Costa Esmeraldas is a family owned and operated 100-hectare cacao farm located in the Esmeraldas province of Ecuador. Rigorous fermentation, drying and grading processes produced the most consistent and beautiful cacao with a distinctive aroma. Our high cacao % preparation highlights the sweet chestnut and floral notes of these Ecuadorian Nacional hybrids varietal beans.
Ingredients: Cacao beans (80%), cane sugar
Details
Varietals: Ecuadorian Nacional hybrids: EET-95, EET-96, EET-103
Fermentation: Five-tiered cascade system. Cedro (Cedrela odorata) wood boxes with ~450 kg capacity. The fermenting mass is turned once at 36 hours, and then every morning until fermentation is complete. Total duration of fermentation is 5 ½ days.
Drying: Sun-dried on sliding mesh racks. High-walled polyethylene tunnels cover all drying structures. Gradual drying is practiced during the first three days. Finish-drying to a moisture content of 7% is on concrete patios.
