Cacao road
Cacao trees
Theobroma cacao are most abundant in West Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia. These regions offer ideal conditions for cacao trees to grow: enough rainfall, rich soil and temperatures of 20-30 degrees Celsius.
Interesting fact
Cacao trees grow under the tall trees (banana trees, palm trees and the like) to avoid direct sunlight.
Cacao trees produce pods in the shape of an American football with cacao beans. At harvest time, the ripe pods are carefully cut by hand from the trees so as not to damage the fragile cacao beans inside.
The cocoa beans, surrounded by white pulp, are removed from their pods and placed in wooden boxes for fermentation on the same day and covered with banana leaves. This stage takes approx. a week. During fermentation, biochemical changes take place which soften the bitterness, change the colour of the beans and give them the chocolate flavour we all know.
Interesting fact
Whereever you can find cacao trees, bananas also grow, because banana leaves are essential to the fermentation process.
After fermentation, the beans are dried in the sun with regular flipping, a necessary step to prevent mould and to keep the beans at optimal moisture content.
Once the beans have dried, they are further processed - some farms roast them to bring out their rich flavour, others don't (you can try both roasted and unroasted options in our shop, read the product descriptions). Roasting temperatures and times vary, which affects the final taste of the cacao. The roasted beans are split open to expose the cacao nibs inside. They are then ground into a thick mass called cacao mass.
Interesting fact
The beans used in chocolate production are always roasted and then re-roasted at high temperatures.
Cacao mass
It is the result of grinding cacao kernels. To separate cacao powder from butter, the cacao mass is hydraulically pressed. Cacao powder is the low-fat ingredient that remains after pressing and is often used for baking, hot chocolate and various culinary delights. Cacao butter, which has a creamy texture, is used to make chocolate bars, confectionery and cosmetic products.
Sustainable and ethical practices are becoming increasingly important in the cacao industry. Certificates such as „Fair Trade“ (which our cacao is sold under) aim to promote environmentally friendly and socially responsible cacao production, support farmers and the ecosystem.
Sustainable and ethical practices are becoming increasingly important in the cacao industry. Certificates such as „Fair Trade“ (which our cacao is sold under) aim to promote environmentally friendly and socially responsible cacao production, support farmers and the ecosystem.
