Discover the Origins of Cacao
Cacao originated in Mesoamerica, where civilizations like the Maya and Aztecs cultivated it and made it into a bitter beverage called “xocoatl.” The Maya revered cacao as the “food of the gods” and used it in religious rituals. The Aztecs considered cacao highly valuable, even using cacao beans as currency. When Spanish explorers, such as Hernán Cortés, encountered cacao in the 16th century, they brought it to Europe, where the drink was sweetened and became popular in royal courts. From there, cacao spread worldwide, eventually evolving into the chocolate we know today.
AMERICA
Main Regions: Brazil, Ecuador, Peru
American cacao beans are often described as aromatic and fruity.
• Ecuador is renowned for its Arriba cacao beans, considered among the finest in the world. These beans have a complex aromatic profile with floral and fruity notes.
• Brazil produces cacao with a more intense, less acidic flavor, often with notes of nuts and caramel.
AFRICA
Main Regions: Uganda, São Tomé
Africa is the world’s largest cacao producer, with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana alone accounting for over 60% of global production. African cacao beans tend to have a stronger, less complex flavor profile compared to American beans. They are known for their rich, chocolatey flavor, often with a pleasing bitterness.
OCEANIA
Main Regions: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
Cacao plantations in Oceania, particularly in Indonesia, produce cacao beans with a widely varying flavor profile. Indonesian beans are often described as earthy, with notes of wood and spice, and they tend to be more bitter.
Each cacao-growing region has unique characteristics that influence the flavor and aroma of its beans, contributing to the diverse flavor profiles of chocolate. The combination of factors such as climate, soil, and cultivation techniques plays a fundamental role in determining the quality of cacao produced in each area.
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Marco answers
Why has a white coating or whitish spots formed on the surface of the chocolate?
The white coating appears when the product has been stored in a cold, humid environment (like a refrigerator); condensation that forms between the wrapper and the chocolate creates a white coating. Whitish spots, on the other hand, appear when the product experiences temperature fluctuations. Often, when chocolate is kept in warm areas or near heat sources, the cocoa butter naturally present in chocolate melts and rises to the surface (technically going out of temper). The product is still safe to eat, but the texture of the chocolate bar may change.
Why do nectar beverages have added sugars?
Some fruits are too thick to be processed at 100%, like mango, peach, apricot, etc. If they were made into 100% juice, they would be so dense that they would struggle to pour out of the bottle. Once the fruit is blended, a little water needs to be added to make it drinkable and to balance the natural sugar level of the original fruit. Fruits that can be juiced, pressed, or filtered, on the other hand, are drinkable even when processed at 100% (e.g., orange, pomegranate, carrot, apple, etc.).
Why do creams have a thin layer of oil on the surface, and what should I do about it?
Why are some jams more liquid than others?
Our jams have a very high fruit content, ranging from 100% to 130% fruit per 100 grams of product, with little added sugar. Sugar helps give structure to the product, so if the fruit is naturally low in pectin, either natural pectin from lemon peel is added, or the jam, although very concentrated, will have a softer consistency.
What is the difference between Aztec chocolate and hot chocolate mix?
Aztec chocolate is our 80% chocolate (ingredients: 80% cocoa beans and sugar) that is finely chopped so it can be dissolved in hot milk or water. The resulting chocolate is in the Anglo-Saxon style, meaning it's not thick but very aromatic and intense. Hot chocolate mix, on the other hand, is made with cocoa powder (ingredients: cocoa powder, sugar, and starch). This mix is specifically formulated for making hot chocolate in a cup, resulting in a dense, comforting chocolate in the classic Italian style.
Why do juices or nectars from the same fruit have different colors and consistencies?
Italy is a large orchard, and we work with fruit from growers who often have different varieties of the same fruit, or we collaborate with different farmers who cultivate the same fruit but in different regions of Italy. For example, a peach from Piedmont is different from one from Sicily. The colors, flavor, aroma, and texture of a fruit are determined by a combination of factors, including climate and terroir.
What is cocoa mass?
Cocoa mass, or cocoa paste, refers to the product that is 100% made from cocoa beans transformed into a solid form, without the addition of sugars or other ingredients.
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