Cacao beans: how does growing location affect chocolate flavour?

From cacao seedlings to your favourite selector — how does chocolate get the flavour we all know and love?

There’s a lot that goes into making chocolate unique. From the hard work of the cacao farmers who grow the beans to the creativity of the chocolatiers who come up with inventive designs and flavour combinations, there are many factors that shape the chocolate that finds its way to your kitchen.

But did you know that the flavour of chocolate can also tell a story about where it was grown? In fact, the growing location of the cacao has a larger effect on chocolate flavour than you might expect.

Where is cacao grown?

The history of the cacao plant sees its beginning in Central America, where Mesoamericans first cultivated the plant. They used it for ceremonial, medicinal, and culinary purposes. Nowadays, there are many other countries that grow cacao. Indeed, 70% of the world’s beans come from West Africa, with Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria being the highest contributors. Central and South American countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru also still grow a significant amount of cacao beans. In addition, a large amount of cacao is grown in Southeast Asian countries. Indonesia is one of the top cacao producers in the world.

The cacao tree’s original home under rainforest canopies makes it well suited to hot climates with plenty of shade, which is what makes these countries the ideal place for growing cacao. All of these locations have one thing in common: they’re great for growing cacao. But that doesn’t mean that chocolate from each place will taste the same — differences in weather, soil, and local production methods mean that each region’s chocolate has its own unique qualities. This is where the concept of ‘terroir’ comes into play.

How it all works

Terroir: what you need to know

‘Terroir’ is an important concept in viticulture (grape-growing). The name is fancy, but what it means is simple. It describes the ‘sense of place’ that a wine evokes, owing to the genetics, location, and production involved in its creation. Because of these differences in production, the unique identity of the location shines through in the wine’s flavours and aromas.

Luxury and decadence is the name of the game when it comes to both wine and chocolate, which is why the term ‘terroir’ has been adopted by chocolatiers and chocolate lovers alike. Chocolate can be fruity, nutty, floral, or earthy, and these flavours come from the unique circumstances of the chocolate’s growing location.

What makes up ‘terroir’?

Genotype

Although there are many varieties of cacao to experience, most chocolate comes from three types of cacao beans .

• The Criollo (“native”) variety is native to South America and is known for its high quality and fine flavours.
• The Forastero (“foreigner”) variety is hardier and disease resistant. It comprises over 90% of all commercially-grown cacao, but has less depth of flavour than Criollo.
• The final variety, Trinitario, is a hybrid between the two and has inherited the strengths of both varieties.

Climate

Although cacao beans grow best in hot, humid climates, that doesn’t mean there can’t be some variation. For example, the climate that the beans grow in has an effect on how the beans are processed. Sometimes, wood-drying is necessary due to high humidity, which gives the beans a smoky flavour.

Local expertise

Every chocolate producer will have their own way of growing cacao. Different traditions of harvesting, fermenting, roasting, and grinding the beans leave their mark on the flavour of the chocolate.

What does that mean for chocolate?

Chocolate is more than just chocolate. Whether high or low quality, dark or white, single-origin or blend, no chocolate will taste exactly the same. Just as we humans are a product of our upbringing, so too is chocolate. The location and method of production come together to create a unique flavour profile.

We don’t like to play favourites when it comes to chocolate… But we think that one of the greatest strengths of dark chocolate is its ability to showcase the flavour of the cacao beans. Ease off on the milk and added sugar, and the cacao bean’s nuanced flavours can really shine.

Single-origin chocolate, or chocolate whose beans come from only one location, is where the chocolate’s ‘terroir’ truly shines. The unified flavour lets the individuality of the beans stand out, letting you experience the authentic taste of the region. Of course, single-origin isn’t automatically better than blended chocolate — it all depends on the quality of the beans. And that’s why our single-origin chocolates, such as our R&V Colombia Almond Praline Selector, are carefully chosen for quality and flavour.

Where do we get our chocolate from?

Ethical chocolate

We are proud to be one of the few chocolate makers to produce some of our own cacao. The rich volcanic soil and rainforest climate of our Rabot Estate in Saint Lucia creates the perfect environment for growing cacao. We also ferment and dry the cacao beans here. It’s in Saint Lucia that we learnt the craft of growing cacao, so the production is intimately linked with the location. If you’re interested in trying out a taste of Saint Lucia, our Rabot Collection has a little bit of everything you need to engage all your senses and whisk yourself away to this beautiful tropical island.

In addition to our Rabot Estate, we are also engaged with cacao farming communities across the world in Ghana, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Each of these locations has its own unique flavours and aromas, from the full-bodied beans of Honduras to the floral notes of the coasts of Ecuador.

If you’re feeling adventurous, our 100% Dark Chocolate Batons contain nothing but cacao. They’re ideal for cacao-connoisseurs. They let you experience the smoky, mellow notes of Ecuadorian single-origin chocolate — without any added sugar to distract from the flavour.

From root to wrapper

The practice of making Bean to Bar chocolate ensures high-quality, ethical chocolate, where the maker has involvement every step of the way. At Hotel Chocolat, we like to go one step further — our policy of Roots to Wrapper means that we’re striving to do what’s right throughout the entire production process, whether that means ethical agriculture or sustainable packaging.

All too often, the place of manufacture takes precedence over the cacao growers. Think of how famous Swiss or Belgian chocolate is! This makes it more difficult to connect with the origin of the chocolate and undermines that sense of ‘terroir’ that gives chocolate so much of its individuality. And that’s what makes our Roots to Wrapper philosophy so important. We want to preserve that connection with the chocolate’s origin and highlight the hard work and talent of cacao farmers all over the world.

Next time you take a bite of chocolate, why not stop to savour the unique flavours? What can you find? Transport yourself to the coastal mountain range of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada or the lush rainforest of Saint Lucia. Go on, give it a try — you might discover your new favourite chocolate variety!