The legendary Chuao cacao is cultivated in a small village founded in 1660, located in the northern coastal mountain range in Venezuela and surrounded by dense rainforests. Nearby lies the Henri Pittier National Park, the oldest national park in Venezuela, established in 1937. The village is famous for its cacao plantations, beans from Chuao are considered some of world finest cocoa. Chuao village is enclosed by high mountains, limiting contact with people and insects from other areas. Some experts attribute the extraordinary quality of the cacao beans of Chuao due to the intense work of the village's labourers during the pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest.

The village is accessible only by boat from the nearby town of Choroni. The exclusive beans are sun-dried in the village's church square, known as the Plaza de Secado. There is a sole distributor for these super rare beans, and only the best chocolate makers are allowed to purchase. Chuao cacao has an appellation and is IP protected. The real Chuao cacao comes with a certificate of authenticity.

We visited the village with Chloé Doutre Roussel in March 2023.

Choroni is a historic town with a significant role in Venezuela's cocoa industry, where cultivation has thrived since colonial times. Nestled within the Henri Pittier National Park, known for its rich avian diversity, Choroni is an ideal locale for cocoa cultivation, fishing, and tourism. La Sabaneta, a distinguished cocoa farm in Choroni, owes its exceptional quality to its central coastal location and the favourable conditions provided by the Henri Pittier National Park. The farm's owners, in collaboration with cocoa specialists and extensive research, strive to enhance the unique genetics of their plantations, preserve the cocoa's quality, and improve harvest efficiency.

We visited the village in March 2023.

In the Kilombero Valley, bordering the Udzungwa Mountain National Park, smallholder farmers cultivate remarkable cacao characterised by a rounded profile with red fruit notes such as cherries and berries, floral undertones, and a smooth, chocolaty finish. 700 smallholder farmers benefit directly from higher prices for high-quality, organic certified cacao. Cacao is cultivated in small‑scale agroforestry systems, intercropped with shade trees, bananas, corn, and other crops, creating a buffer zone adjacent to the National Park. The Southern Tanzania Elephant Project collaborates with farmers to mitigate and resolve conflicts between elephants and humans. Though we have not visited the plantation in Tanzania yet, we personally know the founder of the cocoa association supplying the beans to us.

One of the most renowned cacao origins globally, Akesson's Estate comprises several farms in Madagascar's northwestern Sambirano Valley. The most productive of these is Bejofo Estate, which alone yields approximately 300 tons of cocoa annually. Over the past decade Akesson's cacao has gained a reputation for its fruity, almost juicy beans, which create some of the world's most distinctive chocolate. All cacao grown on Akesson Estate is organically certified. We plan to visit Bejofo Estate in the future, we have had a great personal contact with Bertil Akesson for more than 10 years.

Nicaragua is called “The land of lakes and volcanoes” for its countless volcanoes, most of which are still active, as well as lakes, rivers and lagoons that provide beautiful landscapes. In 2015, Nicaragua was recognized as 100% fine cocoa origin by the International Cocoa Organization. Only 9 countries are recognized as such.

The Rugoso cocoa variety we are working with is named like that because in Spanish, Rugoso means rough texture. This orange‑red coloured pod has wrinkles on its surface, making it easy for producers to classify the variety when harvesting. Separating the cocoa pods per variety allows a consistency in the flavour.

We spent a week on a study trip in Nicaragua before the pandemic period (meanwhile a civil revolution was breaking out against Daniel Ortega's political system), where we met many farmers, including the Flores family, who carefully cultivate the highest quality Rugoso beans.