HEIRLOOM CACAO

What is heirloom cacao?

Traditionally, heirloom refers to plant varieties or strains that are "handed down" from generation to generation. However, heirloom cacao has nothing to do with genetics, rather, it's all based on the flavor of the bean, which makes sense because the 'best' chocolate is often the most flavorful. 

There is an organization called the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Project (HCP) who's mission is to “discover, identify and preserve fine flavor Heirloom cacao varieties for the conservation of biological diversity and the empowerment of farming communities”. HCP has designated 16 heirloom farms around the world. Our chocolate is sourced from 1 of these farms.

The chocolate we use, right now, is a single origin, (coming from one location or farm) heirloom variety known as Arriba Nacional, sourced form Los Rios, Ecuador. 

It's important to note that heirloom cacao naturally reproduces without human intervention. There are organizations out there, such as HCP, who act to preserve 'heirloom' cacao. In other words, farmers do the best they can to avoid natural hybridization of heirloom cacao with other varieties which would alter the ancient and prized flavor.