Varieties of Cocoa Beans | Learn Chocolate (2024)

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Varieties of Cocoa Beans | Learn Chocolate? ›

There are four main varieties of the cacao plant: forastero, criollo, trinitario, and nacional. Both the criollo and forastero variety originated in the Amazon basin.

There are four main genetic variants of cocoa beans: Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario, and Nacional. The Criollo trees are found in Central and South America, Caribbean islands, and Sri Lanka.

THE DIFFERENT CACAO VARIETIES. There are three varieties of Theobroma cacao, as it was officially named in 1753 by the Swedish scientist Carl von Linné. They are Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario, and multiple hybrids exist of each strain.

Criollo is one of the rarest cacao beans, known for its rich, intricate aroma and profound, smooth flavor. Preferred by craft chocolate makers, it is used to create some of the world's best chocolate.

Criollo is often described as being mildly acidic and rarely bitter. Criollo fans say it has a mild taste with secondary aromas of nuts, caramel, fruit, and tobacco. As for Trinitario, you'll often hear that it has most of the powerful cocoa taste of Forastero but is generally less acidic and bitter.

Rare cacao varietals such as Nacional and Porcelana have been found in parts of northern South America, and many people regard those as some of the best cocoa beans in the world. The Caribbean island of Trinidad only grows Trinitario cacao, a highly flavorful type of cacao developed on the island hundreds of years ago.

Criollo is a very rare and precious variety of cacao that was at risk of extinction for many years. It is the cacao of the Mayas and the Aztecs, the cultivation of which has been progressively abandoned owing to its low yield. It is a delicate cacao and makes up just 0.01% of global cacao production.

Dark chocolate has a cocoa percentage between 65% and 99%. The flavor of dark chocolate is less intense than 100% because of the addition of sugar. However, it's not as sweet as milk chocolate because it doesn't contain any milk powder.

Forastero. The most commonly grown bean is Forastero, a large group of wild and cultivated cocoas, most likely native to the Amazon Basin.

Cacao vs. Cocoa. While cacao refers to cacao beans that have not been roasted, what is called cocoa is made of beans that have been roasted. So, in turn, a product that is labeled cacao is the raw bean and is often packaged as vegan chocolate that has been minimally processed with no additives.

Is 100% cocoa chocolate possible? ›

100 percent cocoa chocolate has a more intense flavor along with more antioxidants and health benefits. Some 100 percent cacao chocolate can taste bitter if no sugar is added.

Ecuador is home to some of the best cacao beans in the world. Only approximately 5% of cacao in the world is labeled as “Fine Aroma,” and Ecuador produces nearly 63% of it.

Criollo is generally deemed to be the highest quality out of all the varieties of cacao but also the most expensive. Criollo is often described as the 'grand cru' of chocolates as it provides a fine flavour with rich aromas, leaves many secondary notes and is only mildly bitter.

Partly due to the rarity, and definitely due to its unique, complex flavor, criollo beans are regarded as super fine cocoa and many heirloom varieties are sought after by craft chocolate makers. Within the criollo variety, there are porcelana, chuao, ocumare beans, referencing a particular terroir of the criollo bean.

The highest graded, single origin, Arriba (also known as Nacional) Ecuadorian Cacao Beans are one of the few fine aromatic beans in the world. This high quality cacao bean is preferred by chocolate makers due to its superior and strong, unique aroma, prized for its rich and smooth flavor.

There are four types of chocolate: dark, milk, white, and ruby. Chocolate comes from the seeds, or nibs, of the cacao tree.