With a yearly production of around 10,000 tonnes, cacao is small beer in the Nicaraguan economy. Especially compared to coffee of which the country produces some 140,000 tonner per year. Though small in size, the cacao industry has grown steadily, and is expected to have a yearly production over 25,000 tonnes in 2026. Still not much, considering the world annual production reaches nearly 5 million tons. Which makes Nicaraguan cacao all the more special!

The country has different climatic zones and micro-climates, and there are multiple genetic cacao varieties. An estimated 95% of the cacao in Nicaragua is grown by smallholder farmers, most of whom are organised in about 50 cacao cooperatives in the country. Some cacao coops can boast of excellent post-harvesting skills; they can really play with fermentation and drying protocols to bring out the best flavours in the cacao.

Nicaraguan cacao qualities can embrace all the profiles of the flavour diagram – from melon and peaches to berries and citrus, fresh or dried. Other qualities lean more towards nutty and spicy flavours, and again there is a wide variety of nuts and spices to be sensed in different qualities. Some cacao quality are heavy in chocolaty or coffee notes, others have remarkable tannins.

Alfonso Tapia – or ‘Don Alfonso’ as his friends know him – is president of COODEPROSA (Cooperativa de Desarrollo Multisectorial Productivo del San Juan), a cacao co-op that supports 34 small farmers (including 10 women) in the municipality of El Castillo, Río San Juan, Nicaragua.

When Don Alfonso & his fellow-farmers dedicated themselves to the production of cacao, they realized pretty quickly that they lacked knowledge about good cacao cultivation and proper quality control.
Luckily Don Alfonso and the other co-op farmers were able to join MOCCA, a five-year initiative (2019-2024) funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), implemented by Lutern World Relief, and with trainings from fermentation expert ZOTO.

Thanks to the unremitting efforts of Don Alfonso, they received coachings and practices to improve their profitability and productivity, to strengthen their knowledge of good agricultural practices, to upgrade the quality of their beans, and to get in touch with buyers of specialty cacao.

COODEPROSA is a wonderful co-op with good governance -they do what they say, and say what they do. Don Alfonso is a charismatic president who coaches a motivated and efficient team. He is not only a sweet instigator and a strong motivator; he also supports the postharvest maestro ‘Chaparro’ and his team throughout the whole processing (plantation, harvesting, post-harvesting, marketing) to ensure that all crucial steps in flavor development go off without a hitch.

When talking about cacao flavour development, 30% is dependent on good genetics and 70% on meticulously controlled post-harvest processing. A producer’s work extends far beyond planting and growing cacao; e.g. harvesting, fermenting, drying, aging…

E.g. during fermentation, biochemical reactions cause a decrease in bitterness and astringency and give rise to the precursors of chocolate flavour and aroma.  A properly controlled fermentation will result in positive flavour developments such as fruity, floral, nutty and spicy.
The drying stage on the other hand reduces moisture, and the subsequent oxidation phase -which begins during fermentation- completes the maturing process of the aroma and flavor compound.

We’re talking long, complex procedures and painstaking attention to detail. All these steps demand time, attention, and skill. Do them poorly, and you will find quality begins to fall. But do them well and you have a recipe for exceptional fine cacao.

The training quickly paid off. Don Alfonso’s COODEPROSA developed a flavour profile that is now part of a web platform showcase of high quality cacao that gives buyers a resource to locate the types of cacao they want.

COODEPROSA was able to commercialize their first  specialty cacao in 2018, using the Cacao Flavour Map with respective fermentation protocols.
Our Silva Cacao team is extremely proud and happy (to be the first) to introduce these beautiful beans to exclusive European craft chocolate makers.

It didn’t take long before famous and award-winning chocolate makers started working with these beans, and before bars of “Castillo” hit the European market! There is even a chocolate bar called “Don Alfonso” made by renowned chocolate maker Mikkel Friis-Holm Ottosen.

Who wouldn’t fall in love with these beautiful beans with a fantastic chocolate palette, a nice touch of yellow fruit, sweet notes of honey and pleasant hints of dates and licorice….

The international products and prizes from national cacao competitions have increased the international recognition of the cacao produced in El Castillero, and now more chocolate companies in Europe are interested in buying from the cooperative.

When Alfonso dedicated himself to the production of cacao a few years ago, he never imagined that very soon he would  a run a co-op specialized in post-harvesting techniques. Let alone that a prize-winning European-made bar would come from his own cooperative, bearing his own name…

Fantastic chocolate is of course always the result of inspiring collabs and contributions from local heroes, from people in the field and supportive professionals behind the scenes, from passionate researchers and cacao connoisseurs, from enthusiastic researchers,  and devoted teachers…