Weight: 57 grams
Cocoa Bean Origin: Costa Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Notes: Costa Esmeraldas is a family business, entirely owned and managed by the Salazar family. This single estate farm was established on reclaimed cattle pasture and is currently planted with approximately 100 hectares of 5-year old Nacional hybrid cocoa (clones EET-95, EET-96, and EET-103). The farm is expanding and will include 10 hectares of a traditional Esmeraldas cocoa varietal that was cultivated in isolation for over 100 years from the typical Nacional cocoa grown in the rest of the country. The original farms planted with this cocoa variety are being cut down and replaced with palm oil and CCN-51.
A brand new, high efficiency fermentation and drying facility was designed by Cacao Services and constructed in a dry micro-climate about 15 miles from the farm near the town of Tonchigue. The facility design allows production of unusually consistent and clean cocoa with an efficient movement of material that reduces worker injury and fatigue.
The colour is strikingly dark for a 70% dark chocolate, but belies its mild flavour. Enjoy.
Tasting notes: nutty, floral, berries
Ingredients: Cacao, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter
(May contain traces of tree nuts, peanuts & milk)