{ "dataset": "kakao.io — Open Cacao Index", "version": "0.4.0", "updated_at": "2026-05-22", "license": "CC BY 4.0 (intended)", "schema": "cacao-origin.schema.json", "count": 124, "reviewed": 107, "draft": 17, "note": "Open dataset of cacao origins. Records marked 'reviewed' were corroborated against cited sources; 'draft' records await further verification. Genetic-group assignments follow the modern cluster taxonomy of Motamayor et al. (2008). Coordinates are approximate. Corrections welcome.", "origins": [ { "id": "au-far-north-queensland", "name": "Far North Queensland", "also_known_as": [ "Daintree", "Mossman" ], "country": "Australia", "region": "Far North Queensland (Mossman / Daintree / Mission Beach)", "coordinates": { "lat": -16.46, "lon": 145.37, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-100", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid material. The first commercial Australian cacao plantings were established near Mossman and Port Douglas from around 1999, with the first pods harvested in Mossman in 2002.", "harvest_season": "harvest mainly across the warmer months", "fermentation": "Small-scale farm box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried or solar-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "caramel", "mild" ], "summary": "A small tropical-north Australian origin around Mossman, the Daintree and Mission Beach, near the southern climatic limit for commercial cacao. Daintree Estates marketed the first Australian-grown chocolate from 2011, and a Mission Beach grower won a 2017 International Cocoa Award.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Daintree Estates — Our Story (daintreeestates.com/our-story)", "Confectionery News, 'Australian Cocoa: Daintree Estates and Cadbury growing' (2013)", "Cocoa of Excellence Programme 2017 — International Cocoa Awards" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "bz-stann-creek", "name": "Stann Creek", "also_known_as": [ "Hummingbird" ], "country": "Belize", "region": "Stann Creek District", "coordinates": { "lat": 16.97, "lon": -88.3, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-200", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed hybrid populations; the district includes plantings descended from the 1980s commercial cacao programme along the Hummingbird Highway as well as smallholder farms.", "harvest_season": "main Aug-Jan", "fermentation": "Smallholder and small-facility box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "balanced" ], "summary": "Stann Creek District in southern Belize is a secondary cacao zone alongside Toledo, where smallholder farms grow cacao in agroforestry plots. The area was the focus of a 1980s commercial cacao project along the Hummingbird Highway that collapsed when world prices fell.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Make Mine Fine — Belize: https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/belize/", "Chocolopolis — A Visit to Hummingbird Farm in Belize: https://www.chocolopolis.com/blog/2014/07/a-visit-to-hummingbird-farm-in-belize" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "bz-toledo-maya-mountain", "name": "Toledo (Maya Mountain)", "also_known_as": [ "Maya Mountain Cacao", "Toledo District" ], "country": "Belize", "region": "Toledo District", "coordinates": { "lat": 16.27, "lon": -88.93, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "30-300", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Wet beans aggregated from many Maya smallholder farms and fermented centrally. The Maya Mountains hold relic Belize Criollo landraces — characterised genetically in 77 accessions with 30 microsatellite markers — locally blended as 'Acriollado'; most cultivated populations are admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Aug-Jan", "fermentation": "Centralised box fermentation in a linear box system, typically 6-7 days, managed for consistency across smallholders.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "bright fruit", "raisin", "nutty", "balanced" ], "summary": "The Toledo District of southern Belize is a smallholder cacao region farmed largely by Q'eqchi' and Mopan Maya communities, with centralised wet-bean buying and fermentation. The surrounding Maya Mountains hold relic Criollo landraces of interest to conservation.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Cuatrecasas / Motamayor et al. 2008 (genetic clusters)", "Loor Solorzano et al. 2012, 'The relic Criollo cacao in Belize — genetic diversity and relationship with Trinitario and other cacao clones': https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231929115_The_relic_Criollo_cacao_in_Belize_-_Genetic_diversity_and_relationship_with_Trinitario_and_other_cacao_clones_held_in_the_International_Cocoa_Genebank_Trinidad", "Uncommon Cacao — Maya Mountain Cacao: https://www.uncommoncacao.com/pages/maya-mountain-cacao" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "bo-alto-beni", "name": "Alto Beni", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Bolivia", "region": "La Paz Department (Alto Beni)", "coordinates": { "lat": -15.5, "lon": -67.1, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "300-700", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Cultivated cacao on smallholder and cooperative farms; the area was originally home to native criollo, nativo and silvestre types but saw an influx of higher-yielding hybrids from the 1960s. Local nurseries today propagate several selected genetic types.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller secondary crop later in the year", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried, often under cover given high rainfall.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "honey", "balanced" ], "summary": "Alto Beni, in the Amazon foothills of Bolivia's La Paz Department, is a smallholder and cooperative cacao region, much of it organically certified. It is the home of El Ceibo, a long-established cooperative federation, and a large share of the country's organic cacao.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Confectionery News: 'FAO supports El Ceibo cocoa cooperative in Bolivia' — https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2018/04/05/FAO-supports-El-Ceibo-cocoa-cooperative-in-Bolivia/", "FiBL: 'Advancing organic cacao cultivation in agroforestry: successful training in Bolivia' — https://www.fibl.org/en/info-centre/news/organic-cacao-cultivation-agroforestry-training-bolivia" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "bo-baures-itenez", "name": "Baures / Iténez", "also_known_as": [ "Itenez", "Wild Iténez" ], "country": "Bolivia", "region": "Beni Department (Baures, Iténez forest reserve)", "coordinates": { "lat": -13.58, "lon": -63.68, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-250", "producer": { "type": "collective", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture", "unknown" ], "traditional_class": "unknown", "bean_notes": "Very small wild-harvested beans with high cocoa-butter content; reported to be predominantly the local Beniano genetic type, not represented among named Motamayor clusters.", "harvest_season": "main Jan-Apr", "fermentation": "Community fermentation following wild harvest; small-scale and variable.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "bright fruit", "berry", "citrus", "floral", "lively acidity" ], "summary": "Wild-harvested cacao from the forests around Baures in Bolivia's Beni Department, near the Iténez (Iténez) forest reserve and the Río Blanco. The native stands grow in 'chocolatales' and are recognised as an heirloom cacao preservation site.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Uncommon Cacao: 'Unique cacao from Itenez, Bolivia — Wild Harvest' — https://www.uncommoncacao.com/blogs/uncommon-cacao/unique-cacao-from-itenez-bolivia-wild-harvest", "Chocolate Baure: Wild Cacao — https://www.chocolatebaure.com/cacao-silvestre?lang=en" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "bo-el-ceibo", "name": "El Ceibo (Alto Beni)", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Bolivia", "region": "La Paz Department (Alto Beni)", "coordinates": { "lat": -15.5, "lon": -67.1, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "300-700", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "El Ceibo" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Beans aggregated from member smallholder farms in Alto Beni; nine local genetic types are propagated through the cooperative's nursery system.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller secondary crop later in the year", "fermentation": "Centralised cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried, often under cover given high rainfall.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "honey", "balanced cocoa" ], "summary": "El Ceibo is a federation of smallholder cacao cooperatives in Bolivia's Alto Beni, founded in 1977. It was among the first certified-organic cocoa cooperatives in the world and controls processing through to finished cocoa products at its facility near La Paz.", "certifications": [ "organic", "fairtrade" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Confectionery News: 'FAO supports El Ceibo cocoa cooperative in Bolivia' — https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2018/04/05/FAO-supports-El-Ceibo-cocoa-cooperative-in-Bolivia/", "One World Award: 'The Cooperative Association of El Ceibo in Bolivia' — https://www.one-world-award.com/el-ceibo.html?lg=e" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "bo-wild-beni-amazon", "name": "Wild Bolivian Amazon Cacao (Beni)", "also_known_as": [ "Bolivian wild cacao", "Beniano", "cacao silvestre" ], "country": "Bolivia", "region": "Beni Department (Amazon lowlands)", "coordinates": { "lat": -14, "lon": -65.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "150-300", "producer": { "type": "collective", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture", "unknown" ], "traditional_class": "unknown", "bean_notes": "Small beans from naturally occurring stands in seasonally flooded Amazon forest. Genetic studies associate this 'Beniano' material with a distinct cacao population of the Beni River not represented in international genebanks; it is not one of the named Motamayor clusters.", "harvest_season": "main Jan-Apr", "fermentation": "Community fermentation following wild harvest; practices vary.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "bright fruit", "citrus", "floral", "lively acidity" ], "summary": "Parts of the Beni lowlands hold stands of wild and semi-wild cacao, known locally as Beniano or cacao silvestre, harvested by communities in forest islands called 'chocolatales'. It is of interest both as a genetic resource and as a distinctive origin.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "WCS Bolivia: Native cacao programme — https://bolivia.wcs.org/en-us/Global-Initiatives/Natural-resource-management/Native-cacao.aspx", "Uncommon Cacao: 'Heirloom genetics and wild foraging' — https://www.uncommoncacao.com/blogs/uncommon-cacao/heirloom-genetics-and-wild-foraging" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "br-bahia-ilheus", "name": "Bahia (Ilhéus)", "also_known_as": [ "Sul da Bahia", "Cocoa Coast" ], "country": "Brazil", "region": "Bahia (Ilhéus / Itabuna cacao belt)", "coordinates": { "lat": -14.79, "lon": -39.05, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "10-300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Long-established Bahian populations are overwhelmingly Amelonado-derived; genetic studies of two-century-old plantations report local varieties such as Comum and Parazinho as near-pure Amelonado, with newer clonal and Trinitario-type material now interplanted.", "harvest_season": "main May-Sep; secondary 'temporão' crop Oct-Mar", "fermentation": "Estate and smallholder box fermentation, commonly 5-7 days; cascade-style wooden boxes are traditional.", "drying": "Sun-dried on barcaças, the traditional sliding-roof drying platforms; some artificial drying in wetter months.", "flavor_profile": [ "straightforward cocoa", "earthy", "nutty", "low acidity" ], "summary": "The Ilhéus and Itabuna belt of southern Bahia is Brazil's historic cacao region, traditionally grown under native Atlantic Forest shade in the cabruca agroforestry system. The crop was devastated by witches' broom disease from the late 1980s; recovery has been led by disease-tolerant clones and a growing fine-flavour bean-to-bar sector.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, 'Geographic and genetic population differentiation of the Amazonian chocolate tree (Theobroma cacao L.)', PLoS ONE", "Almeida et al. 2015, 'Genetic Structure and Molecular Diversity of Cacao Plants Established as Local Varieties for More than Two Centuries: The Genetic History of Cacao Plantations in Bahia, Brazil', PLOS ONE — https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0145276", "USDA FAS, 'Brazil's Role in the Global Cocoa Landscape', GAIN report BR2025-0028" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "br-linhares-espirito-santo", "name": "Linhares (Espírito Santo)", "also_known_as": [ "Cacau de Linhares" ], "country": "Brazil", "region": "Espírito Santo (Linhares, lower Rio Doce)", "coordinates": { "lat": -19.39, "lon": -40.07, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "10-100", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed clonal and hybrid populations; production includes both shaded plantings and irrigated full-sun ('pleno sol') systems.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with seasonal peaks", "fermentation": "Estate and farm box fermentation, commonly 5-7 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on platforms and barcaças; mechanical finishing used by some producers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "caramel", "mild fruit" ], "summary": "Linhares, in the lower Rio Doce valley of Espírito Santo, concentrates the bulk of that state's cacao and holds a Brazilian geographical indication. The region's drier climate and irrigated full-sun plantings give yields above the national average.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "USDA FAS, 'Brazil's Role in the Global Cocoa Landscape', GAIN report BR2025-0028", "Brazilian Farmers / CNA, 'Cocoa & Chocolate' — https://www.brazilianfarmers.com/discover/cocoa-chocolate/", "Make Mine Fine, 'Brazil' cocoa profile — https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/brazil/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "br-medicilandia-para", "name": "Medicilândia (Transamazônica)", "also_known_as": [ "Transamazônica cacao" ], "country": "Brazil", "region": "Pará (Medicilândia, Transamazon Highway)", "coordinates": { "lat": -3.45, "lon": -52.88, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-200", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Predominantly hybrid and selected clonal material planted by family farmers settled along the Transamazon Highway from the 1970s onward.", "harvest_season": "main harvest roughly Mar-Aug", "fermentation": "Family-farm and small-facility box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried; covered and barcaça-style decks used given high rainfall.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "ripe fruit", "balanced" ], "summary": "Medicilândia, on the Transamazon Highway in Pará, is described by Brazilian sources as the country's single largest cocoa-producing municipality, with cacao grown by family farmers in shaded agroforestry systems. The region is noted for high yields and beans with high cocoa-butter content.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Agência Pará, 'Pará has the highest cocoa productivity in the world' — https://agenciapara.com.br/news/67827/", "Inter Press Service, 'Organic Cacao Farmers Help Reforest Brazil's Amazon Jungle' (2015) — https://www.ipsnews.net/2015/06/organic-cacao-farmers-help-reforest-brazils-amazon-jungle/", "USDA FAS, 'Brazil's Role in the Global Cocoa Landscape', GAIN report BR2025-0028" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "br-rondonia", "name": "Rondônia", "also_known_as": [ "Cacau de Rondônia" ], "country": "Brazil", "region": "Rondônia (western Amazon)", "coordinates": { "lat": -10.8, "lon": -62.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-250", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Predominantly hybrid and selected clonal material planted by family farmers and settlers in the western Brazilian Amazon.", "harvest_season": "main harvest roughly Mar-Aug", "fermentation": "Smallholder and small-facility box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms and covered decks.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "fruity", "earthy" ], "summary": "Rondônia is one of Brazil's faster-growing cacao states, with production led by family farms in agroforestry systems. It accounts for a small but rising share of national output alongside Pará, Bahia and Espírito Santo.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "USDA FAS, 'Brazil's Role in the Global Cocoa Landscape', GAIN report BR2025-0028", "Make Mine Fine, 'Brazil' cocoa profile — https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/brazil/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "br-tome-acu-para", "name": "Tomé-Açu (Pará)", "also_known_as": [ "Tomé-Açu", "Pará Amazon cacao" ], "country": "Brazil", "region": "Pará (Tomé-Açu, northeastern Pará)", "coordinates": { "lat": -2.42, "lon": -48.15, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-100", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Mixed Amazonian and selected hybrid material; the wider Amazon basin is the centre of the species' natural genetic diversity.", "harvest_season": "main harvest roughly Mar-Aug, varying by farm", "fermentation": "Smallholder and small-facility box fermentation, typically 5-7 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms and barcaça-style decks.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "yellow fruit", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "Tomé-Açu in northeastern Pará is known for diversified agroforestry (the locally developed SAFTA system) introduced by Japanese-Brazilian settlers, with cacao grown alongside açaí, black pepper and timber species. Tomé-Açu cacao holds a Brazilian geographical indication.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE (genetic clusters)", "USDA FAS, 'Brazil's Role in the Global Cocoa Landscape', GAIN report BR2025-0028", "Brazilian Farmers / CNA, 'Cocoa & Chocolate' — https://www.brazilianfarmers.com/discover/cocoa-chocolate/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "cm-bulk", "name": "Cameroon (bulk cacao)", "also_known_as": [ "Cameroonian bulk" ], "country": "Cameroon", "region": "Centre / South-West / Littoral / South regions", "coordinates": { "lat": 4.6, "lon": 11.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-700", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Populations include Amelonado-derived material and a substantial Trinitario-type hybrid component, the latter giving Cameroonian beans their characteristically reddish-brown colour, also influenced by drying practice.", "harvest_season": "main Sep-Jan; light crop May-Jul", "fermentation": "Smallholder heap fermentation, typically 5-7 days.", "drying": "Often artificially dried over wood fires, contributing a smoky character; sun-drying also practised, particularly in the South-West.", "flavor_profile": [ "strong cocoa", "earthy", "smoky", "low acidity" ], "summary": "A major Central African producer whose bulk cacao is widely associated with a reddish bean colour from its Trinitario-type hybrid component and, in fire-dried lots, a smoky note.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)", "ICCO Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics — production data", "Efombagn et al. — genetic diversity of Cameroon cocoa germplasm (Barombi-Kang variety trial)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "co-antioquia", "name": "Antioquia", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Colombia", "region": "Antioquia (Bajo Cauca / Urabá)", "coordinates": { "lat": 7, "lon": -75.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-1000", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; predominantly regional and introduced clones grown by smallholders and cooperatives.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Dec; smaller Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Cooperative and farm box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and roofed dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "citrus", "nutty", "woody" ], "summary": "Antioquia is one of Colombia's leading cacao departments, with production concentrated in the Bajo Cauca and Urabá areas. Cacao is grown largely by smallholders, often as part of post-conflict crop-substitution and agroforestry programmes.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "USDA FAS: 'The Colombian Cacao Sector — 2024 Update' — https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=The+Colombian+Cacao+Sector+-+2024+Update_Bogota_Colombia_CO2024-0011.pdf", "Procolombia: 'El cacao en Colombia está presente en sus departamentos' — https://procolombia.co/colombiatrade/exportador/articulos/el-cacao-en-colombia-esta-presente-en-sus-departamentos" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "co-arauca", "name": "Arauca", "also_known_as": [ "Sarare", "Arauquita" ], "country": "Colombia", "region": "Arauca (Arauca River basin, Orinoquía)", "coordinates": { "lat": 6.7, "lon": -71, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; regional and introduced clones grown on fertile floodplain soils, with some locally selected native material.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Dec; smaller Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Cooperative and farm box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and roofed dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "yellow fruit", "honey", "caramel" ], "summary": "A cacao department on the Colombia-Venezuela border along the Arauca River in the Orinoquía lowlands, where fertile floodplain soils support fine-flavour cacao. Arauca is among Colombia's leading cacao-producing departments.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "USDA FAS: 'The Colombian Cacao Sector — 2024 Update' — https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=The+Colombian+Cacao+Sector+-+2024+Update_Bogota_Colombia_CO2024-0011.pdf", "Cacao climate zones and agrobiodiversity in Arauca, Colombia (PMC) — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10698748/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "co-huila", "name": "Huila", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Colombia", "region": "Huila (upper Magdalena valley)", "coordinates": { "lat": 2.5, "lon": -75.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "500-1300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; predominantly regional clones and hybrids, with some farms retaining older 'Cacao Real' material.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Dec; smaller Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Cooperative and farm box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and roofed parabolic dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "caramel" ], "summary": "An Andean department in southern Colombia where cacao is grown alongside coffee, largely by smallholders and cooperatives in municipalities such as Garzón, Gigante and El Pital. Huila is among the country's leading cacao-producing departments.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "USDA FAS: 'The Colombian Cacao Sector — 2024 Update' — https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=The+Colombian+Cacao+Sector+-+2024+Update_Bogota_Colombia_CO2024-0011.pdf", "IDH: cocoa production chain in Huila — https://idh.org/news/idh-investment-supports-development-of-the-cocoa-production-chain-in-huila-colombia" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "co-santander", "name": "Santander", "also_known_as": [ "Montaña Santandereana", "San Vicente de Chucurí" ], "country": "Colombia", "region": "Santander (montaña santandereana)", "coordinates": { "lat": 6.6, "lon": -73.2, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "200-1200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; predominantly regional and introduced clones, including CCN-51, ICS-60, ICS-95 and FEDECACAO selections such as FSV-41.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Dec; smaller Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Cooperative and farm box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds, patios, and roofed parabolic dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "caramel" ], "summary": "Colombia's leading cacao-producing department, in the eastern Andes around the 'montaña santandereana' and San Vicente de Chucurí, supplying roughly two-fifths of national output from cooperatives and smallholders.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Procolombia: 'El cacao en Colombia está presente en sus departamentos' — https://procolombia.co/colombiatrade/exportador/articulos/el-cacao-en-colombia-esta-presente-en-sus-departamentos", "Cacao breeding in Colombia, past, present and future (PMC) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6776146/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "co-sierra-nevada-arhuaco", "name": "Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta", "also_known_as": [ "Arhuaco" ], "country": "Colombia", "region": "Magdalena / Cesar (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.8, "lon": -73.7, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "300-1200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; mixed populations cultivated by Indigenous and campesino growers. Some farms retain Criollo-leaning material, and a local Porcelana-type cacao of the Sierra is recognised as a Slow Food Presidium.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Dec; smaller Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Smallholder and community box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "honey", "mild floral" ], "summary": "Cacao grown on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, including production by Arhuaco and other Indigenous communities descended from the Tairona. The massif is also known for a local Porcelana-type fine cacao.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Slow Food Foundation: 'Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Porcelana Cacao' Presidium — https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/slow-food-presidia/sierra-nevada-de-santa-marta-porcelana-cacao/", "ACDI/VOCA: 'Improvement of the Cacao Value Chain in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta' — https://www.acdivoca.org/projects/improvement-of-the-cacao-value-chain-in-the-sierra-nevada-de-santa-marta/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "co-tolima", "name": "Tolima", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Colombia", "region": "Tolima (middle Magdalena valley)", "coordinates": { "lat": 4.2, "lon": -75, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "300-1100", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; predominantly regional clones and hybrids grown by smallholders.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Dec; smaller Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Cooperative and farm box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and roofed dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "sweet fruit", "nutty", "caramel" ], "summary": "A central Colombian department in the middle Magdalena valley and Andean foothills, among the country's leading cacao producers, with smallholder cacao often associated with sweet fresh-fruit and nutty notes.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "USDA FAS: 'The Colombian Cacao Sector — 2024 Update' — https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=The+Colombian+Cacao+Sector+-+2024+Update_Bogota_Colombia_CO2024-0011.pdf", "Procolombia: 'El cacao en Colombia está presente en sus departamentos' — https://procolombia.co/colombiatrade/exportador/articulos/el-cacao-en-colombia-esta-presente-en-sus-departamentos" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "co-tumaco", "name": "Tumaco", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Colombia", "region": "Nariño (Tumaco, Pacific coast)", "coordinates": { "lat": 1.8, "lon": -78.76, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-100", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; widely planted CCN-51 and ICS-95 alongside native varieties. Producer associations have worked with the University of Nariño to identify and conserve native regional genetics in clonal gardens.", "harvest_season": "fairly continuous; peaks vary", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days; some centralised processing.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and roofed dryers, given high coastal humidity.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "earthy" ], "summary": "A humid Pacific-coast cacao origin in southern Colombia's Nariño department, producing roughly 6 percent of national output. Cacao is grown largely by smallholder and cooperative associations such as ASPROCAT, with quality-focused programmes developed since the 2010s.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Uncommon Cacao: 'Origin Report: Tumaco, Colombia' — https://www.uncommoncacao.com/blogs/uncommon-cacao/origin-report-tumaco-colombia", "Acumen case study: CortePaz — https://acumen.org/case-studies/cortepaz/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "cr-talamanca", "name": "Talamanca", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Costa Rica", "region": "Limón (Talamanca)", "coordinates": { "lat": 9.57, "lon": -82.9, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-300", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "APPTA" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Smallholder cacao, much of it farmed by Bribri and Cabécar Indigenous communities; populations include CATIE-developed clones and older mixed material.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb; secondary crop mid-year", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried, often under cover due to high rainfall.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "floral", "nutty", "bright" ], "summary": "The Talamanca region of Caribbean Costa Rica is a smallholder cacao landscape with a strong Indigenous farming tradition, where cacao has been grown since pre-Columbian times. Producers are organised largely through APPTA, founded in 1987, and a large share of growers are Indigenous women.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Tico Times — Cultivating Tradition: Organic Cacao in Costa Rica: https://ticotimes.net/2004/05/21/organic-cacao-sweet-success", "La Casa del Cacao — The History of Cocoa in Costa Rica: https://casadelcacao.net/the-history-of-cocoa-in-costa-rica/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "cr-upala", "name": "Upala", "also_known_as": [ "Northern Zone" ], "country": "Costa Rica", "region": "Alajuela (Upala / northern lowlands)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.9, "lon": -85.02, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "40-200", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed hybrid and clonal populations; smallholdings average roughly two hectares.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb; secondary crop mid-year", "fermentation": "Smallholder and small-facility box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "caramel", "balanced" ], "summary": "Upala, in Costa Rica's northern lowlands near the Nicaraguan border, is a recognised cacao district sometimes called the country's 'chocolate district', where smallholders — about a fifth of them women — grow cacao on small plots.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Costa Rica Star News — Some of the World's Finest Chocolate Is Produced in Upala: https://news.co.cr/worlds-finest-chocolate-produced-upala-costa-rica/67547/", "CATIE — Universidades públicas y personas productoras de la zona norte: https://www.catie.ac.cr/en/2022/10/17/universidades-publicas-y-personas-productoras-de-la-zona-norte-de-costa-rica-se-reunieron-en-el-catie-para-aprender-de-cacao/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ci-bulk", "name": "Côte d'Ivoire (bulk cacao)", "also_known_as": [ "Ivory Coast", "Ivorian bulk" ], "country": "Côte d'Ivoire", "region": "Southern forest belt (San-Pédro, Daloa, Soubré, Abengourou)", "coordinates": { "lat": 6.2, "lon": -5.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-400", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Predominantly Amelonado-derived smallholder material descended from a narrow West African founder stock, increasingly interplanted with higher-yielding Upper-Amazon hybrid varieties; cotyledons typically dark purple.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Mar; mid-crop May-Aug", "fermentation": "Smallholder heap fermentation, typically 5-7 days; quality varies widely with handling.", "drying": "Sun-dried on mats, tarpaulins, or raised racks at the farm or village.", "flavor_profile": [ "plain cocoa", "earthy", "low acidity", "slight bitterness" ], "summary": "The world's largest cacao producer, supplying roughly 40 percent of global output as high-volume bulk beans grown by smallholders across the southern forest belt.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, 'Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree', PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311", "ICCO Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics — production data", "FAO — Côte d'Ivoire cocoa sector profiles" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "cu-baracoa", "name": "Baracoa", "also_known_as": [ "Guantánamo cacao" ], "country": "Cuba", "region": "Guantánamo Province (Baracoa)", "coordinates": { "lat": 20.35, "lon": -74.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-400", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed in-farm populations; ddRADseq study of in-farm and genebank cacao in the Baracoa region documents diverse, admixed material rather than a single uniform type.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; secondary Sep-Feb", "fermentation": "Box fermentation, commonly around 7 days; beans are also traditionally heaped and covered with banana leaves.", "drying": "Sun-dried, typically over a week or longer.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "earthy", "mild fruit" ], "summary": "Baracoa, in eastern Cuba's Guantánamo Province, accounts for the large majority of Cuban cacao and is also the country's main chocolate-processing area. Cacao is grown by smallholders on small plots interplanted with banana and coconut.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Pico-Mendoza et al. 2024, 'Using ddRADseq to assess the genetic diversity of in-farm and gene bank cacao resources in the Baracoa region, eastern Cuba' — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10948478/", "Havana Times, 'Baracoa: The Mecca of Cocoa in Cuba' — https://havanatimes.org/features/baracoa-the-mecca-of-cocoa-in-cuba-part-ii/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "cd-north-kivu", "name": "North Kivu / Beni", "also_known_as": [ "Beni cacao", "Virunga cacao" ], "country": "Democratic Republic of the Congo", "region": "North Kivu (Beni territory)", "coordinates": { "lat": 0.5, "lon": 29.47, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "700-1100", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed hybrid populations grown by smallholders in the fertile forest lands around Beni; cotyledon colour varies.", "harvest_season": "two flushes spread across the year; harvest broadly year-round", "fermentation": "Smallholder and centralised exporter-organised fermentation, typically 5-7 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised racks and tarpaulins.", "flavor_profile": [ "bright fruit", "citrus", "lively acidity", "cocoa" ], "summary": "North Kivu is DR Congo's main cocoa region, centred on Beni territory, producing fruit-forward, largely organic beans from smallholders; access and certification are periodically disrupted by regional insecurity.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Wikipedia — 'Cocoa production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo'", "ConfectioneryNews 2017 — 'Cocoa in the Congo: Emerging origin for organic chocolate makers'", "Esco Kivu — exporter documentation, Beni" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "cd-tshopo-bengamisa", "name": "Tshopo (Bengamisa)", "also_known_as": [ "Orientale cacao" ], "country": "Democratic Republic of the Congo", "region": "Tshopo Province (Bengamisa, near Kisangani)", "coordinates": { "lat": 0.8, "lon": 25, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "350-500", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture", "unknown" ], "traditional_class": "unknown", "bean_notes": "Lowland Congo Basin populations descended from colonial-era plantings; not yet well characterised genetically.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year", "fermentation": "Smallholder fermentation; practices vary and centralised processing is limited.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "earthy", "mild fruit", "low acidity" ], "summary": "A lesser-known lowland cacao zone in the central Congo Basin near Kisangani, where smallholders grow cacao within forest-margin agroforestry, distinct from the better-known eastern highland origins.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Wikipedia — 'Cocoa production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo'", "FAO — DR Congo agricultural sector documentation" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "do-conacado", "name": "CONACADO", "also_known_as": [ "Confederación Nacional de Cacaocultores Dominicanos" ], "country": "Dominican Republic", "region": "Multiple provinces (Cibao, Eastern and Northern regions)", "coordinates": { "lat": 19, "lon": -70, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-600", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "CONACADO" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed Amelonado-derived and Trinitario-hybrid populations aggregated from many smallholder associations across several provinces.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; secondary Oct-Dec", "fermentation": "Centralised box fermentation at member-association blocks; fermented 'Hispaniola'-style fine grade.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms and patios.", "flavor_profile": [ "balanced", "nutty", "mild fruit", "cocoa" ], "summary": "CONACADO is a national federation of Dominican cacao farmers, founded in the late 1980s with German development support, grouping well over a hundred local producer associations and several thousand smallholders. It is a major exporter of certified-organic and Fairtrade fermented cacao.", "certifications": [ "organic", "Fairtrade" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "CONACADO, 'Trailblazers of the Dominican Republic's emblematic organic cocoa industry' — https://conacado.com.do/en/trailblazers-of-the-dominican-republics-emblematic-organiccocoa-industry/", "Fairtrade Foundation, 'CONACADO, Dominican Republic' — https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/farmers-and-workers/cocoa/conacado-dominican-republic/", "FAO Mountain Partnership member profile — https://www.fao.org/mountain-partnership/members/detail/coordinadora-nacional-de-cacaoteros-dominicanos-inc-conacado/en" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "do-hato-mayor", "name": "Hato Mayor", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Dominican Republic", "region": "Hato Mayor Province (Eastern region)", "coordinates": { "lat": 18.76, "lon": -69.26, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Trinitario-hybrid populations on an Amelonado-dominated genetic base; local material historically established by grafting Criollo onto Amelonado rootstock.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; secondary Oct-Dec", "fermentation": "Smallholder and centralised box fermentation for fine fermented lots.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms and patios.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "balanced" ], "summary": "Hato Mayor in the Dominican Republic's Eastern region is a long-standing cacao province where Trinitario-type material is grown by smallholders, much of it organically certified and channelled through producer organisations.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Boza et al. 2013, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution — https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10722-012-9860-4", "Make Mine Fine, 'Dominican Republic' cocoa profile — https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/dominican-republic-republica-dominicana/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "do-hispaniola-sfm", "name": "Hispaniola (San Francisco de Macorís)", "also_known_as": [ "Cibao cacao", "Hispaniola-grade cacao" ], "country": "Dominican Republic", "region": "Duarte Province (San Francisco de Macorís, Cibao)", "coordinates": { "lat": 19.3, "lon": -70.25, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-400", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Germplasm surveys report Dominican cacao as predominantly Amelonado in ancestry, with a substantial Trinitario-hybrid component; populations are mixed and variable in cotyledon colour. Two grades originate here: 'Sánchez' (dried without controlled fermentation) and washed, fermented 'Hispaniola'.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; secondary Oct-Dec", "fermentation": "Centralised box fermentation, roughly 3-7 days, for fine 'Hispaniola'-grade lots; 'Sánchez'-grade beans are dried without controlled fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "balanced", "nutty", "mild fruit", "cocoa" ], "summary": "The Cibao region around San Francisco de Macorís in Duarte Province is the core of Dominican cacao, supplying a large share of national output. The country is a leading exporter of certified-organic cocoa, and the area's fermented 'Hispaniola'-grade beans are widely used in fine and craft chocolate.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Boza et al. 2013, 'Genetic diversity, conservation, and utilization of Theobroma cacao L.: genetic resources in the Dominican Republic', Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution — https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10722-012-9860-4", "Make Mine Fine, 'Dominican Republic' cocoa profile — https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/dominican-republic-republica-dominicana/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "do-oko-caribe", "name": "Öko Caribe", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Dominican Republic", "region": "Duarte Province (San Francisco de Macorís)", "coordinates": { "lat": 19.3, "lon": -70.25, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-500", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "Öko Caribe" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Wet beans gathered from a network of member farms and fermented centrally; mixed Amelonado-derived and Trinitario-hybrid populations.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; secondary Oct-Dec", "fermentation": "Centralised box fermentation, carefully managed for consistency.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "balanced", "fruity", "nutty", "well-rounded" ], "summary": "Öko Caribe is a producer organisation near San Francisco de Macorís that buys wet cacao from member smallholders and ferments it centrally. It is a long-standing supplier of consistent, carefully fermented Dominican cacao to craft chocolate makers.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Boza et al. 2013, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution — https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10722-012-9860-4", "Make Mine Fine, 'Dominican Republic' cocoa profile — https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/dominican-republic-republica-dominicana/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-arriba-nacional", "name": "Arriba Nacional", "also_known_as": [ "Cacao Arriba", "Nacional" ], "country": "Ecuador", "region": null, "coordinates": { "lat": -1.5, "lon": -79.6, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-600", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Nacional", "bean_notes": "Predominantly pale to pale-violet cotyledon. The modern Nacional crop is heavily admixed with introduced clones, especially CCN-51; surveys estimate well under 10% of Ecuadorian cacao is heirloom Nacional.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Box or heap fermentation, commonly 3-5 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios or raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "floral", "jasmine", "soft spice", "mild cocoa" ], "summary": "Ecuador's historic native cacao type, valued for a delicate floral character known as the 'Arriba' aroma — a name traders gave to cacao coming from 'up-river' of the Gulf of Guayaquil. Much of the current crop is genetically admixed with introduced clones.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, 'Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao L.)', PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311", "Loor Solorzano et al. 2012, 'Insight into the wild origin, migration and domestication history of the fine flavour Nacional Theobroma cacao L. variety from Ecuador', PLoS ONE 7(11):e48438", "Chocmod — Cacao Arriba, an Ecuadorian taste treasure, https://www.chocmod.com/en/chocolaterie/26-arriba-cocoa" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-camino-verde-balao", "name": "Camino Verde (Balao)", "also_known_as": [ "Balao" ], "country": "Ecuador", "region": "Guayas (Balao)", "coordinates": { "lat": -2.91, "lon": -79.81, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-100", "producer": { "type": "estate", "name": "Hacienda Camino Verde" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Nacional", "bean_notes": "Mixed pale and light-violet cotyledon depending on the lot; a working estate and fermentation centre handling Nacional and hybrid cacao.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Controlled box fermentation with documented experimental protocols, typically 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried, often on covered raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "bright fruit", "floral", "berry", "fresh cocoa" ], "summary": "An estate and fermentation operation in Ecuador's Guayas lowlands near Balao, known among craft chocolate makers for experimental post-harvest processing of Nacional and hybrid cacao.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "kakao.io seed dataset — pending verification" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-el-oro", "name": "El Oro", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Ecuador", "region": "El Oro", "coordinates": { "lat": -3.4, "lon": -79.8, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-400", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; a mix of Nacional and introduced hybrid material.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation, roughly 3-5 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "light floral" ], "summary": "A southern coastal province of Ecuador, part of the western coastal belt that accounts for the large majority of national cacao production, growing both Nacional and hybrid material.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Diagnóstico de la Cadena Productiva del Cacao en el Ecuador, Vicepresidencia de la República, https://www.vicepresidencia.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Resumen-Cadena-de-Cacao-rev.pdf", "Ecuador Homes And Land — Cacao Culture in Ecuador, https://ecuadorhomesandland.com/news/cacao-culture-in-ecuador" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-esmeraldas", "name": "Esmeraldas", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Ecuador", "region": "Esmeraldas", "coordinates": { "lat": 0.85, "lon": -79.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour reflecting a mix of Nacional and introduced hybrids; the province is associated with Cacao Arriba grown in tropical-forest agroforestry.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation, roughly 3-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "light fruit", "nutty", "mild floral" ], "summary": "A humid northern coastal province of Ecuador producing a mix of Nacional and hybrid cacao, largely from smallholders, with cooperative organisation such as UOPROCAE aggregating fine-aroma lots.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Conexión Chocolate — Esmeraldas, https://www.conexionchocolate.com/pages/esmeraldas", "Diagnóstico de la Cadena Productiva del Cacao en el Ecuador, Vicepresidencia de la República, https://www.vicepresidencia.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Resumen-Cadena-de-Cacao-rev.pdf" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-guayas", "name": "Guayas", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Ecuador", "region": "Guayas (Guayaquil basin)", "coordinates": { "lat": -2.2, "lon": -79.9, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; both Nacional and a large share of CCN-51-type hybrid material.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Box fermentation at farm and collection-centre level, roughly 3-5 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "earthy" ], "summary": "A major cacao-producing province around the Guayas River basin and the port of Guayaquil, historically the gathering and export point for 'Arriba' cacao and today one of Ecuador's top producing provinces.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Actores Productivos — Los Ríos, Guayas y Manabí lideran la producción de cacao en Ecuador, https://actoresproductivos.com/los-rios-guayas-y-manabi-lideran-la-produccion-de-cacao-en-ecuador/", "Factores productivos de la producción de cacao nacional de la Provincia del Guayas, Revista Espirales, https://www.redalyc.org/journal/5732/573263330009/html/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-los-rios", "name": "Los Ríos", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Ecuador", "region": "Los Ríos", "coordinates": { "lat": -1.8, "lon": -79.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-100", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; a large share of CCN-51-type hybrid material. The CCN-51 clone is itself a documented admixture (chiefly IMC, Criollo and Amelonado components).", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Box fermentation at farm and collection-centre level, roughly 3-5 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "earthy" ], "summary": "A leading cacao-producing province in Ecuador's central coastal lowlands, blending traditional Nacional with widely planted CCN-51 hybrid material. Los Ríos, Guayas and Manabí together account for the bulk of national output.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Boza et al. 2014, 'Genetic characterization of the cacao clone CCN 51 and its impact on global cacao improvement and production', Tree Genetics & Genomes 10:1413-1423", "Actores Productivos — Los Ríos, Guayas y Manabí lideran la producción de cacao en Ecuador, https://actoresproductivos.com/los-rios-guayas-y-manabi-lideran-la-produccion-de-cacao-en-ecuador/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-manabi", "name": "Manabí", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Ecuador", "region": "Manabí", "coordinates": { "lat": -1.05, "lon": -80.2, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-400", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; a mix of Nacional and CCN-51-type hybrids.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Smallholder box and heap fermentation, roughly 3-5 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "light fruit", "mild astringency" ], "summary": "A coastal Ecuadorian province with a long cacao tradition, today one of the three largest producing provinces, growing both Nacional and high-yielding hybrid cacao.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Actores Productivos — Los Ríos, Guayas y Manabí lideran la producción de cacao en Ecuador, https://actoresproductivos.com/los-rios-guayas-y-manabi-lideran-la-produccion-de-cacao-en-ecuador/", "Diagnóstico de la Cadena Productiva del Cacao en el Ecuador, Vicepresidencia de la República, https://www.vicepresidencia.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Resumen-Cadena-de-Cacao-rev.pdf" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-napo-kallari", "name": "Napo (Kallari)", "also_known_as": [ "Alto Napo", "Tena" ], "country": "Ecuador", "region": "Napo (upper Amazon)", "coordinates": { "lat": -1, "lon": -77.8, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "300-700", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "Kallari" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Nacional", "bean_notes": "Fine-aroma cacao grown by Kichwa families within the 'chakra' agroforestry system; populations include Nacional-type material alongside hybrids.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with seasonal peaks", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation organised among member communities.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "floral", "fruity", "nutty", "mild cocoa" ], "summary": "A cacao origin in the upper Amazon province of Napo, where the Kallari cooperative groups more than 800 Kichwa families across many communities, growing fine-aroma cacao within a traditional biodiverse chakra agroforestry system.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Kallari — Quiénes Somos, https://kallari.com.ec/quienes-somos/", "Infobae — Cocoa, from raw material to forest conservation agent in Ecuador, https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/03/15/cocoa-from-raw-material-to-forest-conservation-agent-in-ecuador/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-sucumbios", "name": "Sucumbíos", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Ecuador", "region": "Sucumbíos (northern Amazon)", "coordinates": { "lat": 0.1, "lon": -76.9, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "200-400", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; a mix of Nacional and introduced hybrid material grown in Amazon agroforestry plots.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with seasonal peaks", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation, roughly 3-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried, often under cover given high rainfall.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "mild floral" ], "summary": "A northern Amazonian province of Ecuador and one of the country's notable cacao-producing zones, where the crop is grown by smallholders, including in former oil-frontier areas, within diversified agroforestry systems.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Diagnóstico de la Cadena Productiva del Cacao en el Ecuador, Vicepresidencia de la República, https://www.vicepresidencia.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Resumen-Cadena-de-Cacao-rev.pdf", "Proamazonia — El futuro del cacao amazónico ecuatoriano, https://www.proamazonia.org/en/sabores-unicos-con-impacto-positivo-el-futuro-del-cacao-amazonico-ecuatoriano/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ec-vinces", "name": "Vinces", "also_known_as": [ "París Chiquito" ], "country": "Ecuador", "region": "Los Ríos (Vinces)", "coordinates": { "lat": -1.55, "lon": -79.74, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-50", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Nacional", "bean_notes": "Predominantly pale to pale-violet cotyledon in Nacional-leaning lots; modern plantings include hybrid material.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Smallholder and estate box fermentation, roughly 3-5 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios.", "flavor_profile": [ "floral", "fruity", "nutty", "mild cocoa" ], "summary": "A historic cacao town on the Vinces River in Los Ríos province, a centre of the 19th- and early 20th-century Ecuadorian cacao boom and long associated with the riverside trade in 'Arriba' Nacional cacao.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Ecuador Homes And Land — Cacao Culture in Ecuador, https://ecuadorhomesandland.com/news/cacao-culture-in-ecuador", "Southern Explorations — Cacao Farming in Western Ecuador, https://www.southernexplorations.com/cacao-farming-western-ecuador" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "fj-vanua-levu", "name": "Vanua Levu", "also_known_as": [ "Fiji cocoa" ], "country": "Fiji", "region": "Vanua Levu (Macuata / northern Fiji)", "coordinates": { "lat": -16.6, "lon": 179.3, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-300", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed populations; cacao was introduced to Fiji in the 19th century, including Trinitario material from Trinidad, with some older Amelonado-type plantings on Vanua Levu.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year", "fermentation": "Smallholder and farm box fermentation; quality-focused processing developed by craft cacao operations.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "cocoa", "nutty", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "Vanua Levu, Fiji's second-largest island, is the centre of the country's cacao production. After a long decline, Fijian cacao has been revived by smallholder farms and craft cacao operations supplying single-origin chocolate makers.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate, 'Fiji - Vanua Levu' origin page", "Dame Cacao, 'Fijian Cacao & Chocolate Culture'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "gh-abocfa-suhum", "name": "ABOCFA (Suhum)", "also_known_as": [ "Abocfa Cooperative Cocoa", "Suhum organic cacao" ], "country": "Ghana", "region": "Eastern Region (Suhum)", "coordinates": { "lat": 6.04, "lon": -0.45, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-300", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "ABOCFA (Abocfa Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Society)" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "CRIG hybrid and Amelonado-derived material grown by member smallholders; the Suhum area lies in the historic Eastern Region cocoa belt near where cacao was first established in Ghana.", "harvest_season": "main Sep-Jan; light crop May-Aug", "fermentation": "Smallholder heap fermentation, around 6 days, with cooperative quality oversight.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised mats and platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "rich cocoa", "fudgy", "nutty", "low acidity" ], "summary": "An organic and Fairtrade-certified cooperative around the town of Suhum in Ghana's Eastern Region, recognised among craft chocolate makers for traceable West African cacao with a classic rich, fudgy profile.", "certifications": [ "organic", "fairtrade" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "ABOCFA Cooperative — abocfa.com (cooperative profile)", "Uncommon Cacao — ABOCFA origin page", "Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) — hybrid seed background" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "gh-amelonado", "name": "Ghana (West African Amelonado)", "also_known_as": [ "Tetteh Quarshie Amelonado", "West African bulk" ], "country": "Ghana", "region": "Ashanti / Western / Western North / Eastern regions", "coordinates": { "lat": 6.4, "lon": -1.8, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-400", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "The classic bulk West African population descends from a narrow Amelonado founder stock introduced before 1938; modern plantings increasingly use CRIG-selected Amelonado x Upper-Amazon hybrid seed, so populations now carry a hybrid component.", "harvest_season": "main Sep-Jan (light crop May-Aug)", "fermentation": "Smallholder heap fermentation under banana or plantain leaves, typically around 6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised mats and platforms; Ghana's tightly supervised buying and grading system underpins consistent bulk quality.", "flavor_profile": [ "straightforward cocoa", "earthy", "low acidity", "mild nuttiness" ], "summary": "The classic bulk cacao of Ghana, historically dominated by the Amelonado population and now grown largely from CRIG hybrid seed, aggregated in large volumes for export under a long-established national grading system.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)", "Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) — hybrid seed development and germplasm history", "Edwin & Masters 2005; Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) sector documentation" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "gd-grenada", "name": "Grenada", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Grenada", "region": "Grenada (island estates)", "coordinates": { "lat": 12.12, "lon": -61.68, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-400", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Predominantly Trinitario-type island populations with a small Forastero component, grown on small estates and farms; populations are mixed and not finely characterised.", "harvest_season": "main Dec-Mar; mid-crop Jun-Aug", "fermentation": "Estate and cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on traditional sliding-roof ('boucan') drying trays.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "spice", "nutty", "balanced cocoa" ], "summary": "Grenada is a Caribbean island origin with mixed Trinitario-type cacao grown on small estates in rich volcanic soil. The island has an established tradition of estate-level fermentation and drying, and the Grenada Chocolate Company's farmer-and-maker cooperative, founded in 1999, helped popularise its tree-to-bar model.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Grenada Chocolate Company — https://thegrenadachocolate.com/", "Chocolate Trading Co., 'The Grenada Chocolate Company — Meet the maker' — https://www.chocolatetradingco.com/magazine/grenada-chocolate-company-meet-the-maker" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "gt-alta-verapaz", "name": "Alta Verapaz", "also_known_as": [ "Lachuá", "Cobán" ], "country": "Guatemala", "region": "Alta Verapaz (Lachuá / Cobán area)", "coordinates": { "lat": 15.93, "lon": -90.65, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-600", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed smallholder populations grown in agroforestry alongside cardamom, coffee and plantain; some farms cultivate Criollo-leaning material.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "mild acidity", "cocoa" ], "summary": "Alta Verapaz in northern Guatemala, including the Lachuá area near Laguna Lachuá National Park, is a humid lowland-to-foothill zone farmed by Q'eqchi' Maya families. Cacao production was rebuilt through projects from 2005 onward and is among the country's leading cacao departments.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Uncommon Cacao — Lachua: https://www.uncommoncacao.com/pages/lachua", "USDA FAS 2019 — Advances and Opportunities of Cacao Production in Guatemala: https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Advances+and+Opportunities+of+Cacao+Production+in+Guatemala_Guatemala_Guatemala_8-9-2019.pdf" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "gt-cahabon", "name": "Cahabón", "also_known_as": [ "Santa María Cahabón" ], "country": "Guatemala", "region": "Alta Verapaz (Cahabón)", "coordinates": { "lat": 15.6, "lon": -89.81, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-500", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "FEDECOVERA" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed smallholder populations grown in agroforestry plots; beans aggregated from member families across the municipality.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Cooperative and smallholder box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "Cahabón is a municipality of Alta Verapaz farmed by Q'eqchi' Maya families and a significant cacao zone within Guatemala. Producers are organised through FEDECOVERA, a federation of cooperatives that markets organic Q'eqchi'-grown cacao.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Daarnhouwer & Co — Fedecovera: Recovering a vital part of Maya Culture in Verapaz: https://daarnhouwer.com/cocoa-stories/fedecovera-maya-culture-in-verapaz/", "Dandelion Chocolate — Cahabón, Guatemala: https://blog.dandelionchocolate.com/our-beans/cahabon/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "gt-izabal", "name": "Izabal", "also_known_as": [ "Río Dulce" ], "country": "Guatemala", "region": "Izabal (Caribbean lowlands)", "coordinates": { "lat": 15.5, "lon": -89, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed smallholder populations including heirloom strains; cultivated stock is largely admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried, often under cover given high coastal humidity.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "earthy" ], "summary": "Izabal is Guatemala's Caribbean-lowland cacao department, a humid coastal zone around Río Dulce and Livingston where smallholders grow cacao for both domestic chocolate use and export.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Make Mine Fine — Guatemala: https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/guatemala/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "gt-suchitepequez", "name": "Suchitepéquez", "also_known_as": [ "San Antonio Suchitepéquez" ], "country": "Guatemala", "region": "Suchitepéquez (Pacific piedmont)", "coordinates": { "lat": 14.54, "lon": -91.42, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-600", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed Trinitario and Criollo-type material grown under shade canopy; cultivated populations are largely admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Cooperative and farm box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "caramel" ], "summary": "Suchitepéquez, on Guatemala's Pacific piedmont, is a core cacao department of the country's southern producing region, with San Antonio Suchitepéquez regarded as a heartland of prime cacao-growing land worked by cooperatives and smallholders.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Make Mine Fine — Guatemala: https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/guatemala/", "USDA FAS 2019 — Advances and Opportunities of Cacao Production in Guatemala: https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Advances+and+Opportunities+of+Cacao+Production+in+Guatemala_Guatemala_Guatemala_8-9-2019.pdf" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "gn-bulk", "name": "Guinea (bulk cacao)", "also_known_as": [ "Guinean cacao", "Guinée Forestière cacao" ], "country": "Guinea", "region": "Guinée Forestière (Macenta / Lola / Nzérékoré)", "coordinates": { "lat": 8.4, "lon": -9, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "400-800", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Amelonado-derived smallholder material with hybrid plantings, grown in the forested southeast of the country.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb; light crop May-Jul", "fermentation": "Smallholder heap fermentation; handling is variable.", "drying": "Sun-dried on mats and raised racks.", "flavor_profile": [ "plain cocoa", "earthy", "woody", "low acidity" ], "summary": "A minor West African producer with cacao concentrated in the Guinée Forestière region in the country's forested southeast, exported largely as bulk beans, partly through neighbouring countries.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "FAO — Guinea agricultural sector profiles", "ITC / regional trade documentation — Guinée Forestière cocoa" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ht-grand-anse", "name": "Grand'Anse", "also_known_as": [ "Grande-Anse", "Southern Haiti cacao" ], "country": "Haiti", "region": "Grand'Anse Department (southern peninsula)", "coordinates": { "lat": 18.65, "lon": -74.1, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-500", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed Trinitario-type island populations grown in smallholder agroforestry plots; not finely characterised genetically.", "harvest_season": "main harvest roughly Apr-Aug, with a lighter crop later in the year", "fermentation": "Historically much of the crop was sold dried without controlled fermentation; centralised fermentation for fine grades has been introduced by exporters such as PISA since around 2014.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "earthy" ], "summary": "The Grand'Anse Department, on Haiti's southern peninsula, is one of the country's main cacao zones, grown by smallholders in agroforestry plots. Most Haitian cacao has historically been sold unfermented; recent efforts at centralised fermentation aim to access the fine-flavour market.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "World Cocoa Foundation, 'Terroir Kreyòl: Cacao in Haiti' — https://worldcocoafoundation.org/news-and-resources/article/terroir-kreyol-cacao-in-haiti", "Uncommon Cacao, 'PISA, Haiti' producer profile — https://www.uncommoncacao.com/pages/pisa" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ht-nord-feccano", "name": "Nord (FECCANO)", "also_known_as": [ "Acul-du-Nord", "Northern Haiti cacao" ], "country": "Haiti", "region": "Nord Department (Cap-Haïtien / Acul-du-Nord area)", "coordinates": { "lat": 19.66, "lon": -72.32, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-400", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "FECCANO" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed Trinitario-type island populations grown in smallholder agroforestry plots in the hills behind Cap-Haïtien.", "harvest_season": "main harvest roughly Apr-Aug, with a lighter crop later in the year", "fermentation": "Centralised cooperative box fermentation, introduced from around 2009 with technical support from AVSF to access the fine-flavour market.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "fruity", "mild spice" ], "summary": "FECCANO is a federation of cacao cooperatives in northern Haiti, around Cap-Haïtien, grouping several thousand smallholder farmers. It was the first Haitian organisation to export fermented, organically certified fine cacao, after fermentation training began in the late 2000s.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "AVSF, 'High-quality fair-trade cocoa in North Haiti' — https://www.avsf.org/en/projets/high-quality-fair-trade-cocoa-in-haitis-nord-department/", "Valrhona, 'Feccano' cocoa partner profile — https://www.valrhona.com/en/a-sustainable-company/our-commitments/our-cocoa-partners/feccano" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "hn-atlantida-pico-bonito", "name": "Atlántida (Pico Bonito)", "also_known_as": [ "La Masica" ], "country": "Honduras", "region": "Atlántida (Pico Bonito area)", "coordinates": { "lat": 15.65, "lon": -86.9, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-300", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "ASOPROPIB" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed hybrid populations grown in agroforestry plots near Pico Bonito National Park; cultivated stock is largely admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Nov-Mar", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "caramel", "cocoa" ], "summary": "The Atlántida department on Honduras's Caribbean coast is one of the country's principal cacao zones. Producers in the Pico Bonito area are organised through ASOPROPIB, a smallholder cooperative growing cacao in shaded agroforestry systems.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "PRONAGRO/SAG Honduras — Cadena Cacao: https://www.pronagro.sag.gob.hn/cadena-cacao/", "APROCACAHO: http://www.aprocacaho.com/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "hn-copan", "name": "Copán", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Honduras", "region": "Copán (western Honduras)", "coordinates": { "lat": 14.83, "lon": -88.87, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "400-900", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed hybrid populations grown by smallholders; the region has a deep Maya cacao heritage but cultivated stock is largely admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Nov-Mar", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "nutty", "caramel", "mild fruit", "cocoa" ], "summary": "The Copán region of western Honduras, near the ancient Maya site, has a long cacao history and a mix of smallholder and cooperative production. Copán is one of eight Honduran departments where cacao production is concentrated.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "PRONAGRO/SAG Honduras — Cadena Cacao: https://www.pronagro.sag.gob.hn/cadena-cacao/", "APROCACAHO: http://www.aprocacaho.com/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "hn-wampusirpi", "name": "Wampusirpi", "also_known_as": [ "Mosquitia" ], "country": "Honduras", "region": "Gracias a Dios (Mosquitia)", "coordinates": { "lat": 15.18, "lon": -84.62, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-150", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Smallholder beans from a remote rainforest region of the Mosquitia, cultivated by Miskitu and Tawahka communities; many farms avoid agrochemicals though not all are formally certified.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "honey", "nutty", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "Wampusirpi lies in the remote Mosquitia rainforest of eastern Honduras, accessible largely by the Patuca River, where Miskitu and Tawahka smallholders grow cacao within an agroforestry landscape. Honduras is recognised by the ICCO as a fine-flavour cacao origin.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Crow & Moss Chocolate — Honduras Wampusirpi: https://crowandmoss.com/products/honduras-wampusirpi", "Bar & Cocoa — Cacao Region: Wampusirpi, Honduras: https://barandcocoa.com/collections/region-wampusirpi" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "in-kerala", "name": "Kerala", "also_known_as": [], "country": "India", "region": "Kerala", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.45, "lon": 76.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "10-300", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid and clonal material distributed largely through programmes linked to ICAR-CPCRI; commonly interplanted with coconut and arecanut.", "harvest_season": "two crops, roughly Sep-Jan and Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Smallholder and small-facility box fermentation, varying by farm.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "earthy", "mild fruit" ], "summary": "A southwestern Indian origin where cacao is grown mainly as a smallholder intercrop in coconut and arecanut gardens. Kerala is one of the four main cacao-producing states of India alongside Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "ICAR-CPCRI, Cocoa Guide (2018) — cpcri.gov.in", "Mongabay India, 'Indian farmers choose cocoa amid global shortage' (2024)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "in-west-godavari", "name": "West Godavari", "also_known_as": [ "Andhra Pradesh" ], "country": "India", "region": "Andhra Pradesh (West Godavari / East Godavari)", "coordinates": { "lat": 16.9, "lon": 81.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-50", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid clones; cacao grown mainly as an intercrop under oil palm and coconut in the Godavari delta.", "harvest_season": "two crops, roughly Oct-Jan and May-Jul", "fermentation": "Box fermentation at smallholder and collection scale.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild", "low acidity" ], "summary": "A delta region of Andhra Pradesh that accounts for the largest share of Indian cacao, grown as a shaded intercrop. Andhra Pradesh is India's leading cacao-producing state, supplying over 40 percent of national output.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "ICAR-CPCRI, Cocoa Guide (2018) — cpcri.gov.in", "Mongabay India, 'Indian farmers choose cocoa amid global shortage' (2024)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "id-aceh", "name": "Aceh", "also_known_as": [ "Pidie", "Pidie Jaya" ], "country": "Indonesia", "region": "Aceh (Pidie / Pidie Jaya / Southeast Aceh)", "coordinates": { "lat": 5.1, "lon": 95.95, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-600", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid and clonal material grown by smallholders, increasingly within agroforestry plantings.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with peaks varying by district", "fermentation": "Smallholder fermentation; much of the crop has historically been sold lightly fermented or unfermented.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "earthy", "woody", "low acidity" ], "summary": "A cacao region in the northern Sumatran province of Aceh, concentrated in districts such as Pidie and Pidie Jaya. Smallholder production has declined in recent years amid low prices and disease pressure, with agroforestry programmes promoted to improve resilience.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Swisscontact, 'Southeast Aceh farmers are setting a new course for cocoa production towards agroforestry and resilience'", "World Bank, 'Indonesia: Plant Cocoa, Build an Industry' (2012)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "id-bali", "name": "Bali", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Indonesia", "region": "Bali (Jembrana / Tabanan)", "coordinates": { "lat": -8.3, "lon": 114.9, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-500", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid material; smallholder farms in Jembrana are organised through cooperatives and producer groups for centralised fermentation.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year, with a main peak around the dry season", "fermentation": "Centralised cooperative box fermentation in Jembrana; smallholder fermentation elsewhere.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds where centrally processed.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "caramel", "nutty", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "A Balinese origin where smallholder cacao, particularly from Jembrana, is aggregated and fermented centrally for more consistent fine-flavour quality, and has become a reference point for fine-cocoa development in Indonesia.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "FAO One Country One Priority Product, 'Indonesia: Upgrading bulk cocoa into fine cocoa'", "Insight Bali, 'Bali's Chocolate Revolution'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "id-flores", "name": "Flores", "also_known_as": [ "Ende", "Sikka" ], "country": "Indonesia", "region": "East Nusa Tenggara (Flores)", "coordinates": { "lat": -8.65, "lon": 121.66, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-700", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid material grown by smallholders, frequently interplanted with cloves, coffee and other tree crops.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with a main dry-season peak", "fermentation": "Smallholder and small-group fermentation; centralised processing developed for selected lots.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "warm spice", "nutty", "mild fruit" ], "summary": "A cacao origin on the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara, where smallholder cacao is grown in mixed gardens alongside cloves and coffee, sometimes lending warm spice notes.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Sucafina, 'Flores FW' origin offering", "kakao.io seed dataset — pending fuller verification" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "id-java", "name": "Java", "also_known_as": [ "Jawa" ], "country": "Indonesia", "region": "Java", "coordinates": { "lat": -7.6, "lon": 111, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-800", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Includes long-established estate populations of lighter-coloured 'Java' beans alongside introduced hybrid material.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with peaks varying by area", "fermentation": "Estate and smallholder fermentation; estates often run controlled multi-day box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried, sometimes finished mechanically.", "flavor_profile": [ "nutty", "caramel", "mild fruit", "balanced" ], "summary": "An Indonesian island with both historic Dutch-era estate cacao and smallholder hybrid plantings, associated with mild nutty profiles.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Primo Chocolab, 'Brief History of Cacao in Indonesia'", "kakao.io seed dataset — pending fuller verification" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "id-sulawesi", "name": "Sulawesi", "also_known_as": [ "Celebes" ], "country": "Indonesia", "region": "Sulawesi", "coordinates": { "lat": -2.5, "lon": 120.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-700", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Predominantly introduced hybrid and clonal material, including locally selected clones such as Sulawesi 1, Sulawesi 2 and the Masamba (MCC) clones; the island is the centre of large-volume Indonesian smallholder production.", "harvest_season": "harvest year-round with peaks varying by district", "fermentation": "Much of the crop is sold lightly fermented or unfermented; controlled fermentation is more limited but expanding under fine-cocoa programmes.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "straightforward cocoa", "earthy", "smoky", "low acidity" ], "summary": "Indonesia's main cacao island, dominated by smallholder bulk production, included as a regional reference origin. Locally bred clones and fine-cocoa initiatives are gradually raising the quality of part of the crop.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Primo Chocolab, 'Brief History of Cacao in Indonesia'", "MDPI Agronomy 13(10):2658, 'Flavor Characteristics of Three Indonesian Cocoa Clones in Four Environments' (2023)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "jm-jamaica", "name": "Jamaica", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Jamaica", "region": "Jamaica (Clarendon, St. Mary, Portland, St. Catherine and other parishes)", "coordinates": { "lat": 18.1, "lon": -77.3, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-500", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed island populations; from the 1940s Jamaica imported selected Trinitario hybrids and Amazonian Forastero clones from research stations in Trinidad, St. Vincent and elsewhere.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb, with some harvest spread through the year", "fermentation": "Wet beans bought from farmers and fermented centrally; processing has historically been concentrated at a small number of fermentaries.", "drying": "Sun-dried under controlled conditions at central fermentaries.", "flavor_profile": [ "nutty", "mild fruit", "spice", "cocoa" ], "summary": "Jamaica produces smallholder Trinitario-type cacao across several parishes, with Clarendon historically the largest producer. Cocoa marketing and central fermentation were long overseen by the state Cocoa Industry Board, whose functions later passed to the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority, 'About Cocoa' — https://jacra.org/divisions/cocoa/about-cocoa/", "Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority, 'Cocoa — Background' — https://jacra.org/divisions/cocoa/background/", "Jamaica Information Service, 'Cocoa Industry Returning to Path of Growth' — https://jis.gov.jm/cocoa-industry-returning-path-growth/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "lr-bulk", "name": "Liberia (bulk cacao)", "also_known_as": [ "Liberian cocoa belt" ], "country": "Liberia", "region": "Lofa / Nimba / Bong counties", "coordinates": { "lat": 7.5, "lon": -9.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-500", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Amelonado-derived smallholder material, much of it on ageing farms undergoing rehabilitation; populations include hybrid plantings from recent replanting programmes.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Mar; light crop May-Jul", "fermentation": "Smallholder heap fermentation; handling is variable and a focus of rehabilitation projects.", "drying": "Sun-dried on mats and raised racks.", "flavor_profile": [ "plain cocoa", "earthy", "woody", "low acidity" ], "summary": "Liberia's cocoa belt spans the northern counties of Lofa, Nimba, and Bong, where tens of thousands of smallholders farm small ageing plots; the sector is the focus of replanting and quality-improvement programmes.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "ACET — 'Growing cocoa in Liberia: Challenges and opportunities'", "Liberia Ministry of Agriculture — national cocoa seed garden documentation", "FAO — Liberia cocoa value-chain analysis" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "mg-akesson-ambolikapiky", "name": "Åkesson's Ambolikapiky", "also_known_as": [ "Ambolikapiky Plantation", "Åkesson's Estate" ], "country": "Madagascar", "region": "Diana Region (Sambirano Valley, Ambanja)", "coordinates": { "lat": -13.64, "lon": 48.43, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-150", "producer": { "type": "estate", "name": "Åkesson's (Ambolikapiky Plantation)" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Estate population producing mostly Trinitario-type cacao alongside a small, separately harvested Criollo lot; cacao has been grown on the plantation since the 1920s.", "harvest_season": "main May-Aug; smaller crop Nov-Jan", "fermentation": "Controlled stepped fermentation through a tiered wooden-box system, about 6 days.", "drying": "Briefly sun-flash-dried on concrete, then finished on large wooden drying beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "red berry", "citrus", "bright acidity", "fresh cocoa" ], "summary": "A long-established estate in the Sambirano Valley near Ambanja, run by the Åkesson family, known internationally for carefully fermented Madagascan cacao and for retaining a rare small block of Criollo-type trees.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Cocoa Runners — Åkesson's grower profile", "Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate — Madagascar Sambirano sourcing notes", "Fouet et al. 2021, Beverage Plant Research (Madagascar Criollo genetics)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "mg-millot-bejofo", "name": "Millot Estate (Bejofo)", "also_known_as": [ "Millot plantation", "Bejofo Estate" ], "country": "Madagascar", "region": "Diana Region (Sambirano Valley, Ambanja)", "coordinates": { "lat": -13.66, "lon": 48.46, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-150", "producer": { "type": "estate", "name": "Millot Estate" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Long-established estate populations in the Sambirano Valley, including mature trees dating to early-20th-century plantings and a small separately handled Criollo-leaning component.", "harvest_season": "main May-Aug; smaller crop Nov-Jan", "fermentation": "Controlled tiered wooden-box fermentation, managed estate-wide for consistency.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised wooden beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "red berry", "citrus", "tangy acidity", "fresh cocoa" ], "summary": "A historic estate in the Sambirano Valley near Ambanja, one of the oldest commercial cacao plantations in Madagascar, known for controlled fermentation and the bright fruit-forward character typical of the region.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Daarnhouwer & Co — 'Following the cacao and chocolate trail in Madagascar: the Sambirano River Valley'", "Fouet et al. 2021, Beverage Plant Research (Madagascar cacao origin and dispersal)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "mg-sambirano", "name": "Sambirano Valley", "also_known_as": [ "Ambanja cacao" ], "country": "Madagascar", "region": "Diana Region (Sambirano Valley, around Ambanja)", "coordinates": { "lat": -13.68, "lon": 48.45, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed populations along the Sambirano River with a genuine Criollo component; genetic studies confirm Madagascar retains rare Criollo-derived material, traced to introductions in the early 1800s.", "harvest_season": "main May-Aug; smaller crop Nov-Jan", "fermentation": "Estate and cooperative box fermentation, typically 5-7 days, often in tiered wooden-box systems.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised racks and platforms, sometimes briefly flash-dried on concrete first.", "flavor_profile": [ "bright red fruit", "citrus", "tangy acidity", "berry" ], "summary": "Madagascar's principal cacao region, in the humid Sambirano Valley of the northwest around Ambanja, widely associated with vivid fruit-forward and citric profiles and farmed by some 30,000 smallholders alongside historic estates.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)", "Fouet et al. 2021, 'Traditional varieties of cacao in Madagascar: their origin and dispersal revealed by SNP markers', Beverage Plant Research", "CIRAD / Agritrop — Sambirano cacao fermentation studies" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "my-sabah-tawau", "name": "Sabah (Tawau)", "also_known_as": [ "Tawau", "Sabah cocoa" ], "country": "Malaysia", "region": "Sabah (Tawau / east coast)", "coordinates": { "lat": 4.25, "lon": 117.9, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid and clonal material; Tawau on the east coast of Sabah has long been the centre of Malaysian cocoa cultivation.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with peaks varying by area", "fermentation": "Estate and smallholder box fermentation; the area has an established cocoa-processing tradition.", "drying": "Sun-dried and mechanically dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "robust cocoa", "earthy", "nutty", "low acidity" ], "summary": "Sabah, and Tawau in particular, was the heart of Malaysia's cocoa industry, which peaked in the late 20th century before declining sharply. A modest fine-flavour revival has drawn renewed attention to Sabah cocoa.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "eTawau.com, 'Cocoa in Sabah'", "The Chocolate Professor, 'Malaysian Cacao: Comeback Kid on the Fine Chocolate Scene'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "mx-oaxaca-chinantla", "name": "Oaxaca (Chinantla)", "also_known_as": [ "Chinantla" ], "country": "Mexico", "region": "Oaxaca (Chinantla / Papaloapan lowlands)", "coordinates": { "lat": 17.6, "lon": -96.1, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-600", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed smallholder populations grown in agroforestry plots within a recognised biodiversity hotspot; some farms cultivate Criollo-leaning material.", "harvest_season": "main Nov-Mar", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation, durations varying by farm.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "soft spice" ], "summary": "Oaxaca is a minor Mexican cacao state, with smallholder production concentrated in the humid Chinantla foothills and Papaloapan lowlands of the state's north. Cacao is deeply tied to regional foodways including traditional drinking-chocolate preparations.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Geo-Mexico — The geography of cacao production in Mexico: https://geo-mexico.com/?p=5900" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "mx-soconusco-chiapas", "name": "Soconusco", "also_known_as": [ "Chiapas", "Soconusco coast" ], "country": "Mexico", "region": "Chiapas (Soconusco coast)", "coordinates": { "lat": 14.9, "lon": -92.27, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "A genetic study of Criollo-type trees across seven demes in Soconusco identified trees with high Criollo ancestry; surveyed selections show elongated, deeply grooved, warty pods with white to lightly pigmented cotyledons, but most cultivated populations are admixed with introduced material.", "harvest_season": "main Nov-Mar", "fermentation": "Smallholder and small-cooperative fermentation in wooden boxes, durations varying by farm.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "nutty", "mild fruit", "honey", "gentle cocoa", "low bitterness" ], "summary": "The Soconusco region of coastal Chiapas is one of the oldest cacao-growing zones in Mesoamerica, historically prized in the pre-Columbian and colonial periods. Surveyed Criollo-ancestry trees survive among predominantly admixed cultivated populations.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008 (genetic clusters)", "Vázquez-Ovando et al. 2014, 'Genetic identification of Theobroma cacao L. trees with high Criollo ancestry in Soconusco, Chiapas, Mexico' — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25511024/", "Motamayor et al. 2002, 'Cacao domestication I: the origin of the cacao cultivated by the Mayas' — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12399997/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "mx-tabasco", "name": "Tabasco", "also_known_as": [ "Chontalpa", "Comalcalco" ], "country": "Mexico", "region": "Tabasco (Comalcalco / Chontalpa)", "coordinates": { "lat": 18.27, "lon": -93.22, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "10-50", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed cotyledon colour; the Chontalpa is a recognised home of ancient Mexican Criollo, and some farms retain white-bean Criollo strains locally called 'almendra blanca', but most cultivated stock is Trinitario and Forastero hybrid material.", "harvest_season": "main Nov-Mar; lighter mid-year crop", "fermentation": "Smallholder box and basket fermentation, durations varying by farm.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised platforms.", "flavor_profile": [ "mild cocoa", "nutty", "soft spice", "low bitterness" ], "summary": "Tabasco is Mexico's largest cacao-producing state, accounting for the bulk of national output, with the low-lying Chontalpa zone holding a pre-Columbian cultivation history and predominantly smallholder farms grown under fruit-tree shade.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008 (genetic clusters)", "Slow Food Foundation — Chontalpa Cacao Presidium: https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/slow-food-presidia/chontalpa-cacao/", "Make Mine Fine — Mexico: Tabasco and Chiapas: https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/mexico-tabasco-and-chiapas/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ni-matagalpa", "name": "Matagalpa", "also_known_as": [ "Jinotega" ], "country": "Nicaragua", "region": "Matagalpa / Jinotega highlands", "coordinates": { "lat": 13.3, "lon": -85.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "300-900", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Smallholder cacao often grown alongside coffee and shade trees; cultivated populations are admixed hybrid material.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "balanced", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "The Matagalpa and Jinotega highlands of north-central Nicaragua produce smallholder cacao within mixed agroforestry systems, often organised through cooperatives. Nicaragua was recognised by the ICCO in 2015 as a 100% fine-flavour cacao origin.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Make Mine Fine — Nicaragua: https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/nicaragua/", "Ingemann Fine Cocoa — Cocoa in Nicaragua: https://ingemann.com.ni/cocoa-in-nicaragua-ingemann/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ni-nueva-guinea", "name": "Nueva Guinea", "also_known_as": [ "El Rama", "South Caribbean" ], "country": "Nicaragua", "region": "South Caribbean Coast (Nueva Guinea / El Rama)", "coordinates": { "lat": 11.69, "lon": -84.46, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Smallholder beans from humid lowland agroforestry plots; cultivated populations are admixed hybrid material.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds, often under cover given high rainfall.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "earthy" ], "summary": "Nueva Guinea and El Rama, in Nicaragua's South Caribbean lowlands, form a major cacao-producing zone established as the crop expanded along the Caribbean coast from the mid-1990s, worked almost entirely by smallholders in agroforestry systems.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Today Nicaragua — Nicaragua Cocoa Production: https://todaynicaragua.com/nicaragua-cocoa-production-to-grow-25-in-2018/", "Make Mine Fine — Nicaragua: https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/nicaragua/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ni-rio-san-juan", "name": "Río San Juan", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Nicaragua", "region": "Río San Juan (El Castillo area)", "coordinates": { "lat": 11.3, "lon": -84.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-200", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Smallholder beans from a humid lowland rainforest region; cultivated populations are admixed hybrid material.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "cocoa", "nutty", "mild" ], "summary": "The Río San Juan region of southeastern Nicaragua is a lowland rainforest zone where smallholders grow cacao in agroforestry plots, one of eight recognised Nicaraguan cacao territories.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Make Mine Fine — Nicaragua: https://www.makeminefine.com/cocoa-sustainability/nicaragua/", "Today Nicaragua — Nicaragua Cocoa Production: https://todaynicaragua.com/nicaragua-cocoa-production-to-grow-25-in-2018/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ni-waslala", "name": "Waslala", "also_known_as": [ "Rancho Grande" ], "country": "Nicaragua", "region": "North Caribbean Coast (Waslala / Rancho Grande)", "coordinates": { "lat": 13.23, "lon": -85.37, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "300-700", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "CACAONICA" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "A diversity study in Waslala documented a broad genotype spectrum; roughly one in three to four trees sampled gave cocoa with strong individual sensory attributes spanning floral, sweet and fruity notes. Cultivated populations are admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation managed for fine-flavour quality.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "floral", "fruity", "sweet", "nutty" ], "summary": "Waslala, on Nicaragua's North Caribbean Coast, is a leading fine-flavour cacao zone where smallholders grow cacao in agroforestry systems. Producers are organised through the CACAONICA cooperative, founded in 2000.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "MOCCA — CACAONICA and the Cocoa Flavor Map: https://mocca.org/en/cacaonica-and-the-cocoa-flavor-map/", "Trognitz et al. 2013, 'Diversity of Cacao Trees in Waslala, Nicaragua', PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0054079" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ng-bulk", "name": "Nigeria (bulk cacao)", "also_known_as": [ "Nigerian bulk" ], "country": "Nigeria", "region": "Ondo / Cross River / Osun / Ekiti and other southwestern states", "coordinates": { "lat": 7, "lon": 5.2, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-500", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Mainly Amelonado-derived smallholder material with widespread Upper-Amazon hybrid plantings; cotyledons typically dark purple.", "harvest_season": "main Sep-Jan; light crop Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Smallholder heap fermentation, around 5-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on mats and concrete floors.", "flavor_profile": [ "robust cocoa", "earthy", "woody", "low acidity" ], "summary": "A long-established West African producer, ranking among the world's top cacao-growing countries, whose smallholder crop is concentrated in the southwestern states and exported largely as bulk beans, with Ondo State the leading producer.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)", "ICCO Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics — production data", "Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) — sector documentation" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pa-bocas-del-toro", "name": "Bocas del Toro", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Panama", "region": "Bocas del Toro", "coordinates": { "lat": 9.34, "lon": -82.25, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "10-200", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "COCABO" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Smallholder cacao, much of it grown by Ngäbe and Naso Indigenous farmers; cultivated populations are admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried, often under cover given high rainfall.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "mild acidity", "cocoa" ], "summary": "Bocas del Toro on Panama's Caribbean coast is a humid lowland cacao region with a long-standing smallholder and Indigenous farming tradition. Many growers are organised through COCABO, founded in 1952 and the oldest cooperative in Panama, which markets organic cacao.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Equal Exchange — COCABO: https://www.info.equalexchange.coop/partners/cocabo", "Tourism Panama — Cacao in Panama: https://www.tourismpanama.com/places-to-visit/bocas-del-toro/things-to-do/outdoors-and-nature/cacao/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pa-comarca-ngabe-bugle", "name": "Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé", "also_known_as": [ "Oreba", "Ngäbe cacao" ], "country": "Panama", "region": "Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé (Bocas del Toro section)", "coordinates": { "lat": 8.9, "lon": -81.8, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-500", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Smallholder cacao grown by Ngäbe families in agroforestry plots; cultivated populations are admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried, often under cover given high rainfall.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "caramel", "cocoa" ], "summary": "The Bocas del Toro section of the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, an autonomous Indigenous territory of western Panama, is a smallholder cacao zone where Ngäbe families grow organic cacao for export, with cacao holding deep cultural significance.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Tourism Panama — Discover the Comarca of Panamá & the Ngäbe-Buglé Tribe: https://www.tourismpanama.com/culture-cuisine/indigenous-communities/ngabe-bugle/", "Tourism Panama — Cacao in Panama: https://www.tourismpanama.com/places-to-visit/bocas-del-toro/things-to-do/outdoors-and-nature/cacao/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pg-bougainville", "name": "Bougainville", "also_known_as": [ "Autonomous Region of Bougainville" ], "country": "Papua New Guinea", "region": "Autonomous Region of Bougainville", "coordinates": { "lat": -6.2, "lon": 155.3, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-500", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid material grown by smallholders; replanting since the late 2000s has used cocoa-pod-borer-tolerant clones.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with seasonal peaks", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation, with quality-focused processing developed through donor-supported programmes.", "drying": "Both wood-fired and sun-drying are used; improved solar dryers have been promoted to reduce smoke taint.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "earthy", "nutty", "mild fruit" ], "summary": "Cocoa is a leading cash crop in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. After disruption from the 1990s conflict and the cocoa pod borer, rehabilitation programmes have rebuilt smallholder production, and selected lots now reach single-origin chocolate markets.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "World Bank, 'Papua New Guinea: Restoring the Stream of Cocoa to Bougainville' (2014)", "World Vision International, 'Producing quality cocoa in Bougainville'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pg-karkar-island", "name": "Karkar Island", "also_known_as": [ "Karkar" ], "country": "Papua New Guinea", "region": "Madang Province (Karkar Island)", "coordinates": { "lat": -4.65, "lon": 145.96, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-300", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Volcanic-island plantation and smallholder cacao of introduced hybrid origin.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with seasonal peaks", "fermentation": "Plantation and smallholder box fermentation.", "drying": "Many lots dried with wood-fired or hot-air dryers, which can impart smoky character; some sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "smoky", "nutty", "earthy" ], "summary": "A volcanic island off Madang with a long plantation history, where cacao is processed by both estates and smallholders. Smoky notes are largely attributable to traditional firewood-assisted drying rather than the bean itself.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "PNG National Research Institute, 'Value Chain Analysis for the PNG Cocoa Industry' (2023)", "The National (PNG), 'Why cocoa has a future in PNG'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pg-new-britain", "name": "New Britain", "also_known_as": [ "East New Britain" ], "country": "Papua New Guinea", "region": "East New Britain Province", "coordinates": { "lat": -4.3, "lon": 152.2, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-400", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid material; a historic centre of cacao planting and breeding work in Papua New Guinea, including the development of cocoa-pod-borer-tolerant clones.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with seasonal peaks", "fermentation": "Plantation and smallholder box fermentation.", "drying": "Frequently dried with wood-fired or hot-air dryers; smoke taint can arise where dryers are poorly maintained.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "smoky", "earthy", "nutty" ], "summary": "Papua New Guinea's main cocoa-producing province, where drying methods often give beans a distinctive smoky character. East New Britain has been central to PNG cocoa breeding and the response to the cocoa pod borer.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "PNG National Research Institute, 'Value Chain Analysis for the PNG Cocoa Industry' (2023)", "Pasifika News / Earth Journalism Network, 'Papua New Guinea: The Journey to Resilient Cocoa Clones' (2018)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pe-amazonas-bagua", "name": "Amazonas (Bagua)", "also_known_as": [ "Utcubamba", "Cacao Amazonas Perú" ], "country": "Peru", "region": "Amazonas (Bagua / Utcubamba)", "coordinates": { "lat": -5.64, "lon": -78.53, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "400-1000", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed populations; regional surveys report a large share of CCN-51-type hybrids alongside native and Criollo-leaning material.", "harvest_season": "main Apr-Aug", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation, commonly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and solar dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "caramel" ], "summary": "The Bagua and Utcubamba provinces of the Amazonas region are an important northern Peruvian cacao zone, where cacao is the second most economically significant permanent crop and is produced largely by cooperatives and smallholders.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Wikipedia (es): 'Cacao Amazonas Perú' — https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacao_Amazonas_Per%C3%BA", "AVPA: 'Peru, the land of origin of cocoa' — https://en.avpa.fr/post/peru-the-land-of-origin-of-cocoa" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pe-chuncho", "name": "Chuncho", "also_known_as": [ "Cacao Chuncho", "Chuncho del Cusco", "Chuncho de La Convención" ], "country": "Peru", "region": "Cusco (La Convención, Urubamba valley)", "coordinates": { "lat": -12.86, "lon": -72.69, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "600-1200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Contamana", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Small beans with variable cotyledon colour; a heterogeneous native population. SNP studies (Céspedes-Del Pozo et al., 2018) found Chuncho to be a distinct group most closely related to the Contamana cluster, with multiple morphological sub-types reported.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jul", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation, commonly 3-5 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "bright fruit", "citrus", "floral", "raisin", "light nutty" ], "summary": "A long-cultivated native cacao population of the La Convención province in Cusco, southern Peru, comprising diverse small-bean types. The name derives from the Matsigenka ('Chuncho') Indigenous communities of the area, and Chuncho accounts for a large share of the province's cacao.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Céspedes-Del Pozo et al. (2018), SNP characterisation of Chuncho cacao, La Convención, Cusco — https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=348060", "ICCO: Assessing genetic diversity of cacao nativo Chuncho in La Convención, Cusco — https://www.icco.org/wp-content/uploads/T1.84.-ASSESING-GENETIC-DIVERSITY-OF-CACAO-Theobroma-cacao-L.-NATIVO-CHUNCHO-IN-LA-CONVENCION-CUSCO-PERU.pdf", "Motamayor et al. 2008 (genetic clusters)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pe-huanuco-tingo-maria", "name": "Huánuco (Tingo María)", "also_known_as": [ "Alto Huallaga", "Leoncio Prado" ], "country": "Peru", "region": "Huánuco (Tingo María / Alto Huallaga)", "coordinates": { "lat": -9.29, "lon": -75.99, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "600-1000", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; predominantly hybrid material from alternative-development replanting programmes, with some native Huallaga-type germplasm.", "harvest_season": "main Apr-Aug; smaller Nov-Jan", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation, commonly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and solar dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "earthy" ], "summary": "The Tingo María area of the Alto Huallaga in Huánuco is part of Peru's central rainforest cacao belt, where cacao was promoted as an alternative crop and is produced largely by cooperatives and smallholders.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "AVPA: 'Peru, the land of origin of cocoa' — https://en.avpa.fr/post/peru-the-land-of-origin-of-cocoa", "Zhang et al. (2006), Huallaga and Ucayali valley cocoa germplasm, Annals of Botany — https://academic.oup.com/aob/article/98/3/647/252329" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pe-madre-de-dios", "name": "Madre de Dios", "also_known_as": [ "Tambopata" ], "country": "Peru", "region": "Madre de Dios (Tambopata)", "coordinates": { "lat": -12.6, "lon": -69.2, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "200-400", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture", "unknown" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mix of native Amazonian types and introduced hybrids; native populations of the southern Peruvian Amazon are not fully characterised.", "harvest_season": "main Mar-Jul", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds, often under cover given high rainfall.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "mild floral", "cocoa" ], "summary": "A southeastern Peruvian Amazon region around the Tambopata River where cacao is grown under shade as a forest-friendly alternative to deforestation. Production is organised partly through cooperatives and linked to conservation and carbon initiatives near the Tambopata reserve.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Ecosystem Marketplace: 'Where Chocolate Meets Carbon: One Peruvian Project Finds The Sweet Spot' — https://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/articles/where-chocolate-meets-carbon-one-peruvian-project-finds-the-sweet-spot/", "Agencia Andina: Madre de Dios cacao exports — https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-productores-madre-dios-exportan-primera-vez-25-toneladas-cacao-a-italia-756696.aspx" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pe-maranon-canyon", "name": "Marañón Canyon", "also_known_as": [ "Cañón del Marañón", "Pure Nacional", "Fortunato No. 4" ], "country": "Peru", "region": "Amazonas / Cajamarca (Marañón River canyon)", "coordinates": { "lat": -5.6, "lon": -78.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "900-1300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Nacional", "bean_notes": "Populations rediscovered on isolated farms in 2007 and found to carry Nacional-type genetics; a notable share of pods yield white/ivory cotyledon beans. The clone selected as 'Fortunato No. 4' originated here.", "harvest_season": "main Apr-Aug", "fermentation": "Box fermentation, commonly 4-6 days; centrally managed for selected lots.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "berry", "floral", "mild cocoa", "soft acidity" ], "summary": "Cacao from the Marañón River canyon of northern Peru, where farms hold Nacional-type material rediscovered in 2007 and associated with a high incidence of white-cotyledon beans. The 'Marañón' label here refers to the river canyon and the Nacional rediscovery rather than the Motamayor Marañón genetic cluster.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "PR Newswire: 'Chocolate Thought to Be Extinct Rediscovered in Peru' — https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chocolate-thought-to-be-extinct-rediscovered-in-peru-112189619.html", "USDA SNP analysis of Marañón canyon cacao (Pure Nacional / Fortunato No. 4)", "Motamayor et al. 2008 (genetic clusters)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pe-piura-blanco", "name": "Piura Blanco", "also_known_as": [ "Blanco de Piura", "Gran Nativo Blanco", "Porcelana de Piura" ], "country": "Peru", "region": "Piura (upper Piura valley)", "coordinates": { "lat": -4.9, "lon": -80.3, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "200-900", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "Norandino" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Nacional", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "High proportion of white/ivory cotyledon beans within mixed lots. A Bioversity International study (E. Thomas et al.) identified 'Blanco de Piura' as a distinct local genetic type within the broader Nacional group.", "harvest_season": "main Apr-Aug", "fermentation": "Box fermentation, commonly 3-5 days; member beans aggregated and fermented at collection centres.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios and raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "nutty", "soft fruit", "caramel", "honey", "mild cocoa" ], "summary": "A northern Peruvian origin in the upper Piura valley known for cacao lots with a high share of white-cotyledon beans. From 2009 the Norandino cooperative and partners selected mother trees from local stands to propagate the type, which has adapted to an unusually dry growing environment.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Original Beans: 'How a tiny white cacao bean changed lives in the Piura Valley' — https://originalbeans.com/blogs/impact-stories/how-a-tiny-white-cacao-bean-changed-lives-in-the-piura-valley-and-far-beyond", "Cocoa Runners grower profile: Norandino — https://cocoarunners.com/grower/norandino/", "Bioversity International study of Blanco de Piura genetics (E. Thomas et al.)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pe-san-martin", "name": "San Martín", "also_known_as": [ "Huallaga", "Juanjuí" ], "country": "Peru", "region": "San Martín (Huallaga valley)", "coordinates": { "lat": -6.5, "lon": -76.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "200-1000", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "ACOPAGRO" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; predominantly hybrid material distributed through replanting programmes that promoted cacao as an alternative to coca.", "harvest_season": "main Apr-Aug; smaller Nov-Jan", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation, commonly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and solar dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "earthy" ], "summary": "A major cacao region in Peru's upper Amazon centred on the Huallaga valley, where cacao was widely promoted from the 1990s as an alternative crop. Production is largely organised through cooperatives, including ACOPAGRO, based in Juanjuí, one of Peru's largest organic cacao exporters.", "certifications": [ "organic", "fairtrade" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Equal Exchange producer profile: ACOPAGRO — https://www.info.equalexchange.coop/partners/acopagro", "Alter Eco cooperative profile: Acopagro — https://www.altereco.com/cooperatives/acopagro" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pe-junin-satipo", "name": "Satipo", "also_known_as": [ "Junín", "Selva Central" ], "country": "Peru", "region": "Junín (Satipo)", "coordinates": { "lat": -11.25, "lon": -74.64, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "600-1100", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; predominantly hybrid material grown by smallholders, including Asháninka Indigenous communities.", "harvest_season": "main Apr-Aug", "fermentation": "Cooperative and smallholder box fermentation, commonly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and solar dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "The Satipo province of Junín lies in Peru's Selva Central cacao belt, where cacao is grown by smallholders and cooperatives, including Asháninka community producers, within mixed agroforestry systems.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Agencia Andina: 'Vraem: 42 comunidades de Satipo elaboran chocolates y otros derivados del cacao' — https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-vraem-42-comunidades-satipo-elaboran-chocolates-y-otros-derivados-del-cacao-820861.aspx", "peru.info: Peruvian cacao production regions — https://peru.info/en-us/gastronomy/blogperu/2/45/peruvian-cacao-and-chocolate-discover-the-different-types-of-this-superfood-its-benefits-and-how-it-is-sustainably-produced" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "pe-ucayali", "name": "Ucayali", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Peru", "region": "Ucayali (Pucallpa / Curimaná area)", "coordinates": { "lat": -8.4, "lon": -74.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "150-350", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Contamana", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Variable cotyledon colour; a mix of native Amazonian types and introduced hybrids. The Ucayali valley is a documented source of the Contamana genetic cluster and of the historic 'Ucayali clones' germplasm.", "harvest_season": "main Apr-Aug", "fermentation": "Cooperative box fermentation, commonly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds and solar dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "earthy" ], "summary": "A lowland Amazonian region of eastern Peru along the Ucayali River, producing cacao from native Amazonian and hybrid populations. The valley is one of the type localities for the Contamana genetic cluster in the modern taxonomy.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Zhang et al. (2006), 'Genetic Diversity and Structure of Managed and Semi-natural Populations of Cocoa in the Huallaga and Ucayali Valleys of Peru', Annals of Botany — https://academic.oup.com/aob/article/98/3/647/252329", "Motamayor et al. 2008 (genetic clusters)" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ph-davao", "name": "Davao", "also_known_as": [ "Davao Region" ], "country": "Philippines", "region": "Davao Region (Mindanao)", "coordinates": { "lat": 7.19, "lon": 125.46, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-600", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid and selected clonal material, including UF 18, BR 25 and PBC 123 clones; the Calinan area of Davao City is a hub of Philippine cacao.", "harvest_season": "main harvest roughly Oct-Jan; secondary crop mid-year", "fermentation": "Box fermentation at farm and cooperative scale, often 5-6 days, with growing experimentation in fermentation protocols.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised platforms or solar dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "floral", "caramel", "nutty" ], "summary": "The principal cacao region of the Philippines, on Mindanao, contributing the large majority of national production. Davao has a growing fine-flavour and bean-to-bar scene; Davao beans were among the Cocoa of Excellence Best 50 in 2017.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "The Cocoa Post, 'Spotlight on Philippines Emerging Artisan Chocolate Industry in Davao'", "Cocoa of Excellence Programme 2017 — International Cocoa Awards", "Wikipedia, 'Chocolate industry in the Philippines'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ws-samoa", "name": "Samoa", "also_known_as": [ "Upolu", "Savai'i" ], "country": "Samoa", "region": null, "coordinates": { "lat": -13.8, "lon": -172, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid material; older Samoan selections are noted by buyers for desirable flavour. Cacao is closely tied to the local 'koko Samoa' drinking-chocolate tradition.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year", "fermentation": "Smallholder fermentation, with much of the crop processed at household scale.", "drying": "Sun-dried; some beans roasted directly for domestic koko Samoa use.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "earthy", "mild" ], "summary": "A Pacific island origin where smallholder cacao supports both export and the domestic koko Samoa drinking tradition. Cacao was a major Samoan export in the mid-20th century and has drawn renewed interest from craft chocolate buyers.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "ACIAR, 'Boutique chocolate demand revives Pacific cocoa industry'", "Pacific Trade Invest, 'Chocolate Industry in the Pacific set to grow'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "st-cecab", "name": "CECAB (São Tomé)", "also_known_as": [ "Organic Cocoa Production and Export Cooperative" ], "country": "São Tomé and Príncipe", "region": "São Tomé Island (Lobata and other districts)", "coordinates": { "lat": 0.36, "lon": 6.65, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-600", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "CECAB (Cooperativa de Exportação de Cacau Biológico)" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Amelonado-derived material from old roça stock and replantings, gathered from member smallholders across many associations.", "harvest_season": "main Jan-Mar; secondary crop Jun-Sep", "fermentation": "Centrally organised cooperative fermentation, typically 5-7 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "earthy cocoa", "warm spice", "mild fruit", "low acidity" ], "summary": "A large organic and Fairtrade cooperative on São Tomé Island grouping around 3,000 smallholders across some 40 associations; it opened its own chocolate factory at Guadalupe in 2022.", "certifications": [ "organic", "fairtrade" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Wikipedia — 'Organic Cocoa Production and Export Cooperative' (CECAB)", "Kaoka — São Tomé cacao supply-chain documentation", "IFAD — 'Cacao: How just one crop has boosted an entire country's exports'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "st-cecaq-11", "name": "CECAQ-11 (São Tomé)", "also_known_as": [ "Cooperativa de Exportação de Cacau de Qualidade" ], "country": "São Tomé and Príncipe", "region": "Southern São Tomé Island", "coordinates": { "lat": 0.1, "lon": 6.55, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-600", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "CECAQ-11" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Amelonado-derived material from old roça stock; beans gathered from 11 producing communities and fermented to a managed standard.", "harvest_season": "main Jan-Mar; secondary crop Jun-Sep", "fermentation": "Cooperative-managed fermentation, typically 5-7 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "earthy cocoa", "warm spice", "light fruit", "balanced" ], "summary": "An organic and Fairtrade cooperative founded in 2009 grouping 11 cocoa-producing communities in the south of São Tomé Island, with roughly 1,100 smallholder members.", "certifications": [ "organic", "fairtrade" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Cocoa Runners — CECAQ-11 grower profile", "Divine Chocolate — 'The CECAQ-11 co-operative, São Tomé'", "Daarnhouwer & Co — São Tomé CECAQ-11 origin sheet" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "st-principe-terreiro-velho", "name": "Príncipe (Terreiro Velho)", "also_known_as": [ "Claudio Corallo cacao", "Príncipe Island cacao" ], "country": "São Tomé and Príncipe", "region": "Príncipe Island (Terreiro Velho roça)", "coordinates": { "lat": 1.61, "lon": 7.4, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-400", "producer": { "type": "estate", "name": "Terreiro Velho (Claudio Corallo)" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Old plantation trees descended from 19th-century introductions; because Príncipe was bypassed by later hybrid replanting, the estate works with surviving original stock.", "harvest_season": "main Jan-Mar; secondary crop Jun-Sep", "fermentation": "Estate fermentation, with notably extended durations in selected lots.", "drying": "Sun-dried on the estate.", "flavor_profile": [ "deep cocoa", "warm spice", "dried fruit", "low bitterness" ], "summary": "A restored historic roça on the island of Príncipe where cacao is grown organically from surviving old-plantation trees and processed on-estate, known for carefully managed, sometimes long, fermentations.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Wikipedia — 'Claudio Corallo'", "Macao Magazine — 'Chocolate's return to São Tomé and Príncipe'", "Lonely Planet — Claudio Corallo, São Tomé" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "st-roca", "name": "São Tomé (roça cacao)", "also_known_as": [ "roça cacao", "Sãotomean cacao" ], "country": "São Tomé and Príncipe", "region": "São Tomé Island (former roças)", "coordinates": { "lat": 0.25, "lon": 6.6, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-700", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Amelonado-derived populations established on the islands' historic plantations (roças) from Brazilian material introduced in the 19th century, with some hybrid plantings.", "harvest_season": "main Jan-Mar; secondary crop Jun-Sep", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative fermentation, typically 5-7 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried, traditionally on rolling roofed drying decks at the old roças.", "flavor_profile": [ "earthy cocoa", "warm spice", "light fruit", "low acidity" ], "summary": "An island producer in the Gulf of Guinea whose cacao traces back to 19th-century Portuguese plantations (roças), now grown largely by smallholders and cooperatives on São Tomé Island.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)", "Wikipedia — 'Organic Cocoa Production and Export Cooperative' (CECAB)", "Macao Magazine — 'Chocolate's return to São Tomé and Príncipe'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "sl-bulk", "name": "Sierra Leone (bulk cacao)", "also_known_as": [ "Sierra Leonean bulk" ], "country": "Sierra Leone", "region": "Eastern Province (Kenema / Kailahun)", "coordinates": { "lat": 8, "lon": -11, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-500", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Amelonado-derived smallholder material with hybrid plantings; quality varies considerably with post-harvest handling.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb; light crop May-Jul", "fermentation": "Smallholder heap fermentation; cooperative-led centralised fermentation present in some lots.", "drying": "Sun-dried on mats and raised racks.", "flavor_profile": [ "earthy cocoa", "woody", "low acidity", "mild bitterness" ], "summary": "A smaller West African producer with cacao concentrated in the Eastern Province around Kenema and Kailahun, where cooperative-organised post-harvest processing has been developed for parts of the crop.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)", "FAO — Sierra Leone agricultural sector profiles", "kakao.io seed dataset — pending fuller verification" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "sb-solomon-islands", "name": "Solomon Islands", "also_known_as": [ "Makira", "Guadalcanal" ], "country": "Solomon Islands", "region": null, "coordinates": { "lat": -9.6, "lon": 160.2, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid material grown by some 20,000-25,000 smallholders, with concentrations on Guadalcanal, Makira and Malaita.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation; quality varies by village and group.", "drying": "Both wood-fired drying (which can add smoke) and sun-drying are used; improved drying is being promoted.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "earthy", "smoky", "mild fruit" ], "summary": "A Melanesian island origin where cocoa is the largest agricultural export earner, produced by smallholders with island-by-island variation in fermentation and drying practice.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "ACIAR, 'Improved processing to boost cocoa quality in the Pacific'", "PHAMA Plus, 'Pacific Cocoa Export Industry Overview'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "lk-matale", "name": "Matale", "also_known_as": [ "Kandy", "Sri Lanka cocoa" ], "country": "Sri Lanka", "region": "Central Province (Matale / Kandy)", "coordinates": { "lat": 7.47, "lon": 80.62, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "200-700", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced Trinitario-type material with cotyledon colour ranging from cream to dark purple; cacao is grown largely as a smallholder intercrop with coconut.", "harvest_season": "two crops, with peaks varying by district", "fermentation": "Smallholder and small-facility box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "warm spice", "mild fruit" ], "summary": "Matale and neighbouring Kandy in Sri Lanka's mid-country intermediate zone are the main cocoa-growing districts of the island, where cacao is a smallholder intercrop, particularly with coconut.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Sri Lanka Department of Export Agriculture, 'Cocoa' (dea.gov.lk/cocoa)", "Wikipedia, 'Cocoa production in Sri Lanka'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "lc-rabot-soufriere", "name": "Rabot Estate (Soufrière)", "also_known_as": [ "Saint Lucia cacao", "Rabot 1745" ], "country": "St. Lucia", "region": "Soufrière District (southwestern St. Lucia)", "coordinates": { "lat": 13.83, "lon": -61.04, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "100-350", "producer": { "type": "estate", "name": "Rabot Estate" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed Trinitario-type island populations grown on rich volcanic soil; the estate is subdivided into named plots ('cortès') worked as separate terroirs.", "harvest_season": "main Nov-Feb; smaller crop Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Estate box fermentation; ripe pods are rested before being cracked and the wet beans fermented.", "drying": "Sun-dried on estate drying decks.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "nutty", "spice", "balanced cocoa" ], "summary": "Rabot Estate near Soufrière is one of the oldest working cacao farms on St. Lucia, set on volcanic slopes in the island's southwest. Run as a single estate with named terroir plots, it produces island Trinitario-type cacao and is the focus of St. Lucia's tree-to-bar cacao tourism.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Hotel Chocolat, 'Cocoa Estate — Saint Lucia Rabot Estate' — https://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/about/cocoa-estate.html", "Hotel Chocolat, 'Cocoa Growing — Saint Lucia Rabot Estate' — https://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/about/cocoa-estate/cocoa-growing.html" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "tz-kokoa-kamili", "name": "Kokoa Kamili (Kilombero Valley)", "also_known_as": [ "Mbingu fermentary" ], "country": "Tanzania", "region": "Morogoro Region (Kilombero Valley, Mbingu)", "coordinates": { "lat": -8.2, "lon": 36.1, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "250-500", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "Kokoa Kamili" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Wet beans bought from thousands of smallholder farmers and fermented at a central station; trees are Trinitario and Nacional-derived hybrid seedlings, including a local 'Udzungwa Trinitario' selection.", "harvest_season": "main Aug-Nov", "fermentation": "Centralised three-tier eucalyptus-box fermentation, around 6 days, designed for consistency across many smallholders.", "drying": "Fully sun-dried on raised drying tables.", "flavor_profile": [ "clean", "red fruit", "berry", "balanced cocoa" ], "summary": "A central fermentary at Mbingu in the Kilombero Valley that buys wet cacao from nearly 3,000 smallholders, producing a consistent fruit-forward profile widely used by craft chocolate makers; it is among the only commercial fermentaries in Tanzania.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Kokoa Kamili — kokoakamili.com (producer documentation)", "Cocoa Runners — Kokoa Kamili grower profile", "Silva Cacao — Tanzania Kokoa Kamili Organic origin sheet" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "tz-kyela-mababu", "name": "Kyela (Mababu)", "also_known_as": [ "Mababu cacao", "Lake Nyasa cacao" ], "country": "Tanzania", "region": "Mbeya Region (Kyela District)", "coordinates": { "lat": -9.58, "lon": 33.86, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "475-600", "producer": { "type": "cooperative", "name": "Mababu Cooperative" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed hybrid populations grown by smallholders on the warm humid plain near the northern shore of Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi).", "harvest_season": "main Aug-Dec", "fermentation": "Smallholder and cooperative box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "red fruit", "berry", "balanced cocoa", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "The Kyela District near Lake Nyasa is Tanzania's largest cacao-growing area, and the Mababu farming community there is internationally recognised for distinctive berry-forward beans used by award-winning craft chocolate makers.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Cacao of Excellence — Tanzania Mababu Cooperative producer profile", "Askinosie Chocolate — Mababu, Tanzania origin documentation" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "tz-mbeya", "name": "Mbeya (Southern Highlands)", "also_known_as": [ "Southern Highlands cacao" ], "country": "Tanzania", "region": "Mbeya Region (Southern Highlands)", "coordinates": { "lat": -9.1, "lon": 33.45, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "400-900", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed Trinitario and Nacional-derived hybrid populations grown by smallholders in the warmer valleys of the Southern Highlands.", "harvest_season": "main Aug-Dec", "fermentation": "Smallholder and centralised fermentation, typically 5-7 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "bright acidity", "cocoa", "light nuttiness" ], "summary": "A cacao-growing area in Tanzania's Southern Highlands, the broader region of which the Kyela district near Lake Nyasa accounts for a large share, producing fruit-forward beans from smallholder farms.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Cacao of Excellence — Tanzania Mababu Cooperative producer profile", "kakao.io seed dataset — pending fuller verification" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "th-chumphon", "name": "Chumphon", "also_known_as": [ "Chumphon Province" ], "country": "Thailand", "region": "Chumphon Province (southern Thailand)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.5, "lon": 99.18, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Predominantly the 'Chumphon 1' hybrid, developed at the Chumphon Horticultural Research Center by crossing the Trinidad-derived PA 7 and NA 32 selections, and now the dominant cacao type planted across Thailand.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year with peaks varying by area", "fermentation": "Box fermentation at smallholder and small-facility scale.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "mild fruit", "balanced" ], "summary": "A cacao region in southern Thailand and home of the Chumphon Horticultural Research Center, which developed the widely planted Chumphon 1 hybrid. It is a reference origin for Thailand's growing bean-to-bar sector.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Silva Cacao, 'Thailand, Land of Smiles and Genius Cacao Genetics'", "Dame Cacao, 'Thai Bean to Bar (Chocolate Culture in Thailand)'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "tg-bulk", "name": "Togo (bulk cacao)", "also_known_as": [ "Togolese bulk" ], "country": "Togo", "region": "Plateaux Region (Kpalimé / Litimé / Kloto)", "coordinates": { "lat": 7, "lon": 0.85, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "200-700", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Forastero", "bean_notes": "Amelonado-derived smallholder material with hybrid plantings, concentrated in the hilly Litimé and Kloto areas of the western Plateaux Region near the Ghanaian border.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Feb; light crop May-Jul", "fermentation": "Smallholder heap fermentation, typically 5-7 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on mats and raised racks.", "flavor_profile": [ "plain cocoa", "earthy", "mild nuttiness", "low acidity" ], "summary": "A smaller West African producer with cacao concentrated in the upland Plateaux Region near the Ghanaian border, exported mostly as bulk beans, with a growing organic and fine-flavour segment.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)", "FAO / ITC — Togo cocoa sector profiles" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "tt-tobago-roxborough", "name": "Tobago (Roxborough)", "also_known_as": [ "Tobago Estate", "Roxborough cacao" ], "country": "Trinidad and Tobago", "region": "Tobago (Roxborough, eastern Tobago)", "coordinates": { "lat": 11.24, "lon": -60.59, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-300", "producer": { "type": "estate", "name": "Tobago Cocoa Estate" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Trinitario-type island populations descended from the same Criollo x Forastero hybrid base as Trinidad's cacao.", "harvest_season": "main Dec-Mar; mid-crop Jun-Aug", "fermentation": "Estate box fermentation.", "drying": "Sun-dried on estate drying decks.", "flavor_profile": [ "red fruit", "raisin", "nutty", "balanced cocoa" ], "summary": "Cocoa was historically a major crop on Tobago, and Roxborough was among its noted cocoa estates before the industry declined after the 1970s. The Tobago Cocoa Estate at Roxborough revived single-estate production and is the only cocoa estate in Trinidad and Tobago to hold full USDA and EU organic certification.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Tobago Cocoa Estate — https://www.tobagococoa.com/", "Bekele, F. 2019, 'Trinidad and Tobago, the Birthplace of the world-famous Trinitario cocoa' — https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332353558" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "tt-trinitario-heartland", "name": "Trinitario Heartland", "also_known_as": [ "Trinidad Trinitario" ], "country": "Trinidad and Tobago", "region": "Trinidad (central and southern estates)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.4, "lon": -61.3, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "50-300", "producer": { "type": "estate", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "Amelonado", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Trinidad is the birthplace of the Trinitario type, a heterogeneous Criollo x Forastero (Amelonado) hybrid population. It is also the source of the Imperial College Selection (ICS) clones selected by F.J. Pound in the 1930s.", "harvest_season": "main Dec-Mar; mid-crop Jun-Aug", "fermentation": "Estate box fermentation, traditionally well managed, commonly 5-7 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried, with periodic 'dancing' (turning by foot) of beans on traditional drying floors.", "flavor_profile": [ "raisin", "red fruit", "molasses", "nutty", "balanced" ], "summary": "Trinidad is the home of the Trinitario type and of the widely propagated ICS clone selections. It hosts the Cocoa Research Centre of the University of the West Indies, which curates the International Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad — one of the largest field genebanks of cacao in the world.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Bekele, F. 2019, 'Trinidad and Tobago, the Birthplace of the world-famous Trinitario cocoa' — https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332353558", "Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE (genetic clusters)", "Cocoa Research Centre, UWI St. Augustine, 'The International Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad' — https://sta.uwi.edu/cru/international-cocoa-genebank" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ug-bundibugyo", "name": "Bundibugyo / Semuliki", "also_known_as": [ "Semuliki Valley", "Semliki Valley", "Rwenzori cacao" ], "country": "Uganda", "region": "Bundibugyo District (Semuliki Valley, Rwenzori foothills)", "coordinates": { "lat": 0.7, "lon": 30.06, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "700-1000", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "Mixed hybrid populations grown by smallholders in the warm Semuliki Valley at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains; Bundibugyo District accounts for the large majority of Uganda's cocoa.", "harvest_season": "two main flushes spread across the year; harvest broadly year-round", "fermentation": "Fresh cacao sold at village collection points and fermented centrally, typically 5-7 days; smallholder fermentation also practised.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised racks and tarpaulins.", "flavor_profile": [ "bright fruit", "citrus", "lively acidity", "cocoa" ], "summary": "Uganda's best-known cacao district, in the warm Semuliki Valley between the Rwenzori Mountains and the DR Congo border, producing fruit-forward, largely organic beans from thousands of smallholders, with vertically integrated central buying and processing.", "certifications": [ "organic" ], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Uncommon Cacao — Semuliki Forest origin reports and producer profile", "Latitude Trade Co. — Bundibugyo sourcing and certification documentation" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "us-hawaii-island", "name": "Hawai'i Island", "also_known_as": [ "Big Island", "Hawaii" ], "country": "United States", "region": "Hawai'i Island (Hawaii, USA)", "coordinates": { "lat": 19.6, "lon": -155.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-300", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid and selected material; Hawai'i Island has the state's highest concentration of cacao farms.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across much of the year, with peaks varying by farm", "fermentation": "Small-scale farm box fermentation, carefully managed on many estates.", "drying": "Sun-dried, often on raised beds or in solar dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "bright fruit", "caramel", "nutty", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "A small but well-documented cacao origin in the United States, grown on family farms across Hawai'i Island. Several Hawai'i farms have competed in the International Cocoa Awards.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "IR-4 Project, 'Hawaii's Cacao Industry Unites Around Goal to Become Napa Valley of Chocolate'", "Hawaii Magazine, '5 Must-See Cacao Farms on Hawaii Island'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "us-hawaii-oahu", "name": "O'ahu (Waialua)", "also_known_as": [ "Oahu", "Waialua", "North Shore" ], "country": "United States", "region": "O'ahu (Waialua / windward O'ahu, Hawaii, USA)", "coordinates": { "lat": 21.57, "lon": -158.13, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-150", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid and selected material; some O'ahu cacao is planted on former sugar and pineapple land near Waialua.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across much of the year", "fermentation": "Small-scale farm box fermentation; some growers centralise fermentation and drying for beans collected from nearby smallholders.", "drying": "Sun-dried on raised beds or in solar dryers.", "flavor_profile": [ "fruity", "caramel", "nutty", "mild" ], "summary": "A small cacao origin on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu, with farms around Waialua on the North Shore and in windward districts, part of the wider Hawaiian cacao sector.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "Hawaii-Guide, 'Hawaii Chocolate Farm Tours: Best Cacao Tastings by Island'", "kakao.io seed dataset — pending fuller verification" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "vu-malekula", "name": "Malekula", "also_known_as": [ "Malakula", "Mallicolo" ], "country": "Vanuatu", "region": "Malampa Province (Malekula Island)", "coordinates": { "lat": -16.3, "lon": 167.5, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced hybrid material grown by smallholders, often alongside coconut and copra production.", "harvest_season": "harvest spread across the year", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation.", "drying": "Traditionally copra-style wood-fired drying gives smoky beans; sun-drying is used for finer lots.", "flavor_profile": [ "smoky", "cocoa", "earthy", "tobacco" ], "summary": "An island in Vanuatu where smallholder cacao has historically been dried with wood fires, giving characteristically smoky beans. Vanuatu has an organic cocoa growers' association (VOCGA) supporting certified production.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "FAO, 'The Vanuatu Organic Cocoa Growers Association (VOCGA)'", "ACIAR, 'Improved processing to boost cocoa quality in the Pacific'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-canoabo", "name": "Canoabo", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Carabobo (Canoabo, Bejuma municipality)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.3, "lon": -68.3, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "300-700", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Criollo", "bean_notes": "Often pale, white to light-pink cotyledon in Criollo-leaning lots; pods tend to be elongated and pale-hued. Field populations are typically admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Jun-Aug; smaller crop Dec-Jan", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation, typically short for Criollo-leaning lots.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios.", "flavor_profile": [ "floral", "jasmine", "cherry", "mild cocoa", "low bitterness" ], "summary": "A cacao-growing settlement in western Carabobo state, set at relatively high elevation for cacao. It is known for Criollo-type populations and a refined, low-astringency, floral profile.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "The C-spot — Canoabo cultivar profile, https://www.c-spot.com/atlas/chocolate-strains/cultivar-strains/canoabo/", "Rococo Chocolates — Discover Canoabo Criollo Cacao, https://www.rococochocolates.com/en-us/blogs/blog/discover-canoabo-criollo-cacao-what-sets-it-apart-from-other-criollo-varieties" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-carenero-barlovento", "name": "Carenero (Barlovento)", "also_known_as": [ "Carenero Superior", "Barlovento" ], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Miranda (Barlovento)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.55, "lon": -66.1, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Predominantly purple to mixed cotyledon; a Trinitario-dominated population with a Criollo genetic component. Lots marketed as 'Superior' indicate longer, more careful fermentation.", "harvest_season": "main Jun-Aug; smaller crop Dec-Jan", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation, typically 5-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on cement patios or wooden surfaces.", "flavor_profile": [ "robust cocoa", "nutty", "dried fruit", "mild spice" ], "summary": "A traditional cacao export name from the Barlovento region of Miranda state, northeast of Caracas, historically shipped through the colonial port of Carenero. Cacao was introduced here in the late 16th century and remains a smallholder crop.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, 'Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao L.)', PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311", "The Chocolate Ambassador — Venezuelan Fine Flavor Cacao: History, Genetics, and Legacy, https://www.thechocolateambassador.net/post/venezuelan-cacao-a-legacy-of-heritage-and-fine-flavor", "Daarnhouwer & Co — Venezuela Carenero Superior, https://daarnhouwer.com/boutique/south-america/venezuela/venezuela-carenero-superior/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-choroni", "name": "Choroní", "also_known_as": [ "Choroni" ], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Aragua (Choroní, Henri Pittier National Park)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.5, "lon": -67.61, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed cotyledon colour; a hybrid coastal population of the Aragua cacao valleys, neighbouring Chuao and Ocumare.", "harvest_season": "main Jun-Aug; smaller crop Dec-Jan", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "dried fruit", "nutty", "mild spice" ], "summary": "A coastal cacao village in Aragua state within Henri Pittier National Park, one of the historic cacao valleys of the central Venezuelan coast alongside Chuao, Cuyagua and Ocumare.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Wikipedia — Choroní, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choron%C3%AD", "Puro Chocolate — En Choroní se produce cacao fino de aroma, https://en.purochocolate.life/en-choroni-se-produce-cacao-fino-de-aroma/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-chuao", "name": "Chuao", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Aragua (Chuao, Henri Pittier National Park)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.51, "lon": -67.63, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "collective", "name": "Empresa Campesina Chuao" }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed cotyledon colour. Long marketed as a Criollo-type origin, but the modern population is admixed, reflecting historical hybridisation with Trinitario and Forastero material.", "harvest_season": "main Jun-Aug; smaller crop Dec-Jan", "fermentation": "Community box fermentation in wooden boxes, roughly 4-6 days, managed by the village campesino enterprise.", "drying": "Sun-dried on the patio of the village church (Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción), a long-standing local practice.", "flavor_profile": [ "balanced cocoa", "dried fruit", "light molasses", "gentle nuttiness" ], "summary": "A historic cacao origin from the isolated coastal village of Chuao in Aragua state, reachable mainly by boat and set within Henri Pittier National Park. Long regarded as a benchmark Venezuelan fine-flavour cacao, with production managed collectively by the village campesino enterprise.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, 'Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao L.)', PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311", "The Chocolate Ambassador — Venezuelan Fine Flavor Cacao: History, Genetics, and Legacy, https://www.thechocolateambassador.net/post/venezuelan-cacao-a-legacy-of-heritage-and-fine-flavor", "Fresco Chocolate — Chuao: Venezuela's Legendary Cocoa Village, https://frescochocolate.com/blogs/news/chuao-venezuela-s-legendary-cocoa-village" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-cuyagua", "name": "Cuyagua", "also_known_as": [], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Aragua (Cuyagua, Henri Pittier National Park)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.47, "lon": -67.71, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed cotyledon colour; a hybrid coastal population. The Cuyagua valley is among the cacao valleys whose populations were sampled for the numbered Aragua coastal clone selections.", "harvest_season": "main Jun-Aug; smaller crop Dec-Jan", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "dried fruit", "nutty", "earthy" ], "summary": "A small cacao-growing valley on the Aragua coast within Henri Pittier National Park, one of the lesser-known historic cacao villages of the central Venezuelan coast near Chuao and Choroní.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "The C-spot — Venezuela origin atlas, https://www.c-spot.com/atlas/chocolate-sources/caribia/venezuela/", "Bar & Cocoa — Aragua Cacao Region, https://barandcocoa.com/collections/region-aragua" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-paria-san-jose", "name": "Hacienda San José (Paria)", "also_known_as": [ "San José" ], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Sucre (Paria peninsula)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.66, "lon": -62.93, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "estate", "name": "Hacienda San José (Franceschi)" }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "mixed", "bean_notes": "An estate maintaining selected Criollo and Trinitario strains; collections include Porcelana, Canoabo, Guasare, Chuao and Ocumare types, so cotyledon colour varies by strain.", "harvest_season": "main Jun-Aug; smaller crop Dec-Jan", "fermentation": "Estate box fermentation, managed by strain.", "drying": "Sun-dried under estate supervision.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "cream", "nutty", "dried fruit", "mild spice" ], "summary": "A long-established cacao estate on the Paria peninsula of Sucre state, founded in the 19th century and known for conservation work on Venezuelan Criollo and Trinitario strains.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Club del Chocolate — Hacienda San José, cacao criollo de Venezuela, https://www.clubdelchocolate.com/en/content/129-hacienda-san-jose", "Bar & Cocoa — Hacienda San José Cacao Estate, https://barandcocoa.com/pages/estate/hacienda-san-jose" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-ocumare-de-la-costa", "name": "Ocumare de la Costa", "also_known_as": [ "Ocumare", "Ocumare 61" ], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Aragua (Ocumare de la Costa, Henri Pittier National Park)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.46, "lon": -67.78, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed cotyledon colour. The area is the source of the numbered 'Ocumare' clone series (including Ocumare 61, 67) selected by Manuel Palma in the 1940s, with some old red-podded Criollo-type material retained.", "harvest_season": "main Jun-Aug; smaller crop Dec-Jan", "fermentation": "Smallholder box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "dried fruit", "nutty", "light spice" ], "summary": "A historic cacao-growing valley on the Aragua coast within Henri Pittier National Park, one of Venezuela's classic coastal origins. The area gave its name to the numbered Ocumare clone selections widely used in grafting.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "The C-spot — Ocumare cultivar profile, https://www.c-spot.com/atlas/chocolate-strains/cultivar-strains/ocumare/", "Puro Chocolate — En Ocumare de la Costa producen cacao 100% autóctono, https://www.purochocolate.life/en-ocumare-de-la-costa-producen-cacao-100-autoctono/" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-porcelana", "name": "Porcelana", "also_known_as": [ "Porcelana del Sur del Lago" ], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Zulia (Sur del Lago de Maracaibo)", "coordinates": { "lat": 8.9, "lon": -71.8, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Criollo", "bean_notes": "Characteristically white to ivory cotyledon in well-selected lots, lacking the anthocyanin pigment that gives most cacao its purple colour; named for its porcelain-like appearance. Modern field populations are commonly admixed.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Jan; smaller crop Apr-Jun", "fermentation": "Box fermentation, typically short given the low-polyphenol beans, roughly 2-4 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios.", "flavor_profile": [ "mild cocoa", "nutty", "caramel", "delicate", "low bitterness" ], "summary": "A Venezuelan Criollo-type cacao from the southern Lake Maracaibo basin, regarded as one of the closest survivors of ancient Criollo. It is prized for pale beans and a mild, low-astringency profile, though most current plantings are genetically admixed.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Motamayor et al. 2008, 'Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao L.)', PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311", "Silva Cacao — Venezuelan 360, https://silva-cacao.com/articles/silva-cacaos-venezuelan-360/", "The Chocolate Ambassador — Venezuelan Fine Flavor Cacao: History, Genetics, and Legacy, https://www.thechocolateambassador.net/post/venezuelan-cacao-a-legacy-of-heritage-and-fine-flavor" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-rio-caribe", "name": "Río Caribe", "also_known_as": [ "Rio Caribe Superior", "Paria" ], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Sucre (Paria peninsula)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.69, "lon": -63.1, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-300", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed cotyledon colour; a Trinitario-dominated coastal population carrying a Criollo component. Lots labelled 'Superior' reflect careful harvest and post-harvest protocols.", "harvest_season": "main Jun-Aug; smaller crop Dec-Jan", "fermentation": "Box fermentation, roughly 5-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried, or dried under shelter in wet weather, to roughly 7% moisture.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "dried fruit", "nutty", "molasses" ], "summary": "A cacao origin on the Paria peninsula of eastern Venezuela's Sucre state, traded under the Río Caribe name through the town's historic port. Cacao is grown largely in agroforestry plots bordering the Península de Paria national park.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Silva Cacao — Venezuela Rio Caribe Superior, https://silva-cacao.com/product/venezuela-rio-caribe-superior/", "The Chocolate Ambassador — Venezuelan Fine Flavor Cacao: History, Genetics, and Legacy, https://www.thechocolateambassador.net/post/venezuelan-cacao-a-legacy-of-heritage-and-fine-flavor" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "ve-sur-del-lago", "name": "Sur del Lago", "also_known_as": [ "Sur del Lago de Maracaibo", "Maracaibo" ], "country": "Venezuela", "region": "Zulia / Mérida / Táchira / Trujillo (southern Lake Maracaibo basin)", "coordinates": { "lat": 8.85, "lon": -71.55, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-200", "producer": { "type": "regional", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "Criollo", "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Mixed cotyledon colour; aromatic Trinitario populations carrying ancestral Criollo material (including Porcelana and Guasare types). Historically exported under the 'Maracaibo' name.", "harvest_season": "two crops, roughly Jul-Aug and Dec-Jan", "fermentation": "Smallholder and estate box fermentation, roughly 4-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried on patios, finished under cover in wet weather.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "cream", "nutty", "mild fruit", "low astringency" ], "summary": "A large cacao region surrounding the southern shores of Lake Maracaibo, spanning four states. It is the historic heartland of Venezuelan Criollo cacao, including Porcelana, and supplies a substantial share of national production.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "Silva Cacao — Venezuelan 360, https://silva-cacao.com/articles/silva-cacaos-venezuelan-360/", "The Chocolate Ambassador — Venezuelan Fine Flavor Cacao: History, Genetics, and Legacy, https://www.thechocolateambassador.net/post/venezuelan-cacao-a-legacy-of-heritage-and-fine-flavor" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "vn-ba-ria-vung-tau", "name": "Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu", "also_known_as": [ "Ba Ria", "Ba Ria-Vung Tau" ], "country": "Vietnam", "region": "Southeast Vietnam (Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.5, "lon": 107.25, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "20-150", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced Trinitario hybrid clones; cacao grown by smallholders, often as an intercrop with pepper, cashew and fruit trees.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Dec; smaller mid-year crop", "fermentation": "Box fermentation at smallholder and small-facility scale, around 5-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "A cacao-growing province in southeastern Vietnam, one of several southern provinces supplying smallholder Trinitario-type beans to the country's emerging fine-chocolate sector.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "TIM Corp, 'Cacao Varieties in Vietnam: Key Types and Growing Regions'", "MaapTrade, 'Vietnamese cocoa bean & chocolate'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "vn-ben-tre", "name": "Bến Tre", "also_known_as": [ "Ben Tre" ], "country": "Vietnam", "region": "Mekong Delta (Bến Tre / Tiền Giang)", "coordinates": { "lat": 10.24, "lon": 106.38, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "0-20", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced Trinitario hybrid clones; cacao is typically interplanted with coconut and other tree crops in the delta.", "harvest_season": "main Aug-Nov; smaller crop Feb-Apr", "fermentation": "Smallholder and small-facility box fermentation, around 5-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "caramel", "yellow fruit", "honey", "mild" ], "summary": "A Mekong Delta origin in southern Vietnam, grown by smallholders and often interplanted with coconut, known for soft caramel-and-fruit profiles used by Vietnamese bean-to-bar makers.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "TIM Corp, 'Cacao Varieties in Vietnam: Key Types and Growing Regions'", "MaapTrade, 'Vietnamese cocoa bean & chocolate'" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "vn-dak-lak", "name": "Đắk Lắk", "also_known_as": [ "Dak Lak", "Daklak" ], "country": "Vietnam", "region": "Central Highlands (Đắk Lắk)", "coordinates": { "lat": 12.71, "lon": 108.24, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "400-700", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced Trinitario hybrid clones; cacao often grown as a secondary crop alongside coffee, pepper and cashew on basalt soils.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Dec; mid-crop around Mar-May", "fermentation": "Box fermentation at smallholder and collection-point scale, roughly 5-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "nutty", "light fruit", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "A Central Highlands origin where cacao is grown by smallholders on fertile basalt soils, often interplanted with coffee and other perennial crops. Dak Lak is a widely used single-origin name in Vietnamese craft chocolate.", "certifications": [], "status": "reviewed", "sources": [ "TIM Corp, 'Cacao Varieties in Vietnam: Key Types and Growing Regions'", "Meridian Cacao Co, 'Dak Lak' origin page" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" }, { "id": "vn-lam-dong", "name": "Lâm Đồng", "also_known_as": [ "Lam Dong" ], "country": "Vietnam", "region": "Central Highlands (Lâm Đồng)", "coordinates": { "lat": 11.55, "lon": 107.8, "approx": true }, "elevation_m": "200-800", "producer": { "type": "multiple", "name": null }, "genetic_groups": [ "admixture" ], "traditional_class": "Trinitario", "bean_notes": "Introduced Trinitario hybrid clones; grown by smallholders, often interplanted with coffee, cashew and fruit trees.", "harvest_season": "main Oct-Dec; mid-crop around Mar-May", "fermentation": "Box fermentation at smallholder and collection-point scale, around 5-6 days.", "drying": "Sun-dried.", "flavor_profile": [ "cocoa", "fruity", "nutty", "mild acidity" ], "summary": "A Central Highlands province in southern Vietnam where cacao is grown by smallholders on the lower, warmer slopes, one of the country's recognised cacao-producing provinces.", "certifications": [], "status": "draft", "sources": [ "MaapTrade, 'Vietnamese cocoa bean & chocolate'", "kakao.io seed dataset — pending fuller verification" ], "updated_at": "2026-05-22" } ] }