Although cacao has always existed in Nicaragua, it was never an important export product. Only in 1990s the potential of cacao for the national economy became apparent and production has increased steadily. Nicaraguan farmers had a steep learning curve in cultivation, harvesting, fermentation and drying of cacao since then. 80% of Nicaraguan cacao is fine flavour, according to the International Cacao Organisation ICCO. Nicaraguan cacao already turned many chocolate makers into award winners. What makes Nicaraguan cacao so good? Let’s explore this a bit more.

Cacao has been in Nicaragua since times immemorial. When Spanish explorers arrived in Nicaragua they found a well-developed agrarian society in the central highlands and Pacific lowlands. Indigenous people made good use of the rich volcanic soils to grow beans, peppers, corn, cassava and cacao. According to legends Christopher Columbus had his first taste of cacao in Nicaragua, when a local chieftain invited him for a cup of cacao brew. The conquistadores were not very interested in cacao; they preferred to look for gold.  When coffee became a popular drink in North America and Europe, large areas in western Nicaragua were cleared and planted with coffee trees. In the 19th century Nicaragua had a real coffee boom.

Unlike coffee, cacao was never an important export product in Nicaragua. It was mostly used locally – up to today Nicaraguans like to use it in a drink, probably similar to the one Columbus had back in 1502. However, with temperatures rising due to climate change, coffee culture must move up the mountains to find a cooler climate. And mountains in Nicaragua are not so high. So farmers are looking for alternative crops to produce. And here comes cacao!

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 tonnes per year. Though small in size the cacao industry has grown steadily, and is expected to have a yearly production of over 25,000 tonnes in 2026. Still not much, considering the world annual production is 4 million tonnes. Which makes Nicaraguan cacao all the more special!

An estimated 95% of the cacao in Nicaragua is grown by smallholder farmers, most of whom are organised in one of the 56 cacao cooperatives in the country. There are a few larger and mid-size companies that have established commercial cacao plantation in Nicaragua.

More than 85% of the national cacao production is exported. Locally cacao is used in the very popular drink pinolillo, made of toasted ground corn and cacao mixed with water or milk. The beans in pinolillo are only dried, not fermented. Nicaraguans love this bitter taste in their drink. Consumption of pinolillo is so widespread that Nicaraguans often refer to themselves as Pinoleras or Pinoleros. A well-known patriotic phrase is “Soy puro Pinolero, ¡Nicaragüense por gracia de Dios!” (I’m a pure Pinolero, Nicaraguan by the grace of God!).

A small but growing scene of bean-to-bar makers is also present in Nicaragua. The country has around 13 craft chocolate makers. They all have direct access to the wide variety of specialty cacao that Nicaragua has to offer.

When you buy wine from France or Italy or Spain (or any other wine country – we celebrate all wine countries), everybody knows that region of origin matters, that grape variety matters, that the wine maker matters, and that wine made with grapes from the left bank of a river can taste different from wine made with right bank grapes. The same can be said about flavour of Nicaraguan cacao. The country has different climatic zones and micro-climates, there are multiple genetic cacao varieties, and cacao cooperatives (but not all) have good post-harvesting skills and can play with fermentation and drying protocols to bring out the best flavours in the cacao.

The World Lutheran Society created a flavour map of 12 different cacao qualities, growing in the southern, central and northern parts of the country. The work has resulted in a visual tool showing the flavour diversity of Nicaraguan cacao. Some cacao qualities are predominantly fruity – 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. Noteworthy is that there is hardly any cadmium in Nicaraguan cacao; levels are well below the European limit.

There is just so much cacao variety available in Nicaragua, that it becomes difficult to choose. At Silva we opted for a selection of Nicaraguan cacao qualities that covers a wide range of flavours. Below listed cacao’s are directly sourced from different local cooperatives, uniting smallholder farmers.

Nicaragua Kubaly Organic:  Kubaly has been with us for a long time, and it is not difficult to guess why. It has a smooth chocolaty base, low in acidity, with sweetness and creaminess, woody and dried fruit notes, remarkable notes of black olive and hints of almonds and fresh grapes.

Nicaragua El Castillero: This cacao grows in the most southern part of Nicaragua bordering Costa Rica, and it partly transported on boats because there are no roads. Its flavour profile screams sweet (honey, molasses, dates), with subtle yellow fruity notes and pleasant liquorice. The supply of El Castillero is limited, and it is generally sold out before arriving in Antwerp.

Nicaragua SJM San Pedro Organic: this cacao grows in Matiguas, Central Nicaragua, and has a very different flavour profile, leaning towards sweet flavours of yellow fruits, melon, apple cider, combined with a distinctive nutty undertone.

Nicaragua V’vaya Organic: this cacao is processed at the same cooperative of Kubaly. We selected this cacao quality because of the interesting and pleasant tannins, which you don’t often find. Apart from tannins, you will find fruity notes of cherries, blueberries and orange in V’vaya, and some herbal and spicy hints. This illustrates the impact of micro-climates: the farmers of Kubaly and V’vaya are located along a different pickup routes from the fermentation centre.