tt-trinitario-heartland
Trinitario Heartland
Trinidad and Tobago · Trinidad (central and southern estates) reviewed
CriolloAmelonadoadmixture
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.
| Country | Trinidad and Tobago |
|---|---|
| Region | Trinidad (central and southern estates) |
| Growing region | Americas |
| Coordinates | 10.40°, -61.30° (approx.) |
| Elevation | 50-300 m |
| Producer | estate |
| Genetic groups | Criollo, Amelonado, admixture |
| Traditional class | Trinitario |
| Also known as | Trinidad 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. |
| Flavour | raisin · red fruit · molasses · nutty · balanced |
| Updated | 2026-05-22 |
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