Explore cacao and chocolate.
Follow cacao across countries, cultures, flavours and chocolate.
THE STRONGEST PATH IN
Explore by origin
Cacao grows only within about twenty degrees of the equator, and where it grows (the soil, the climate, the genetics of the trees and above all how farmers ferment and dry the beans) leaves its mark on the chocolate made from it.
[Image: West African cacao farm]
Africa
Ghana
Côte d’Ivoire
Uganda
Tanzania
Most of the world’s cacao now grows here, largely on smallholder family farms. It arrived only in the nineteenth century.
[Image: Amazonian cacao forest]
Latin America
Ecuador
Peru
Venezuela
Brazil
The birthplace of cacao, with the greatest genetic diversity on earth and many celebrated fine-flavour origins.
[Image: cacao under palms, South India]
Asia–Pacific
India
Indonesia
Vietnam
Philippines
The newest chapter. In India, cacao often grows beneath coconut and areca palms in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
[Ghana map or cacao farm image]
FEATURED ORIGIN TRAIL · WEST AFRICA
Ghana cacao
Cacao reached the Gold Coast in the late nineteenth century, and within a few decades the colony had become the largest producer in the world. Today Ghana’s beans, grown mostly on family farms, are known for a deep, classic cocoa character, often roasted and nutty, that sits at the heart of much of the world’s chocolate.
SIMPLE ENTRY POINTS
Explore chocolate
[Image]
Dark
Cacao in charge, with sugar playing a supporting role. The higher the percentage, the less sweet and the more intense, though the number alone says nothing about flavour.
[Image]
Milk
Cacao, dairy and sweetness. Milk softens bitterness and brings creaminess and caramel, and the best still taste clearly of their origin.
[Image]
Single origin
Chocolate made from cacao grown in one country, region or even one farm, so the bar can speak of a particular place.
CACAOTRAILS TASTE EXPLORER
Explore by flavour
Start with what you already know you enjoy. Go deeper only when you want to.
Tap any flavour to see its notes, where it comes from, and where you’ll often find it. Most of these flavours aren’t added: they come from the cacao itself and from how it was fermented, dried and roasted. Milk and vanilla are the main exceptions.
AROMA
Fruity · red fruit, citrus
Notes: red fruit (raspberry, strawberry, cherry) · citrus (orange, lemon, bergamot) · tropical (banana, mango, pineapple) · dried fruit (raisin, fig, apricot)
Where it comes from: the cacao’s genetics and fermentation, which builds fruity acids and aromas. A lighter roast keeps them bright.
Often found in: Madagascar, Peru, parts of Ecuador and some Indian bars.
Floral · jasmine, rose
Notes: jasmine · rose · violet · lavender
Where it comes from: usually fine-flavour cacao genetics. Delicate, and easily lost under a dark roast.
Often found in: Ecuador’s Nacional cacao and some Peruvian origins.
Spiced · pepper, cinnamon
Notes: black pepper · cinnamon · nutmeg · ginger · clove · liquorice
Where it comes from: the cacao’s genetics and fermentation. Usually subtle, and often noticed in the finish.
Often found in: bars from many origins, including some Indian cacao.
Earthy · woody, smoky
Notes: earthy (mushroom, olive, tobacco) · woody (smoked wood, whisky, rum) · herbal (rosemary, coriander)
Where it comes from: genetics, soil and post-harvest handling. Beans dried over wood fires can carry smoky notes.
Often found in: Papua New Guinea (smoky) and some Indonesian origins.
Nutty · hazelnut, almond
Notes: hazelnut · almond · walnut · pistachio · macadamia · cashew
Where it comes from: roasting, strongest in well-fermented beans with a classic cocoa character.
Often found in: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and many milk chocolates.
Roasted · cocoa, coffee
Notes: roasted cocoa · coffee and mocha · toasted bread · roasted nuts
Where it comes from: mostly the maker’s roast. Deeper roasts push chocolate toward coffee and toast.
Often found in: West African origins and higher-percentage dark bars.
Caramel & honey · toffee, honey
Notes: toffee · classic caramel · honey · maple syrup
Where it comes from: roasting chemistry, plus sugar and, in milk chocolate, the milk itself.
Often found in: milk chocolate and gently roasted dark bars.
Milky & vanilla · creamy, biscuity
Notes: dairy (milky, creamy, buttery, yoghurty) · vanilla · grains (biscuity, malty, cereal)
Where it comes from: milk and vanilla added by the maker, plus biscuity and malty notes that develop in roasting.
Often found in: milk and white chocolate, and some gently roasted dark bars.
TASTE
Sweet · soft, gentle
More sugar or milk, less cacao. Typical of milk chocolate and dark bars below about 60%.
Tangy · sour, bright
Acidity, like fruit or wine. It comes from fermentation and from fruity origins such as Madagascar.
Bitter · intense
Lots of cacao, little sugar: 80% and above, or heavily roasted beans. Good bitterness is clean, never harsh. Most dark chocolate balances bitter against sweet, which is why it is often called bittersweet.
Salty · savoury edge
Usually from added sea salt, a popular pairing that sharpens sweetness and lifts fruity and caramel notes.
MOUTHFEEL
Creamy · rich, soft
Rich and soft on the tongue, from milk solids and plenty of cocoa butter. Typical of milk and white chocolate.
Silky · fine, smooth
Very fine grinding and careful conching leave no grit at all, just a seamless smoothness.
Melting · quick, even melt
How quickly and evenly a bar melts on the tongue, shaped by its cocoa butter content and good tempering.
Coarse · rustic, grainy
A slightly grainy texture, often deliberate in stone-ground chocolate. (Crunch from nibs or nuts comes from inclusions rather than the chocolate itself.)
Dry · astringent
A finish that dries the mouth, like strong tea. It comes from cacao polyphenols and is more common in very high percentages or under-fermented beans.
Origins listed are typical notes, not rules. Genetics, fermentation and the maker’s hand shape every bar.
