White criollo cacao beans are grown mainly in the north of Peru in the region near Piura, just 4 degrees south of the Equator. Most of the year, the climate is dry, but during January, February and March large amounts of precipitation fall to keep a tropical-arid climate. Only recently the quality and rarity of the region’s cacao have been properly recognized. Prior to this, white cacao beans had often been regarded as a defect due to an abnormality of the cacao pods, and sold to the national market for making cacao powder. Genetically speaking, white beans have fewer bitter anthocyanins, which produce a more mellow-tasting, less acidic chocolate. Usually white beans are mutations that happen only when trees are left undisturbed for hundreds of years, such as the case in a remote area like this.
Today in Peru, these white beans are highly prized and often called “Manjar de los Dioses”, or God’s Nectar. This cacao pod is filled with a whitish, viscous pulp embedded with seeds, and inside these seeds are the beans. Unfermented white beans have a milky color and are permeated by aromas like citrus nuts, honey, and even a hint of toast. The percent of cacao butter in these nibs reach 50 to 60% , making them far richer in fat for a more fluid and “buttery” chocolate. Chocolate made from 100 percent white beans is extremely expensive so often, chocolatiers will create a mix of beans.
Ingredients:
fermented white cacao beans Criollo Porcelana, from organic agriculture
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