Tip: Choosing the Best Chocolate
To create the best recipe every single ingredient must be perfect. Here are some points that should be taken under consideration when making the decision of what kind of chocolate is the best.
Origin
There are three different cocoa trees varieties: Forastero (or amazonico), which is very resistant against diseases but acidic and bitter, it is mainly produced in the biggest cocoa-producing countries located in Africa and Asia. The criollo variety, which is very scarce and less resistant against diseases is characterized by its fine flavor and aroma. The third variety, trinitarian cocoa, is the result of a cross between the criollo and forastero varieties and preserves the best characteristics of both.
Flavor - Cacao Fino de Aroma
Cacao Fino de Aroma (Fine flavor cocoa) is described by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) as a cocoa with Fruity and flowery aromas and flavor with nutty malt notes. Criollo and Trinitarian varieties are considered cacao Fino de Aroma or fine flavor cocoas.
"Only 8% of the cocoa produced in the world is cacao Fino de Aroma, 76 % of which is produced in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela."
Ethical and sustainable trading practice
The question might arise in many people whether the money will reach the right place in case of companies promoting ethical trade, i.e whether the farmer will get a fair payment.
There are several points of view about this question, but it can be declared that a chocolate factory will benefit only if the farmer is motivated enough and can rely on a long-term collaboration.
CasaLuker - a Colombian enterprise with over 100 years of experience in the South American chocolate market - has developed a range of Single Origin Chocolate couvertures made with Cacao Fino de Aroma each with a specific flavor that reflects the country's geographic and cultural diversity. CasaLuker understands the importance of preserving the diversity of the Fine Flavor cocoa around the country. That's why it works, not only to develop a single-origin portfolio that shows the best examples of this diversity but also to support the farmers, teaching them how to preserve the Fine Flavor quality. Farmers are trained to identify and choose the best tree varieties in terms of yield and uniqueness of flavor and to understand the importance of the post-harvesting process to maintain the quality of the beans, thus improving the reputation of and the demand for Colombian cacao. This is undertaken by the R&D department together with a highly qualified Agricultural Development team all supported by the scientific work undertaken at Granja Luker, one of few cocoa research centers in the world.
To sum it up, we can say there are plenty of delicious chocolates around the world, but when choosing the ingredients, one should not only look at the price, but also at the quality, and whether the raw material comes from an authentic and sustainable source.
For more information:
www.lukerchocolate.com
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