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The quality of the bean impacts the price of the chocolate.
“We pay more than twice as much for our heirloom cocoa beans (compared to
the big makers using generic beans),” Peters says. “Why? Flavor and fairness. Criollo
beans have a very desirable ‘fruity’ taste. But Criollo beans are harder to grow, and
therefore rare. They make up less than 4 percent of all the cacao grown around the
globe each year.”
One of the advantages of making chocolate from the same variety of cacao grown
in the same region is the chance to experience the changes over time. Each harvest
or vintage is unique, depending on the conditions in the field that growing season.
Beans from the different farms will also vary based on the locations of the trees and
the post-harvest processing methods used.
The quality of the cacao is closely related to the genetics of the bean. For example, in
Venezuela, which has a rich history and diversity of cacao, the growing areas can be very
isolated from each other.
Above: Cocoa pods on trees at a farm in Grenada. Below, left to right: After the
roasting process, the dried beans are sorted by hand at Escazú Artisan Chocolates.
The beans then go to the winnow machine to separate the husk from the nib. Once
the nibs are separated, they are transferred to the melanger, where the machine’s
stone wheels grind them into a fine pulp. Finished bars at French Board Chocolates.
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COURTESY OF FRENCH BROAD CHOCOLATES
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