br-bahia-ilheus

Bahia (Ilhéus)

Brazil · Bahia (Ilhéus / Itabuna cacao belt)  reviewed

Amelonadoadmixture

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.

EquatorTropic of CancerTropic of CapricornFar North Queensland — AustraliaIxcacao — San Felipe — BelizeStann Creek — BelizeToledo (Maya Mountain) — BelizeToledo Cacao Growers Association (TCGA) — BelizeAlto Beni — BoliviaBaures — Itenez wild cacao — BoliviaBaures / Iténez — BoliviaEl Ceibo (Alto Beni) — BoliviaTrópico de Cochabamba — BoliviaWild Bolivian Amazon Cacao (Beni) — BoliviaBahia (Ilhéus) — BrazilBahia cabruca — Cocoa Coast — BrazilLinhares (Espírito Santo) — BrazilMedicilândia (Transamazônica) — BrazilRondônia — BrazilTomé-Açu (Pará) — BrazilTransamazônica — central Pará — BrazilVale do Juruá — Acre native cacao — BrazilBarombi-Kang (IRAD regional trial) — CameroonCameroon (bulk cacao) — CameroonMbangassina (Grand Mbam) — CameroonPHP (Penja) — CameroonSouth-West (Meme) — CameroonAntioquia — ColombiaArauca — ColombiaCaquetá Amazon piedmont — ColombiaCundinamarca — Yacopí / Pacho — ColombiaHuila — ColombiaPutumayo — ColombiaSantander — ColombiaSierra Nevada de Santa Marta — ColombiaTolima — ColombiaTumaco — ColombiaTalamanca — Costa RicaTalamanca — APPTA — Costa RicaUpala — Costa RicaAbengourou (Indénié-Djuablin) — Côte d'IvoireCAPEDIG (Duékoué) — Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire (bulk cacao) — Côte d'IvoireECAM (Méagui) — Côte d'IvoireGôh (Gagnoa) — Côte d'IvoireHaut-Sassandra — Côte d'IvoireSan-Pédro — Côte d'IvoireSCEB (Agnéby-Tiassa) — Côte d'IvoireSoubré (Nawa) — Côte d'IvoireBaracoa — CubaBaracoa — Jamal central processing — CubaEsco Kivu (Beni-Watalinga) — Democratic Republic of the CongoNorth Kivu / Beni — Democratic Republic of the CongoTshopo (Bengamisa) — Democratic Republic of the CongoBois Cotlette — DominicaCONACADO — Dominican RepublicCOOPROAGRO — Dominican RepublicHato Mayor — Dominican RepublicHispaniola (San Francisco de Macorís) — Dominican RepublicÖko Caribe — Dominican RepublicReserva Zorzal — Dominican RepublicSan Francisco de Macorís — Dominican RepublicYamasá — Dominican RepublicArriba Nacional — EcuadorCamino Verde (Balao) — EcuadorEl Oro — EcuadorEsmeraldas — EcuadorGuayas — EcuadorHacienda Limón — EcuadorLos Ríos — EcuadorManabí — EcuadorNapo (Kallari) — EcuadorNorte de Esmeraldas — APROCANE — EcuadorSucumbíos — EcuadorVinces — EcuadorZamora-Chinchipe — APEOSAE — EcuadorEl Salvador — El SalvadorBioko — Equatorial GuineaVanua Levu — FijiWoleu-Ntem — GabonABOCFA (Suhum) — GhanaGhana (West African Amelonado) — GhanaJuabeso-Bia — GhanaKuapa Kokoo — GhanaOffinso Fine Flavour Cooperative — GhanaSefwi-Wiawso — GhanaYayra Glover (Suhum) — GhanaGrenada — GrenadaGrenada Chocolate Cooperative — Hermitage — GrenadaAlta Verapaz — GuatemalaCahabón — GuatemalaIzabal — GuatemalaLachuá — GuatemalaPolochic Valley — GuatemalaSuchitepéquez — GuatemalaGuinea (bulk cacao) — GuineaAcul-du-Nord — HaitiGrand-Anse — Dame-Marie — HaitiGrand'Anse — HaitiNord (FECCANO) — HaitiAtlántida (Pico Bonito) — HondurasCholoma — APACH — HondurasCopán — HondurasPatuca — Tawahka — HondurasWampusirpi — HondurasEast Godavari — IndiaIdukki — IndiaKarnataka — IndiaKerala — IndiaTamil Nadu — IndiaWest Godavari — IndiaAceh — IndonesiaBali — IndonesiaFlores — IndonesiaHalmahera — IndonesiaJava — IndonesiaLampung — IndonesiaMamuju — IndonesiaPolewali Mandar — IndonesiaRansiki — IndonesiaSulawesi — IndonesiaJamaica — JamaicaMorgan's Valley, Clarendon — JamaicaRichmond, Saint Mary — JamaicaLiberia (bulk cacao) — LiberiaLofa (Voinjama / Foya) — LiberiaNimba (Karnplay) — LiberiaÅkesson's Ambolikapiky — MadagascarAly Robert (Antsatsaka) — MadagascarFOFIFA Ankatafahely (Ambanja) — MadagascarMAVA Plantation (Sambirano) — MadagascarMillot Estate (Bejofo) — MadagascarSambirano Valley — MadagascarT'MAR (Upper Sambirano) — MadagascarSabah (Tawau) — MalaysiaSarawak — MalaysiaComalcalco — Chontalpa — MexicoComalcalco — Hacienda Jesús María (CACEP) — MexicoLos Tuxtlas — MexicoOaxaca (Chinantla) — MexicoSoconusco — MexicoTabasco — MexicoTapachula — Soconusco heirloom cooperatives — MexicoYucatán rejolladas (sacred Maya cacao groves) — MexicoMatagalpa — NicaraguaMining Triangle — Bonanza, Siuna, Rosita — NicaraguaNueva Guinea — NicaraguaRío San Juan — NicaraguaWaslala — NicaraguaCRIN (Ajassor seed garden) — NigeriaCross River (Ikom-Etung-Boki) — NigeriaNigeria (bulk cacao) — NigeriaOndo State — NigeriaBocas del Toro — PanamaCOCABO — Bocas del Toro — PanamaComarca Ngäbe-Buglé — PanamaBougainville — Papua New GuineaEast Sepik — Papua New GuineaKarkar Island — Papua New GuineaMadang — Papua New GuineaNew Britain — Papua New GuineaNew Ireland — Papua New GuineaAmazonas (Bagua) — PeruChuncho — PeruHuánuco (Tingo María) — PeruMadre de Dios — PeruMarañón Canyon — PeruOxapampa — Yánesha & Asháninka — PeruPiura Blanco — PeruQuillabamba — Alto Urubamba — PeruSan Martín — PeruSan Martín — ACOPAGRO — PeruSatipo — PeruUcayali — PeruVizcatán del Ene — VRAEM — PeruBatangas — PhilippinesBohol — PhilippinesCebu — PhilippinesDavao — PhilippinesDavao de Oro — PhilippinesDavao Oriental — PhilippinesNegros Occidental — PhilippinesHacienda Chocolat (Fajardo) — Puerto RicoSamoa — SamoaCECAB (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipeCECAQ-11 (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipePríncipe (Terreiro Velho) — São Tomé and PríncipeRoça Agostinho Neto (Rio do Ouro) — São Tomé and PríncipeRoça Bombaim — São Tomé and PríncipeRoça Diogo Vaz — São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé (roça cacao) — São Tomé and PríncipeNgoleagorbu (Kenema-Kailahun, Gola) — Sierra LeoneSierra Leone (bulk cacao) — Sierra LeoneGuadalcanal — Solomon IslandsMakira — Solomon IslandsMalaita — Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands — Solomon IslandsKandy — Sri LankaKurunegala — Sri LankaMatale — Sri LankaRabot Estate (Soufrière) — St. LuciaSaint Lucia Island Growers — St. LuciaPingtung — TaiwanKokoa Kamili (Kilombero Valley) — TanzaniaKyela (Mababu) — TanzaniaMababu Cooperative — TanzaniaMbeya (Southern Highlands) — TanzaniaTanga (Usambara historical) — TanzaniaChanthaburi — ThailandChiang Mai — ThailandChumphon — ThailandKpalimé-Akébou (Choco Togo / Vision+) — TogoTogo (bulk cacao) — TogoBrasso Seco — Trinidad and TobagoFour Roads Tamana — Trinidad and TobagoHeights of Aripo — Trinidad and TobagoInternational Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad (ICGT) — Centeno — Trinidad and TobagoLopinot — Trinidad and TobagoMarper Farm — Trinidad and TobagoTableland — Trinidad and TobagoTobago (Roxborough) — Trinidad and TobagoTobago Cocoa Estate — Trinidad and TobagoTrinitario Heartland — Trinidad and TobagoBundibugyo / Semuliki — UgandaMukono-Buikwe — UgandaSemuliki Forest (Latitude Trade) — UgandaHawai'i Island — United StatesO'ahu (Waialua) — United StatesAore — VanuatuEpi — VanuatuMalekula — VanuatuCanoabo — VenezuelaCarenero (Barlovento) — VenezuelaCaripito — VenezuelaChoroní — VenezuelaChuao — VenezuelaCuyagua — VenezuelaGuasare — VenezuelaHacienda San José (Paria) — VenezuelaOcumare de la Costa — VenezuelaPatanemo — VenezuelaPorcelana — VenezuelaRío Caribe — VenezuelaSur del Lago — VenezuelaYaracuy — Güáquira — VenezuelaBà Rịa-Vũng Tàu — VietnamBến Tre — VietnamĐắk Lắk — VietnamĐắk Nông — VietnamĐồng Nai — VietnamLâm Đồng — VietnamTiền Giang — Vietnam
CountryBrazil
RegionBahia (Ilhéus / Itabuna cacao belt)
Growing regionAmericas
Coordinates-14.79°, -39.05° (approx.)
Elevation10-300 m
Producerregional
Genetic groupsAmelonado, admixture
Traditional classForastero
Varieties plantedPS 1319clone, commonSJ 02cloneFA 13cloneComumlandraceParazinholandraceMaranhãolandraceParálandrace
Also known asSul da Bahia, Cocoa Coast
Bean notesLong-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 seasonmain May-Sep; secondary 'temporão' crop Oct-Mar
FermentationEstate and smallholder box fermentation, commonly 5-7 days; cascade-style wooden boxes are traditional.
DryingSun-dried on barcaças, the traditional sliding-roof drying platforms; some artificial drying in wetter months.
Flavourstraightforward cocoa · earthy · nutty · low acidity
Updated2026-08-08

Sources

  • Motamayor et al. 2008, 'Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao L.)', PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311
  • 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
  • Freitas et al. 2025, 'Elite Cacao Clonal Cultivars with Diverse Genetic Structure, High Potential of Production, and Good Organoleptic Quality Are Helping to Rebuild the Cocoa Industry in Brazil', Int J Mol Sci 26(7):3386 — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11989740/

Related origins

Asia & Pacific au-far-north-queensland Far North Queensland Australia · Far North Queensland (Mossman / Daintree / Mission Beach) admixture fruity · nutty · caramel · mild Americas bz-ixcacao-san-felipe Ixcacao — San Felipe Belize · San Felipe village, Toledo District (southern Belize) Criolloadmixture honey · caramel · nutty · spice Americas bz-stann-creek Stann Creek Belize · Stann Creek District admixture cocoa · nutty · mild fruit · balanced Americas bz-toledo-maya-mountain Toledo (Maya Mountain) Belize · Toledo District Criolloadmixture bright fruit · raisin · nutty · balanced Americas bz-tcga-toledo Toledo Cacao Growers Association (TCGA) Belize · Toledo and South Stann Creek districts (southern Belize) CriolloAmelonadoadmixture raisin · honey · spice · tropical fruit Americas bo-alto-beni Alto Beni Bolivia · La Paz Department (Alto Beni) admixture fruity · nutty · honey · balanced
Trust receipt — 00077312069786de — reviewed
Record SHA-256
00077312069786deFull hash — 00077312069786de49d05b6fc5b3611e5678f1d435f901540476651f077fdf40
OpenTimestamps proof
br-bahia-ilheus.json.ots(verify with ots verify)
Internet Archive snapshot
(snapshot pending)
First indexed
(not recorded)
Last revised
2026-08-08
Status
reviewed
Cited sources
3

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