pe-chuncho

Chuncho

Peru · Cusco (La Convención, Urubamba valley)  reviewed

Contamanaadmixture

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.

EquatorTropic of CancerTropic of CapricornFar North Queensland — AustraliaStann Creek — BelizeToledo (Maya Mountain) — BelizeAlto Beni — BoliviaBaures / Iténez — BoliviaEl Ceibo (Alto Beni) — BoliviaWild Bolivian Amazon Cacao (Beni) — BoliviaBahia (Ilhéus) — BrazilLinhares (Espírito Santo) — BrazilMedicilândia (Transamazônica) — BrazilRondônia — BrazilTomé-Açu (Pará) — BrazilCameroon (bulk cacao) — CameroonAntioquia — ColombiaArauca — ColombiaHuila — ColombiaSantander — ColombiaSierra Nevada de Santa Marta — ColombiaTolima — ColombiaTumaco — ColombiaTalamanca — Costa RicaUpala — Costa RicaCôte d'Ivoire (bulk cacao) — Côte d'IvoireBaracoa — CubaNorth Kivu / Beni — Democratic Republic of the CongoTshopo (Bengamisa) — Democratic Republic of the CongoCONACADO — Dominican RepublicHato Mayor — Dominican RepublicHispaniola (San Francisco de Macorís) — Dominican RepublicÖko Caribe — Dominican RepublicArriba Nacional — EcuadorCamino Verde (Balao) — EcuadorEl Oro — EcuadorEsmeraldas — EcuadorGuayas — EcuadorLos Ríos — EcuadorManabí — EcuadorNapo (Kallari) — EcuadorSucumbíos — EcuadorVinces — EcuadorVanua Levu — FijiABOCFA (Suhum) — GhanaGhana (West African Amelonado) — GhanaGrenada — GrenadaAlta Verapaz — GuatemalaCahabón — GuatemalaIzabal — GuatemalaSuchitepéquez — GuatemalaGuinea (bulk cacao) — GuineaGrand'Anse — HaitiNord (FECCANO) — HaitiAtlántida (Pico Bonito) — HondurasCopán — HondurasWampusirpi — HondurasKerala — IndiaWest Godavari — IndiaAceh — IndonesiaBali — IndonesiaFlores — IndonesiaJava — IndonesiaSulawesi — IndonesiaJamaica — JamaicaLiberia (bulk cacao) — LiberiaÅkesson's Ambolikapiky — MadagascarMillot Estate (Bejofo) — MadagascarSambirano Valley — MadagascarSabah (Tawau) — MalaysiaOaxaca (Chinantla) — MexicoSoconusco — MexicoTabasco — MexicoMatagalpa — NicaraguaNueva Guinea — NicaraguaRío San Juan — NicaraguaWaslala — NicaraguaNigeria (bulk cacao) — NigeriaBocas del Toro — PanamaComarca Ngäbe-Buglé — PanamaBougainville — Papua New GuineaKarkar Island — Papua New GuineaNew Britain — Papua New GuineaAmazonas (Bagua) — PeruChuncho — PeruHuánuco (Tingo María) — PeruMadre de Dios — PeruMarañón Canyon — PeruPiura Blanco — PeruSan Martín — PeruSatipo — PeruUcayali — PeruDavao — PhilippinesSamoa — SamoaCECAB (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipeCECAQ-11 (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipePríncipe (Terreiro Velho) — São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé (roça cacao) — São Tomé and PríncipeSierra Leone (bulk cacao) — Sierra LeoneSolomon Islands — Solomon IslandsMatale — Sri LankaRabot Estate (Soufrière) — St. LuciaKokoa Kamili (Kilombero Valley) — TanzaniaKyela (Mababu) — TanzaniaMbeya (Southern Highlands) — TanzaniaChumphon — ThailandTogo (bulk cacao) — TogoTobago (Roxborough) — Trinidad and TobagoTrinitario Heartland — Trinidad and TobagoBundibugyo / Semuliki — UgandaHawai'i Island — United StatesO'ahu (Waialua) — United StatesMalekula — VanuatuCanoabo — VenezuelaCarenero (Barlovento) — VenezuelaChoroní — VenezuelaChuao — VenezuelaCuyagua — VenezuelaHacienda San José (Paria) — VenezuelaOcumare de la Costa — VenezuelaPorcelana — VenezuelaRío Caribe — VenezuelaSur del Lago — VenezuelaBà Rịa–Vũng Tàu — VietnamBến Tre — VietnamĐắk Lắk — VietnamLâm Đồng — Vietnam
CountryPeru
RegionCusco (La Convención, Urubamba valley)
Growing regionAmericas
Coordinates-12.86°, -72.69° (approx.)
Elevation600-1200 m
Producerregional
Genetic groupsContamana, admixture
Traditional classmixed
Also known asCacao Chuncho, Chuncho del Cusco, Chuncho de La Convención
Bean notesSmall 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 seasonmain Mar-Jul
FermentationSmallholder box fermentation, commonly 3-5 days.
DryingSun-dried on patios and raised beds.
Flavourbright fruit · citrus · floral · raisin · light nutty
Updated2026-05-22

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)

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-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 bo-alto-beni Alto Beni Bolivia · La Paz Department (Alto Beni) admixture fruity · nutty · honey · balanced Americas bo-baures-itenez Baures / Iténez Bolivia · Beni Department (Baures, Iténez forest reserve) admixtureunknown bright fruit · berry · citrus · floral Americas bo-el-ceibo El Ceibo (Alto Beni) Bolivia · La Paz Department (Alto Beni) admixture fruity · nutty · honey · balanced cocoa