Do you know the varieties of cocoa trees?

The cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) is a small tree native to tropical Central America and the Amazon region. It comes in several basic varieties: Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario.

Criollo cacao trees originate from Central America and southern Mexico. Criollo means "local" or "native" in Spanish. This variety has a very diverse flavor. It contains a rich range of fruity and spicy flavors. It requires only a short fermentation period. Unfortunately, this variety is very difficult to grow. It is susceptible to disease and pests and has low yields. Therefore, this aromatic variety accounts for less than one-tenth of one percent of the global cocoa crop. This is reflected in the high price of Criollo cocoa beans.

Forastero means "foreign" or "exotic" in Spanish. Cocoa trees of this variety originate from the Amazonian lowlands. The taste of the Forastero variety is much simpler and more straightforward than that of Criollo. It is dominated by a distinctive chocolate bitterness complemented by earthy flavors. The fermentation period is significantly longer than for Criollo cocoa beans. The Forastero cocoa tree variety is very resistant to disease and has high yields. As a result, they are the most widespread worldwide, accounting for 90% of global production.

Cocoa trees readily cross-pollinate, which has led to the creation of many local varieties. The best known of these is the Trinitario variety. Its name is derived from the island of Trinidad, where the Spanish owned extensive Criollo cocoa plantations in the 18th century.

In 1727, a devastating hurricane swept across the island and destroyed virtually all of the cocoa plantations. After this disaster, local farmers planted a more resistant variety called Forastero. The two varieties soon crossed, and the new variety combined the best of both: it took the flavor diversity and richness from Criollo and the resistance and higher yields from Forastero. Today, Trinitario cocoa beans account for about 10 percent of the world's harvest.  The division of cocoa bean varieties into Criollo and Forastero is very rough - it is similar to dividing wine into only white and red. There are many local varieties of cocoa trees. Basically, it can be said that in every region where cocoa cultivation has a long tradition, there is a specific local variety with unique flavor characteristics. Here are some of the best known.

Dried cocoa beans Porcelana is a rare variety of cocoa tree derived from the Criollo variety. It originates from Venezuela and gets its name from the porcelain-white color of its cocoa beans. Its flavor is very mild and delicate. The annual harvest is very small.

Chuao is another rare variety of the Criollo cocoa tree. It is grown only in the vicinity of the village of Chuao near Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. It is one of the most interesting varieties in terms of taste. The annual harvest is tiny and sold out years in advance—chocolatiers who make fine chocolate literally fight over it. In our range, you can compare the chocolate made from these rare beans by chocolatiers Francois Pralus and Stéphane Bonnat. The picture shows the square in front of the church in the village of Chuao, which is traditionally used by locals to dry cocoa beans.

Arriba and Amelonado are two other varieties derived from Forastero. Both are distinguished by their rich flavor and are often valued as highly as the aromatic Criollo variety. The Arriba variety comes from Ecuador. "Arriba" means "up" in Spanish, and this name was given to the variety by traders buying cocoa beans in the ports of the Daul River delta because their ships had to travel upriver to get the beans - hence "arriba."