Heirloom Peruvian Criollo Raw Cacao
Over the years, we've tried many different types cacao from around the world; some good, some bad, some terrible and some exceptional. You can guess which we prefer and use in our raw chocolate goodies.
For several years, we had been working with a truly delightful supply of Ecuadorian Arriba Nacional raw cacao. Unfortunately, the supply become completely unreliable, so we had to find an alternative.
After much searching and testing, we've found a cacao that meets our high standards and so we switched to a delicious Peruvian Criollo raw cacao.
Criollo cacao is an heirloom variety, often referred to as the “Queen of Cacao” with a reputation of the finest flavours. Criollo only makes up around 5% of the world's cacao production and is used in the best chocolate you'll find. You can read more about the types of cacao here.
Bringing You The Best
Our Criollo cacao is organically grown by producers who employ traditional farming techniques and low-intensity production. The pods are harvested by hand before being broken apart and allowed to ferment, which brings out the rich, complex flavours that criollo beans are renowned for.
The dried and fermented cacao beans are then crushed/peeled (winnowed) and the skins blown away to produce raw cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground to initially produce raw cacao paste and under further grinding the oil comes out and solidifies to become raw cacao butter. The remaining cacao mass is gently milled into raw cacao powder. Temperatures are monitored at all stages of the processing to ensure they remain low to preserve nutrients.
We're proud of our raw cacao, in fact, we're really proud of our cacao. We've spent a long time and a lot of effort to source the finest raw cacao possible. The flavours you can expect from our 100% Criollo Raw Cacao are complex and aromatic. To our knowledge, there simply isn't a better supply of Peruvian raw cacao available. To us, it's the best raw cacao on the planet!
Also in Blog
Last Post For Christmas 2022 Delivery and Our Winter Shutdown
Shipping Disruption Due To Royal Mail Strikes
You've probably noticed that the Royal Mail workers have been carrying out strike action and more dates are set for the coming months. We figured it prudent to let you know sooner rather than later what we know and how our service to you is likely to be affected.
