Naturata Organic Fine Chocolates

The question: „Which indulgence do you never want to give up?“ is often answered with „coffee“ or „chocolate“. For it is very difficult to the resist the aroma of these two beans. Even coffee grouches enjoy the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans. And chocolate is undoubtedly the most popular food in the world. Coffee lovers know that the taste on the one hand depends on the roasting, but above all on the quality of the beans. Coffee plants only thrive in tropical climate and therefore can only be cultivated in the so-called „coffee belt“. It lies around the equator between the 23rd latitude north and the 25th southern latitude. Even if the same variety is cultivated almost everywhere (usually Arabica), there are distinct differences in taste between coffee from Guatemala, Tanzania or New Guinea. When it comes to chocolate it is almost the same. Cocoa has similar climatic requirements as the coffee bean and its origin will influence the aroma of the chocolate as well. However, the distinction of varieties is not quite as simple as with coffee.

Cocoa is roughly categorised in consume cocoa (Forastero) and fine cocoa (Criollo, Trinitario, Nacional). However, this is not a botanical distinction. The first cocoa trees, cultivated in Central America by Olmecs, Mayas, and later the Aztecs were Criollos. This variant is at home in Venezuela and is considered as the finest cocoa varient. All later introduced variants were called Forastero (Spanish „stranger“). Criollo is relatively sensitive and can't be cultivated in monoculture. Because it's only growing in the shade of other trees, thus in mixed culture, its cultivation is much more expensive than other varieties. But the bean has a particularly multifaceted aroma after roasting. Less than 5% of the global cocoa harvest is Criollo.

The Forastero is much more resistant than Criollo and also yields a bigger harvest. That is why it is also the most common cultivated variety worldwide. It is harvested mainly in the West African Countries of Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. If today a chocolate is not explicitly referred to as fine cocoa, you can assume that it was made from Forastero beans. These have a strong and compared to Criollo rather harsh and simple aroma. Because of its properties and the quantity produced Forastero is also called consume cocoa. Originally, Forastero comes from the Amazon rainforest. This jungle is also home to the cocoa trees from Ecuador. Since the cocoa pods of the Ecuadorian rainforest have a different flavor, they are nowadays referred to as “Nacional” and are no longer counted as consumer cocoa.

Trinitario, like Criollo, belongs to the fine cocoa and has a particularly turbulent history. As the name already suggests, it comes from the island of Trinidad. There already in the mid-16th century cocoa (Criollo) was cultivated. In 1727 a great natural catastrophe occurred. It is not passed on whether a fire, a storm or a drought destroyed the majority of the cocoa trees. In any case, the country was reafforested with Forstero trees from Venezuela. Over the years the remaining Criollos blended with the new trees. The result of this hybridization was a new strain with the resistance of Forestero and a similar flavor as Criollo: Trinitario. It is today the most popular cocoa for the creation of fine chocolates.

Discover the full flavor of selected cocoa beans from the most famous cultivation regions of the world with the Naturata fine chocolates. The composition of whole milk and finest cocoa provide the Organic Milk chocolate Costa Rica 50% with a full-bodied flavor. Those who prefer a higher cocoa content, will be pleased with the strong taste of the fine Organic Dark Chocolate Panama 80%. With the Organic Dark Chocolate Caribbean 90% you can enjoy a Caribbean feeling at home. Fine cocoa of the variety Trinitario generates a characteristic, slightly fruity aroma in the variant Bolivia 95%. A real specialty also is the bar of Latin America 100% with noble cocoa from the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. Combined with a touch of Bourbon vanilla this high-end chocolate is truly a special treat. The exquisite cocoa beans of Naturata fine chocolates are cultivated according to organic guidelines and processed gently. This results in the particularly delicate melting of the bars of chocolate. The Naturata fine chocolates are the perfect gift for demanding sweet tooth. Wonderful for sharing or to enjoy by yourself.