Coffee & Cacao I Same, Same, but Different

Even with their distinct characteristics, specialty coffee and specialty cacao share more similarities than we might expect. This connection becomes even more apparent in the Bean-to-Bar or Specialty Cacao and Specialty Coffee ‘Bean Scenes’.

• In the warm tropical regions near the equator, cacao and coffee trees thrive.
• Even though we call them beans, they’re not what they seem! Coffee beans grow inside red berries, while cacao beans come from pods. Both start as seeds in fruit, then go through post harvesting protocols (like fermenting, drying, and roasting) to get their unique flavours. This process depends on genetics, fermenting, drying, and roasting.
• Cacao doesn’t give much compared to other fruits. It takes about 16 kg of cacao pods to make just 1 kg of dried beans, which can make around 1 kg of 70% dark chocolate. A regular two-hectare cacao farm yields about 600 to 800 kg of beans each year. Coffee beans are inside berries and are picked after 3 to 7 years of growing. They’re mostly sent to the US and Europe for people to enjoy. Each coffee cherry has two beans, and a normal cup of coffee needs about 70 roasted beans, making about 8 grams of coffee.
• Both cacao and coffee are traditionally grown in the shade, under canopies in agroforestry systems, but modern farming practices, driven by the demand for higher yields, often have adverse environmental impacts.

Let’s check out how (well) chocolate and coffee rock together, right?!

Silva Cacao + Cuprima Coffee = Pop Up Bean Scene at Paris Café Festival

We figured, what better opportunity than the Paris Café Festival to showcase this dynamic duo?

The Paris Café Festival -the hotspot for all types of coffee lovers took place a week ago at Le Carreau du Temple in Paris. Every year, coffee enthusiasts, professionals, amateurs, baristas and roasters gather here to celebrate their passion for coffee.

This time, among the cool stands of coffee roasters, cafes, equipment manufacturers and specialty coffee suppliers, there was one shared coffee-cacao spot that promised a sweet surprise. Together with our friends -the specialty coffee importers from Cuprima, we presented a unique specialty coffee and cacao pairing experience.

1+1=3 I A Plea for Abundant Craft Cross-Pollination

Regrettably, specialty coffee professionals aren’t as proactive in seeking insights and ideas from the specialty cacao/chocolate world. This is a missed opportunity because both crafts share many similarities, and there’s no better way to elevate and excel (each other) than by exchanging knowledge.

Craft respects craft, and it’s unfortunate that both specialty coffee and specialty cacao aren’t fully embracing the potential benefits of learning from each other. Let’s champion abundant cross-pollination!

A Sneak Peek into the Behind the Scene Preppings

Once upon a time, as Cuprima’s specialty coffee team indulged in their favourite picks for the Paris Café Festival, their passion ignited a spark within us. Inspired by their enthusiasm, we crafted our selection based on theirs, and paired each coffee with a complementary chocolate.

At first, we searched for cacao flavours that either echoed or contrasted with the coffee’s profile -whether it was a perfect match or a delightful surprise of opposites attracting.

Yet, amidst our experimentation, we discovered a beautiful truth: some traits that seemed like a match made in heaven clashed, while unexpected duos dazzled our taste buds. That’s when it hit us –it’s all about balance, or as the French say when paring food and wine, “Le Bon Mariage”. Ultimately, achieving balance is key.

This delicate equilibrium reveals hidden flavours that might otherwise remain undiscovered. And so, we embraced the mantra that together, 1+1 can equal 3.

Popping up in Paris I Cuprima Specialty Coffee & Silva Cacao 

So how did the coffee-chocolate combos go down with the crowd at Le Paris Café Festival?

• Well, for many java junkies, it was their debut dive into the world of coffee-chocolate pairings. They were totally blown away by the whole concept of specialty cacao and chocolate, with all its crazy aromas and flavours!
• The coffee roasters were seriously impressed by the top-notch quality of the chocolate -they’d rarely, if ever, tasted anything like it before! They were hungry for info, craving details and explanations about the diverse aromas and flavours.
• Some coffee roasters thought they had a handle on cacao, but boy, were they in for a surprise! Turns out, most of them didn’t realise that coffee and cacao beans share a lot in common (plus a few cool differences) when it comes to their origins, harvesting, and roasting,…

Line Up ♥ Specialty Coffee & Specialty Cacao Duos ♥

Coffee I Brazil Daterra Cerrado Sunrise : nutty, fruity
♥
Cacao I Venezuela Canoabo : nutty, chocolate fudge, dried raisins, tobacco

Coffee I Brazil Daterra Cerrado Low Caf Reserve : berry, floral, tea-like, nutty
♥
Cacao I Uganda Sente : roasted hazelnuts, sesame, yellow fruits, toffee, dates

Coffee I Ethiopia Yrgacheffe Koke Shalaye Natural : strawberry, floral
♥
Cacao I Peru Qori Inti : Floral, pink pepper, peach, mango, macadamia

Coffee I Kenya AA Top Gichathaini : almonds, tomato
♥
Cacao I Dominican Tanama La Jaguita: dry herbs, liquorice, yellow fruits

Coffee I Rwanda Arabica Cyendajuru Natural : fruity, strawberry, milk chocolate
♥
Cacao I Venezuela Chuao : yellow fruits, agrum, dried fuits

Coffee I Colombia Finca San Antonio Honey Anaerobic Alcoholic Fermentation : strawberry, citrus
♥
Cacao I Tanzania Kokoa Kamili *by PLAQ Chocolat : sour cherry, berry, dried plum, violet

Coffee I Costa Rica El Salitre Anaerobic : tropical fruits, spice, cognac
♥
Cacao I Peru Kall Cacao : coffee, sweet wine, cognac, cinnamon

Coffee & Cacao I Innovations & Opportunities

We’re spotting chocolate makers dipping their toes into the coffee scene; coffee shops and trendy eateries start diving into the world of coffee infused chocolate or they fancy drinking chocolate –whether it’s chocolate milk or high-percentage sipping chocolate. And hey, some brave chocolatiers are even venturing into the realm of chocolate powder for those tasty chocolate drinks.

But wait, there’s more! We’re also seeing a flood of novelty drinks, venturing even further off the beaten path, like Ander cacao.

And let’s not forget about the fun innovations : mocha enriched bars, bars packed with tasty inclusions,…

Let’s Keep the Momentum Going

Here’s the ultimate thought to ponder: Let’s carry this energy forward with purpose and intention. Let’s keep the coffee-chocolate love affair alive and kicking! Now, it’s time to dive in, explore, and spread the word.
Let’s brew some magic together and enjoy the sweet symphony of coffee and chocolate!