UNROASTED COCOA BEANS - VENEZUELA Sur Del Lago Tucani

Description

The cocoa beans are fermented and dried, unroasted.

Region: SUR DEL LAGO
Genetics: Criollo (a major part is Porcelana and Merideño)
Taste Profile: delicate creamy-nutty aroma with notes of lavender and sage
Fermentation: 85%
Drying: The Tucani cocoa beans are dried on special mobile wooden platforms. At night, these platforms with the cocoa beans are moved to storage, where the prepared dried cocoa is stored.

The region is located in the western part of the country on the southern shore of Lake Maracaibo; to the southeast and southwest, it is surrounded by the Venezuelan Andes mountain range, and to the north, it borders the Caribbean Sea. It has an unusually stable warm and humid climate, ideal for growing delicate and demanding cocoa varieties with an elite aroma.

Raw cocoa beans: a healthy snack and a pure flavor experience

Cocoa is a superfood. It is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, and theobromine - all the chemicals that make a body happy. Therefore, it is definitely a good idea to eat some raw chocolate every day.

Thanks to the natural production process, which does not involve roasting or boiling, raw cocoa beans retain all their aromatic and nutritional benefits. After harvesting, the cocoa beans are fermented together with their pulp. After that, they are washed and then dried in the Peruvian sun.

How should I eat raw cocoa beans?

You can eat raw cocoa beans as they are. You may have to get used to the pure cocoa flavor first. It is completely different from (regular) chocolate. It is a new flavor experience altogether: less sweet, slightly bitter, drier, but crunchy. Do you miss the sweetness? If so, you can dip the raw cocoa beans in a little honey.

How many cocoa beans can you eat per day?

We recommend a maximum of 5 to 10 beans for an adult and 2 to 5 cocoa beans for a child.

If you peel a cocoa bean, the bean unfolds into cocoa nibs. You can add them to a smoothie or sprinkle them over muesli or breakfast cereal. Mix them with some nuts and fruit and you will have a nutritious, healthy snack.

What is the difference between raw cocoa and regular chocolate?

Cocoa is a raw material and the basic ingredient for making chocolate. Raw cocoa beans contain many healthy nutrients. When we make chocolate as we know it, these nutrients are largely lost when the cocoa beans are roasted.

In addition, regular chocolate has a lot of sugars and fats added, which does not do justice to the flavor and causes the cocoa beans to lose their healthy qualities. Therefore, it is definitely a good idea to try raw cocoa beans sometime. The flavor is quite different from regular chocolate. It is drier, slightly bitter, but crunchy.

Hello, chocolate lovers! Did you know that one of the most critical steps in the process of making chocolate from cocoa beans is fermentation? And did you know that turning the beans during fermentation is crucial for their quality and flavor?

Here is why: during fermentation, cocoa beans undergo a series of chemical reactions that transform their flavor precursors into the rich and complex flavors we associate with chocolate. However, if the beans remain stagnant or unturned, they can develop unevenly and may even develop mold or unpleasant flavors.

That is where turning comes in. By periodically mixing or turning the beans, fermentation can take place more evenly, which can lead to better and more consistent flavor development. Turning also allows air to circulate, promoting the growth of desirable bacteria and discouraging the growth of harmful ones.