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.
Country
Cuba
Region
Guantánamo Province (Baracoa)
Growing region
Americas
Coordinates
20.35°, -74.50° (approx.)
Elevation
50-400 m
Producer
regional
Genetic groups
admixture
Traditional class
mixed
Also known as
Guantánamo cacao
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.
Flavour
cocoa · nutty · earthy · mild fruit
Updated
2026-05-22
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/