If you have not noticed, the world of cocoa is changing. 5 years ago, you could not find raw cocoa on line, let alone locally. It was bought and sold in the ton quantities (for a tiny order) or preferably by the container (40 MT anyone?). It was all pretty well straight forward as to processing. Pick the pods (sometimes unripe for ease and convenience), cut them open, pile the beans, let them ferment for a given length of time and then dry them. Fermentation time was and is varied depending on location, but generally was not super rigorous.

If you know anything of coffee there are many ways it is processed, and each processing produces a different cup. You can have a Wet Processed where the ripe beans are peeled while fresh. The opposite is Dry Processed where, you guessed it, the beans are allowed to dry and then peeled, giving the cup often a more complex flavor due to the longer pulp contact time. And then there is the whole myriad of in between techniques – washed, semi-washed, miel, tree dried, etc.

Up until now, I have seen nothing like this in cocoa. Sure, there are producers that are quite consistent, and have set protocol, but usually the primary variables are fermentation time and sometimes temperature. But this does not always give a great tasting cocoa. In particular, I have noticed this in much of the Nacional from Ecuador. The ASE and ASSS (different genetic strains basically) often have a lot of mucilage and often ‘too much’. The result can be beans that go sour, fermenty and musty. The main reasons and flavors why I don’t often carry beans from Ecuador. Well, someone else noticed this and decided to do something about it.

The preparation goes like this: pick the ripe pods (hey, what a concept there!), lay out the wet beans on a patio with bamboo underneath to drain the extra mucilage, lightly spray it with mucilage taken from another bean that ferments particularly well (they are keeping the exact detail under wraps – that’s cool), ferment in piles or wood boxes and then dry. The genetics of this plant are different that the Nacional which is the traditional ASE/ASS/ASSS beans – this one is CCN-51 which is more resistant to disease, has larger pods and beans, and a higher fat content. Usually these beans are for pressing into butter as the flavor can be a bit off due to the excess mucilage and its’ effect on fermentation but this farmer has solved this (at least in this batch) The farm is also just down the road from the creator of CCN-51, Don Homero (hence the name of this product). The appearance is just a touch more irregular than I would have expected given the attention everywhere else, but it’s mostly a note, not a problem.

The result is a bean that is nutty, malty, not the least bit sour or musty and just a real pleasure. There is a brightness here, but it is unlike any others I have tasted. Just a general ‘clean’ brightness. Not fruity Ocumare. Not sharp like Tabasco. Not in your face like Madagascar. Just clean. But this does not mean one dimensional. The malt, nut and touches of vanilla all meld to make a great combination. There is a nice foundation of chocolate, a touch earthy, but not dirty. So far, and I see no reason this would change, I have found this bean accepts a wide roasting curve. Light, medium or heavy, the flavor changes, but just does not go bad. Quite often this is the sign of a well prepared bean that doesn’t need the roast level to ‘hide’ shortcomings. And, well, this is certainly a pro-actively prepared bean.