The focus of any artisan who makes chocolate is the cacao bean. Its flavor and the aromas it conceals depend mainly on the species. There are three species of cacao criollo, forastero and trinitario, you can read more about cacao species in our blog article: The cacao bean, a long story in three parts.
Another important element, a secondary influence on the taste and aromas of future chocolate is the origin of the bean, or more precisely – terroir . The term, taken from the world of wine, can be defined as a set of natural environmental factors associated with a specific place (soil, climate, altitude, sunlight intensity, rain, etc.) that affect the quality and taste of an agricultural product, in this case cocoa.
All stages of chocolate production from bean to bar (bean to bar) are designed to bring out the many diverse flavors from the cocoa bean. We want to expose the desirable qualities (e.g. floral, fruity, nutty, spice notes), hide the negative ones (too much tannicity, bitterness).
