Our love affair with chocolate is much older than we thought; recently discovered traces of cacao on ancient pottery suggest it started in the rainforests of what is now Ecuador some 5 500 years ago.
There is an opportunity for the craft to differentiate on sustainable topics, but it requires work and a genuine interest in every single action you take. Credibility is key in your communication, and craft cacao can differentiate on sustainability efforts with transparant, relevant and hones communication
Chocolate, something that we all know and that has become a household staple for many. People tend to describe it as Food of the Gods, the ultimate sweet sin or a real mood booster! In the craft chocolate sector we already know that the cocoa horizon is much broader than most of the general public thinks. But what if we told you about cocoa's exotic, lesser-known cousin, cupuaçu! Have you heard about this mysterious species before? Let us introduce you to the wonderful world of Theobroma Grandiflorum. A popular delicacy for many Brazilians , but still unknown to most people in the world! In this newsletter we would like to tell you more about this amazing fruit!
As Albert Einstein once said, “Assumptions are made and most assumptions are wrong.” In the world of cocoa, there is the long-standing assumption that decentralized fermentation can never produce high-quality cocoa. In this newsletter, we want to challenge this assumption and show that there is no unambiguous relationship between central fermentation - good cocoa and decentralized fermentation - bad cocoa.
Since the start of Silva, Zoi from ZOTO has been a highly valued partner, and we work together in various projects from the Philippines to Nicaragua and Guatamala, and Congo and Uganda. Zoi assists us to discover the most unique cocoas in the world and unleash their full potential. Through her specialization in post-harvesting, she wants to showcase the diversity and potential that cocoa has. So, we thought it was about time to put the spotlight on Zoi and introduce you to the person who helped develop several of our cocoas.
Since the start of Silva, Zoi from ZOTO has been a highly valued partner, and we work together in various projects from the Philippines to Nicaragua and Guatamala, and Congo and Uganda. Zoi assists us to discover the most unique cocoas in the world and unleash their full potential. Through her specialization in post-harvesting, she wants to showcase the diversity and potential that cocoa has. So, we thought it was about time to put the spotlight on Zoi and introduce you to the person who helped develop several of our cocoas.
As Silva team we are sending our warmest Christmas wishes your way. We hope your home will be filled with happiness. Because we want to thank you for the great partnership, lovely encounters, and delicious chocolate, we get one step ahead of Santa Claus and give you a little something already: a tree in the Dominican Republic!
DNA fingerprinting makes it possible to pinpoint specific plant traits and accurately identify cacao genetics. Let's discover what DNA fingerprinting of cacao learned us upto now.
CHUAO: A BEST-IN CLASS CACAO Chuao is known as the most mythical, famous and expensive cacao worldwide. We are thrilled to take you on a journey to discover the name, fame, and flavour of Chuao.
Despite perfect climatic conditions and abundant fertile soils, cacao arrived relatively late in Congo DRC. The first trees were planted in the late 19th century, when Congo was a colony of Belgian's King Leopold II. Commercial cacao plantations sprung up along the Congo River in western Congo in the 1920-30s. After independence in 1960 the cacao industry slowly disappeared, only to make a comeback some twenty years ago. Today, the centre of the cacao industry moved from west to east Congo, especially Kivu and Ituri. This used to be a coffee growing area, but in the late 1990s the coffee plants were affected by a serious disease, and farmers started to look for an alternative. And in came cacao! Silva Cacao, together with a team of specialists, helped to develop specialty cacao in the Ituri Province. Each cacao quality has a unique flavour profile, and a great story about improving the livelihood of smallholder farmers, conservation and protection of forests and wildlife, and increasing safety through mobile banking.