Cuyagua

CUYAGUA

The town of Cuyagua is located along Venezuela’s North Central coast in the Aragua state.

The town of Cuyagua, Venezuela has a centuries old tradition of cacao farming involving the entire community producing some of the most rare and unique chocolate. Like many of the coastal towns of Venezuela, Cuyagua has a rich history, culture, traditions and different aspects that could be explored, but cacao is at the core essence of Cuyagua.

THE FARM

Hacienda La Campesina, which is the post harvesting facility in Cuyagua, has an exclusivity agreement with Cacaos Caracas. Cacao Caracas is our trusted partner at origin.

The beans of the cacao trees from Cuyagua’s plantations have high aromatic potential due to their proximity to the criollo genotype.

The cocoa beans from Cuyagua undergo a strict hand sorting procedure by hands of the women of the Hacienda La Campesina.

Extra is paid locally to these women for their love and attention to detail in the sorting process.

POST HARVEST

Beans are then classified according to the harvest time and the general conditions of wet mass to ensure a successful fermentation process. During reception a cleaning process is carried out to remove all foreign bodies and impurities which may alter the development of the fermentation process.

The cacao producers of Cuyagua understand the importance of the fermentation to achieve a great flavour profile. They make sure beans have enough pulp to allow the right fermentation protocol which varies between 5 to7 days in wooden boxes.

The drying process is carried out in wooden drawers, with slow and constant movements.

It starts with a few hours of sun exposure on the first day, increasing the time in the following days until it reaches the right moisture.