CocoaTalk

Small farm cacao pricing is a negotiated commercial price for traceable, farm-identified cacao that reflects quality, post-harvest handling, lot segregation, processing, and logistics rather than a si … read more

Cacao nibs for brewing are cracked, hulled pieces of cured and roasted cacao beans, and in a stout or porter, they add chocolate depth, a firm, bitter backbone, and roast complexity when dosed right. … read more

TL;DR: What You Need to Know Before You Read On Natural cocoa powder has a pH of roughly 5.3 to 5.8, so it is acidic. Alkalized (Dutched) cocoa runs from about 6.5 to 8.6, depending on how far the tr … read more

How to Store Cacao Beans, Nibs, Powder, and Butter Without Losing the Quality You Paid For TL;DR Store cacao beans at ≤65% RH at ~7–7.5% moisture for the longest cacao bean shelf life; stora … read more

Coffee and cacao are paired by habit: espresso with a square of dark chocolate, coffee added to chocolate desserts. But have you ever wondered why they pair so well together? Coffee beans and cacao be … read more

If you made it to this corner of the internet, chances are you are well aware that not all cacao is created equal. But what actually makes one cacao bean more valuable than another? Is it the variety? … read more

TL;DR The beans for cacao and cocoa come from the same plant, Theobroma cacao. Understanding the cocoa vs cacao distinction comes down to processing, not origin. Global cocoa prices rose 310% and hit … read more

What Is Fine Aroma Cacao, Anyway? Fine aroma cacao is rare. It accounts for only around 12% of world cocoa bean exports, and yet it is the ingredient that defines the flavor ceiling for the finest cho … read more

TL;DR Direct trade cacao describes a sourcing relationship between a buyer and a producer, not a certified product. Just because a brand labels their cacao "direct trade" does not automatically mean f … read more

TL;DR Depending on the cacao variety, about  10% to 30% of the total pulp is drained before fermentation begins,  a process called pre-draining or de-mucilaging, which makes cacao pulp one o … read more