela
The Caribbean Cacao Estate, also known as Hacienda Cacao Caribe, has a long and illustrious history of producing a wide range of indigenous cacao types, the majority of which are classified as criollo varietals. The farm is located immediately to the west of Trinidad and Tobago, the country that is considered to be the birthplace of trinitario cacao. In addition, the farm grows several trinitario cacao varieties, but they aren’t the only alternatives available.
For the time being, Hacienda Cacao Caribe offers six different varieties of chocolate, all of which will be instantly recognizable to anybody who has a genuine interest in cacao. However, because the company has a commercial office in Barcelona, some of their cacaos are sourced from other farms throughout the country of Venezuela. This provides other farmers with access to a market that they would not otherwise be able to sell in, if the company did not have a commercial office in Barcelona.
Africa
*Bejofo Estate: Ambanja, Madagascar
Malagasy cacao, which comes from maybe one of the most well-known sources in the world of artisan chocolate makers, is also one of the most flexible cacaos when it comes to the flavor notes that chocolate makers have been able to pull out of it. The majority of the cacao that leaves the island in bean form comes from the estate owned by Bertil Akesson, which is located in the northwestern region of Madagascar. This cacao ranges in flavor from a characteristic bright fruitiness to more subtle overtones of dried fruit or wine. It is true that this cacao comes from one of the four regions on his estate, that it is organically certified, and that it is of the trinitario varietal. However, the flavor profile of this cacao varies depending on the maker, and it certainly deserves a spot on the rosters of the majority of chocolate manufacturers.
*Kokoa Kamili: Mbingu, Tanzania
Kokoa Kamili has rapidly gained fame as a result of the consistently great quality of its chocolate, quickly disproving the common belief that cacao cultivated on the continent of Africa is of an overall inferior quality. The majority of the Tanzanian cacao that is utilized in the handmade chocolate industry originates from Kokoa Kamili. This kind of cacao is revered for its robust cocoa taste and subtle fruitiness, and it manages to combine the lauded qualities of cocoa from West Africa and Madagascar. Kokoa Kamili handles all of the post-harvest processing and gives farmers a sizeable premium above the market price. This provides farmers with a compelling incentive to either continue planting high-quality cocoa or start doing so.
Virunga National Park in Uganda, often known as the Mountains of the MoonTM
The cocoa growers from whom MOTM obtains its supply are mostly located inside Virunga National Park, which is located along the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This was the long-term goal of a German expat and his wife, who had lived in Uganda for many years. Although the couple’s business began with just vanilla at first, they eventually expanded into coffee and cocoa, the latter of which is a relatively new crop to the region. As a result of the cooperative structure that they established, they now have approximately one thousand farmers who rely on their products.
Someone actually informed me about this business in 2015 while I was working at a chocolate store in Peru. However, I was never able to discover any information about it online; as it turns out, this was because they make cocoa and not chocolate. Mountains of the MoonTM farmers provide a significant portion of the beans that go into the production of high-quality chocolate using cacao from Uganda.
Asia
*Anamalai Farm: Pollachi, India
The cocoa on this enormous estate is cultivated without the use of pesticides and is remarkably young. The plantation is owned and handled by a single family. The farm started the first harvest of its cacao, a combination of the forastero varietals cultivated in much lower amounts all around southern India, just a few years ago. Cacao is one of the most important agricultural products in India.
The proprietors of the company have, over the course of many years, brought samples of their cacao to various trade events, where they have solicited input and worked to improve the overall quality of the finished product. As a result, they have begun using the cacao in their own chocolate production. Their two brands of tree-to-bar chocolate employ their own cacao in addition to a wide range of Indian flavors; but, since the trees are so fruitful in the pesticide-free environment, there is enough cacao left over to sell to other manufacturers.
Plantacion de Sikwate is located all over the Philippines.
I have a confession to make: my organization is not a chocolate brand as such; rather, it is a non-profit group that works with Filipino cacao farmers to cultivate criollo cacao imported from Mexico on fields located all over the Philippines. They are now collaborating with many farms, with at least one of those farms located in each of the three states that make up the Philippines, and since 2014, they have been gradually expanding the amount of fine taste cacao that is produced in the Philippines.
This is consistent with the objectives that the Philippine government has set for itself, which are to substantially raise the country’s cacao output over the course of the next decade. As a result of the fact that the majority of Asian cooperatives and farms seem to deal directly with a single chocolate firm or sell locally to a chocolate producer, excellent cacao from Asia is quite difficult to come by. If you are interested in investigating a selection of the options available in this area, you should make an effort to contact the association and inquire about establishing a connection with a specific farmer.
In addition, I strongly encourage you to read some of their blog articles since they are hilarious.
The South Pacific
*Cacao Fiji Ltd: Nadi, Fiji
Cacao Fiji is a brand that was founded with the intention of introducing Fiji’s high-quality cacao to markets who are interested in purchasing it. The company was launched in 2014, after the founder was inspired by a trip to the country only a couple of years earlier. Cacao Fiji is cautious to have a role in every phase of the cacao’s existence, from the growing of the beans to the fermentation and drying of the product, taking many inspirations from the handmade chocolate business in doing so. Cacao Fiji’s products are both organic and fair trade.
The remote position of the South Pacific islands has traditionally made it difficult to get their cacao to markets, but this does not negate the fact that these islands have been cultivating high-quality chocolate for many decades. Cocoa has been farmed in Fiji for more than a century, and the island nation is only now beginning to get some respect for its contribution to the global cocoa market.
Makira Gold: Makira, Solomon Islands
The enterprise, which once consisted of simply their family’s farm on the island of Makira, is now a three-man operation with as many as 10 more people working during the peak season. Makira Gold is unusual in that it is now the only constant supply of high-quality cacao to come out of the Solomon Islands. However, the method that they use is far more focused on logistics than it is on improving quality.
The cacao is still fermented and dried by the farmers that they acquire it from; all that the brand does is bring the cacao to market and advertise it to chocolate manufacturers. There is no primary fermentation or distinguishing taste characteristics that set them apart from the rest of the group. They are giving excellence on both sides, originating from a place that is not given the attention it deserves.
Even while there is a brand behind your preferred cacao origin, it does not indicate that the company is the only one participating in the supply chain. People who play a less glamorous role in the production of chocolate, known as cocoa importers, are responsible for a portion of the reason why so many of these cacaos may sound familiar to you. There are three cocoa importers in the United States, which is frequently cited as the genesis of contemporary artisan chocolate. These importers play a big and, for the most part, discreet role in the establishment of these cacao brand identities for producers and consumers.
Uncommon Cacao, Meridian Cacao, and Chocolate Alchemy are the names of these three different businesses. The brands that are denoted with an asterisk above are possible to be purchased in both small and big amounts from one or more of these businesses, and in the past, this has been the case. Some of the other origins that they offer are not sourced from a particular cooperative or farm, but a significant number of the origins that they sell are.
Not every manufacturer that utilizes cacao from these businesses has gone via one of these importers, since each of the importers maintains a unique connection with each of the sources from which they get their cacao. While bigger manufacturers may be able to handle the process of importing cacao directly themselves, smaller manufacturers may not be able to afford to take on this expense due to their size. In any event, it would be irresponsible of me to ignore the significant part that these businesses have played in getting a number of these cacao brands into the hands of small manufacturers and, in some cases, in bringing them into existence in the first place. I would be doing myself a disservice by doing so.
Which chocolate brands of cacao are you most excited to sample in the next year, and why?
About Cacao Importers
Even while there is a brand behind your preferred cacao origin, it does not indicate that the company is the only one participating in the supply chain. People who play a less glamorous role in the production of chocolate, known as cocoa importers, are responsible for a portion of the reason why so many of these cacaos may sound familiar to you. There are three cocoa importers in the United States, which is frequently cited as the genesis of contemporary artisan chocolate. These importers play a big and, for the most part, discreet role in the establishment of these cacao brand identities for producers and consumers.
Uncommon Cacao, Meridian Cacao, and Chocolate Alchemy are the names of these three different businesses. The brands that are denoted with an asterisk above are possible to be purchased in both small and big amounts from one or more of these businesses, and in the past, this has been the case. Some of the other origins that they offer are not sourced from a particular cooperative or farm, but a significant number of the origins that they sell are.
Not every manufacturer that utilizes cacao from these businesses has gone via one of these importers, since each of the importers maintains a unique connection with each of the sources from which they get their cacao. While bigger manufacturers may be able to handle the process of importing cacao directly themselves, smaller manufacturers may not be able to afford to take on this expense due to their size. In any event, it would be irresponsible of me to ignore the significant part that these businesses have played in getting a number of these cacao brands into the hands of small manufacturers and, in some cases, in bringing them into existence in the first place. I would be doing myself a disservice by doing so.
Which chocolate brands of cacao are you most excited to sample in the next year, and why?
FAQs
What is the best cacao in the world?
Both the Porcelana, which is the most unadulterated kind of criollo cocoa, and the Nacional, which is a variety of forastero cacao bean, are regarded as two of the finest cocoa beans that can be found anywhere in the world.
What should I look for in cacao?
Things You Should Look For As Ingredients It is in your best interest to choose dark chocolate that has as few components as is humanly feasible. The very finest dark chocolate will always include cocoa or chocolate liquor stated as the very first ingredient on the packaging. There could be a few different kinds of cocoa stated, such cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, and cocoa butter.
What are 3 major varieties of cacao?
There are three distinct types of the cacao plant, which was given its scientific name, Theobroma, by the Swedish researcher Carl von Linné in 1753. Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario are the three main strains, and there are several hybrids of each strain.
Why does cacao have a warning label?
Cadmium is a toxin that may be absorbed by the kidneys from cacao, despite the fact that the food has a wonderful flavor. In addition, the chance of developing cancer is raised.
Who makes the best cacao?
Cacao beans from Ecuador are often regarded as among the finest in the world. Ecuador is responsible for about 63% of the world’s “Fine Aroma” cacao production, which accounts for just around 5% of the world’s total cacao supply.
