Thailand

Research-bred hybrids feeding a young bean-to-bar scene

Thailand is a small and relatively young cocoa origin. The crop is not historically significant in the country, but a domestic research and breeding effort has given Thai cacao a distinctive footing, supplying a fast-growing bean-to-bar and craft chocolate sector.

Cultivation is spread across several regions, with Chumphon Province in the south a reference area. It is home to the Chumphon Horticultural Research Center, which developed the 'Chumphon 1' hybrid by crossing the Trinidad-derived PA 7 and NA 32 selections; this clone is now the dominant cacao type planted nationally. In the modern genetic-cluster framing of Motamayor et al. (2008), such material is an admixture.

Thai beans are typically described as nutty, mildly fruity and balanced. Volumes are small, and cacao is grown by smallholders and small facilities with box fermentation and sun-drying. The combination of a defined, locally bred genetic base and an energetic domestic chocolate-making community has made Thailand a recognised emerging origin in Southeast Asia.

Origins in Thailand (1)

Asia & Pacific th-chumphon Chumphon Thailand · Chumphon Province (southern Thailand) admixture cocoa · nutty · mild fruit · balanced

Sources

  • Silva Cacao, 'Thailand, Land of Smiles and Genius Cacao Genetics'
  • Dame Cacao, 'Thai Bean to Bar (Chocolate Culture in Thailand)'
  • Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)