Part II of our Ecuadorian Adventure in which we will unwrap a sweet, savory surprise.

Theobroma cacao is an elegant tree that requires deep well-drained soil that is porous and rich in humus, as well as favorable weather conditions that provide a large amount of rain. The trees are finicky and mostly grow in a humid 20-degree band north and south of the equator, from sealevel up to an altitude of 500 meters.

It has been circulating in the cocoa community for some time that cacao seems to thrive very well in higher elevations…

Little to no research has been done on this phenomenon so far, so to date there is no official definition of what ‘high altitude cacao’ actually is…. Let alone what influence and impact altitude has on tree growth, on cacao fruit morphology, or on biochemical and sensory properties of cacao.

1. High Altitude & Fat Content

Recent research revealed that cocoa beans that were harvested at higher altitudes (900-1200m) had a significantly higher fat content than cocoa beans harvested at mid (600-900m) and low (300-600m) altitudes.
This suggests that altitude (and therefore the temperature, precipitation & humidity) has an impact on the fat content of the beans. Of course the genetics also play a significant role.

-> This higher fat content (as a result of cultivation on higher altitudes) can significantly influence the final sensory evaluation of processed cacao.

2. High Altitude cacao & Cadmium
Recent research showed that the cadmium content in cacao beans harvested at high altitudes (900-1200 meters above sea level) was significantly lower than the cadmium content in beans harvested at mid (600-900 meters above sea level) and low (300-600 meters above sea level) altitudes. The above research suggests that the cadmium content decreases when the altitude increases. Among other things, this is related to soil characteristics, such as pH, soil depth, and organic matter.

In Ecuador, these High Altitude Cacao trees are located in the same region where scientists recently discovered the oldest traces of cacao domestication, the Southern Amazon.

Botanists already knew for a long time that the Amazon basin is home to the greatest diversity of cacao tree varieties and related species. Genetic studies hinted as much, confirming that the cacao tree is at its most genetically diverse in these humid forests of the upper Amazon. This suggests the upper Amazon is where wild cocoa trees originally grew.

While there are old Nacional trees found in this region, there is much more genetic diversity to be discovered. This region may not only to be the origin of cacao, but also the region with the most potential for diverse cacao flavours….

Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough, ain’t no jungle dense enough to keep our Silva team from taking a closer look at these recent research on high altitude cacao findings and discoveries…
Katrien put on her jungle boots and went all the way to the mountainous region in the Zamora Chinchipe area, in the southern Amazon region of Ecuador.

Katrien ended up in Zumba – the location, not the fitness workout.. This mountainous region in the Zamora Chinchipe area, in the southern Amazon region of Ecuador is considered to be the cradle of domesticated cacao.

Whilst climbing these mountains, we found very nice cacao’s growing between 800 meters and 1300 meters altitude, with outstanding flavour potential. Some of these trees were well older than100 years, suggesting old native varieties.

Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough, ain’t no jungle dense enough to keep our Silva team from taking a closer look at these recent research on high altitude cacao findings and discoveries…
Katrien put on her jungle boots and went all the way to the mountainous region in the Zamora Chinchipe area, in the southern Amazon region of Ecuador.

Katrien ended up in Zumba – the location, not the fitness workout.. This mountainous region in the Zamora Chinchipe area, in the southern Amazon region of Ecuador is considered to be the cradle of domesticated cacao.

We really fell in love with the Ecuadorian Amazon region and it’s great cacao genetics, the cultural heritage, the qualities and wonderful flavour-diversity.

A few months ago, we  launched our Ecuador Zamora Chinchipe Organic cacao, a collab with APEOSAE, uniting 180 farmers and their families, of which many indigenous Saraguro and Shuar.

Now, we are thrilled and pleased to tell you that we teamed up with the farmers cooperative ACRIM (Asociación Agropecuaria Artesanal de Productores Orgánicos Cuencas del Río Mayo) to launch the ‘High Altitude Cacao’ from Zumba, a fine cacao with notes of pecan, sweetness, pleasant notes of banana bread, and a fruity hint of apricot.

HIGH FIVE !
Team work makes the dream work. Both cacao’s are the result of our strategic partnership with PRO-AMAZONIA, UNDP and the Ecuador government for quality and deforestation free cacao.