The only one with denomination of origin, this cocoa is among one of the most valued in the world for its seeds with fruity flavors, which vary according to the harvest.
The flavor of one of the cocoas most demanded by chocolate and bar chocolatiers is perceived by Winder Aché, one of the partners of Empresa Campesina Chuao, and Edith Rosales, financial director of the marketer Chuao Trading, as a mixture of the best fruits of the region.
“Chuao cacao is like a mixture, just as our ancestors have been, we are a mixture of white, black, and zambo. And so is the cocoa of Chuao. Chuao's cacao has a little bit of the cacao found in all of Venezuela," Aché said when consulted by PuroChocolate.
“We have fruity flavors. Trinidadian tastes like sucker, banana, guanabana. The forastero has those fruity flavors with a hint of tartness, but savory acidity. And the criollo, which has a more fruity flavor, tastes like mamón, mango, those fruits that are in the town, ”he added.
For her part, for the financial director of the trading company Chuao Trading, Chuao cocoa does not have one flavor, it has multi-flavors.
“The mucilage tastes like bananas, citrus fruits, it's magical,” Rosales said, adding that it tastes like nuts, sometimes tangerines and sometimes bananas. "It's diverse, super exquisite."
Chuao cocoa is unique
Although each harvest of Chuao cocoa always generates a different flavor and aroma, Chuao is known throughout the world for its unique flavor.
This fruit is a hybrid of Creole, Forastero and Trinitarian cocoas, which has maintained its genetics, aroma and flavor for centuries.
Its qualities are due to the chemical, physical and organic characteristics that are only given to the altitude, temperature, humidity and climate of wow, making it a unique fruit that is demanded by the most demanding chocolatiers in the world.
A physical and sensory analysis of cocoa from Chuao carried out by the Mérida state agronomist Gladys Ramos, and published by the organization Intercocoa, yielded some results that describe this fruit, and that were made public through the link chuao.intercacao.com.
Out of a maximum score of 5, Chuao cocoa has 3.5 points for sweet fruity flavors such as raisins and plums; 5 points for orange citrus flavor; 2 points for orange and tangerine blooming flavor; 3.5 points in terms of creole flavor, which stands out for its flavors of malt, sugar cane, panela, roasted peanuts, almonds, walnuts and caramel; and 3 points for cocoa flavor.
Chuao cocoa, due to its Trinitarian genetics with high Creole descent, produces up to 40% white beans that provide its quality and aroma.
The grain has specific physical qualities due to the genetic types it acquires from the Trinitarian grain with high Creole introgression.
The tone that predominates in the appearance of the seed varies between mahogany, cinnamon and caramel.
Its cut analysis shows fermented grains (± 86%), with violet grains (± 8%) and slaty grains (± 6%).
In relation to their weight, the grains generally contain 69 almonds over a weight of 100 gr, that is, each almond weighs 1,45 gr.
"Its aroma and flavor qualities are shaped by the geographical environment, the agro-climatic condition, by the proximity to the coast coupled with what is a very particular ancestral post-harvest benefit where removals, turning and good drainage of exudates are controlled, as well as the The dedication of its producers in agronomic management, give it the name of the best and most expensive cocoa in the world”, says engineer Gladys Ramos, a researcher in Agricultural Sciences.
