Cocoa

We currently source cacao from Camino Verde Fermentary and Thailand Chanthaburi ($2.29/kg farmgate) via Uncommon Cacao and Meridian Cacao. All cacao sourced is below California's lead and cadmium Maximum Daily Allowable Limit.

Camino Verde is a privately owned fermentary located in Duran, just minutes outside Guayaquil, Ecuador. Camino Verde and Meridian Cacao Company have developed a long-standing relationship built on a passion for impeccable quality and consistency in beans, as well as an understanding of the applied science in cocoa fermentation that pushes the boundaries for new-age methods of cocoa post-harvest processing. Camino Verde’s owner, Vicente Norero, has years of experience in microbiology, which brings a unique approach to fermentation. With Vicente’s deep understanding of fermentation methods he produces a variety of flavor profiles, using enzymes and inoculants to push specific flavor precursors forward in the beans.

From 2008 to 2016 Vicente Norero operated a 381-hectare cocoa estate. Rehabilitating it after years of disrepair, Vicente brought the cocoa farm back to life. He called his operation and labor of love Camino Verde, and over the eight years he was in charge, the farm became a model cocoa plantation in Ecuador. Vicente used his background in microbiology to develop a multitude of inoculated ferments, highlighting the role of fermentation for chocolate makers and consumers alike.

This next phase as a centralized fermentary allows Vicente to set aside exceptional and unique microlots. The opportunities are endless--the lots could contain beans from a single estate, highlight a specific region, or exhibit a specific fermentation style. Camino Verde’s ‘standard’ cocoa bean will be a 100% Nacional blend fermented to have a classic Nacional profile--a close match to the CV-B beans from the old estate, for those who have worked with those beans before.

Says Vicente, “Anyone can source cacao. Our knowledge of farming and managing a plantation allows us to help the farmer in way that other buyers do not. This support and respect that we share with the farmer creates a trust and loyalty relation that is reflected in the product the farmer delivers to us. The Camino Verde farming and harvesting program guarantees farmers not only obtain a greater productivity and healthy beans but also a higher price for their work.”

Thai Cacao Distribution is an entrepreneurial operation sourcing from a network of 40 growers in Chanthaburi in southern Thailand. Post-harvest processing is managed at family-run fermentation and drying stations, with the largest at Suriya Farm and Boom Farm.

There are 5 "gathering groups" who purchase cacao pods from the producer network every 15 days. The growers in Thailand sell the cacao as whole pods into these gathering groups, who also buy other crops from the farmers. This market structure is driven by cultural practices of how to sell fruit, especially durian, which is the primary crop produced in the Chanthaburi region. Thai Cacao Distribution was founded eight years ago (in 2016) by chef, chocolate maker, and entrepreneur Ryan Berk (Parliament Chocolate). His culinary connections led him to an interest in sourcing cacao from Thailand. Over the last eight years, he and his growing team have developed the largest cacao export operation in the country. They have developed expertise in fermentation and drying practices and closely manage quality to ensure consistent flavor.

Cacao arrived in Thailand via the Philippines about 117 years ago. In 1952, the Thai government began investing in cacao cultivation, and the industry went through a series of ups and downs, and recently cacao growing has become popular among Thai farmers as a secondary crop among their other produce. Thailand produces only several hundred tons of cacao per year, and there are many bean-to-bar makers now in Thailand, so having access to this unique cacao is an incredibly special opportunity!

While cacao in Thailand typically grows in diverse agroforestry plots dominated by durian and mangosteen, there are only two varieties of cacao itself that have been planted in Chanthaburi: Chumphon 1, a hybrid of PA7 and NA32 varietals from Trinidad, and Chumphon 2. August until November is the monsoon season, and special adjustments have to made in drying during this time.

Save the Bees

 

We hope that everyone can be active in the preservation of pollinators worldwide. For every bar you purchase, we have pledged a portion of each sale to benefit education, outreach, and research for honeybees.  

 

 

Pollinator Partnership

 

Protect their lives. Preserve Ours.

The Pollinator Partnership’s mission is to promote the health of pollinators, which are critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research. Signature initiatives include the NAPPC (North American Pollinator Protection Campaign), National Pollinator Week, and the Ecoregional Planting Guides.

Note: donations/contributions with the Pollinator Partnership do not imply endorsement of our chocolate.