Sur del Lago
Venezuela
The southern sub-region of the Lake of Maracaibo encompasses several states of Venezuela (Zulia, Merida, Táchira and Trujillo).
Chococao, our partner at origin, has a couple of plantations of its own but also takes on the task to collect cocoa beans from more than 800 smallholder farmers in this region. Farmers in the region have been working alongside Chococao for over 25 years following their guidance in terms of drying procedures to guarantee as much as possible consistency.
THE FARM
Chococao is a family business dedicated to recover the prestige of the cacao produced in the South of Lake Maracaibo. They have the biggest processing center of criollo cacao in Venezuela, and their cacao has been delighting consumers for the last 20 years around the world through a network of distributors and traders. In Gaia we aim to connect you directly and ensure more transparent a fairer price.
Chococao´s farms:
-
Las Virtudes: 54 hectáreas
-
Panamericana: 6 hectáreas
POST HARVEST
Chococao can buy cacao from all smallholder farmers in the region in two forms: Wet and dried.
Chococao has two fermentation rooms (with 15 and 19 sweet wood crates respectively). Through several trials, different fermentation protocols were developed to adapt to the needs of our customers.
Chococao has 69 sweet wood drying drawers and a canopy. The drying process uses wooden drawers, with slow and constant movements. It starts with a few hours of sun exposure on the first day, increasing the time in the following days until it reaches the right moisture.
Try for yourself
You can order a 1 kg sample of this product. If you like the sample and want to order, please reach out to us!
BEAN PROFILE
Granding: Premium
Genetics: Trinitario with 30-40% of Criollo beans
Size: Almond, Varied Size
Fermentation: 5 to 6 Days in Wooden Boxes
Drying: Sun Dried
FLAVOUR PROFILE
The delicate fruity, wood and nut flavour.
Low astringency, low acidity.
ORDERING INFORMATION
Hand sort: Yes
Bag size: Bags of 60 Kg.
Availability: Europe
Volumen Available: Annual production capacity
of 1.800 tons
Peak season: December - January
Mid season: July - September
Explore Our Special Cacao
.png)