The Flavors & Aromas Of Varietal Chocolate Page 3: The
Differences In Single Origin Chocolate By Region by Peter Rot &
Karen Hochman The Theobroma cacao tree grows in the rich soils
of the tropical rainforest, in a global belt 20 degrees north
and south of the Equator. While much of the flavor of the cacao
is attributable to the genetics of the plant, the fermentation
and drying of the cacao beans post-harvest, along with each
region’s soil composition, climate and other factors, contribute
to regional differences in cacao bean flavors. Here we have
developed—for the first time anywhere that we are aware of—a
guide to the regional characteristics of the great chocolate
producing countries. In other words, single origin chocolate. It
will help you understand and appreciate, for example, the
differences among the Porcelana, Chuao, Maracaibo and Sur del
Lago regions of Venezuela; or among cacao from Java in the
Pacific, Trinidad in the Caribbean, and São Tomé, an island off
the west coast of Africa.* Now when yo