We purchased cacao from a smallholder farmer Emilce Castro (who farms in Arauca, Northern Colombia), roasted it with our coffee roaster, then crushed/ de-husked/ and conched it for days with panela (also from Colombian small-scale farmers, in Nariño) using a granite wet mill. All to deliver you a deeply authentic and delicious product with best-in-show provenance. Harvested August 2025.

On Emilce’s farms Finca La Hermosa, La Ilusión and El Chaparral, cacao follows the rhythm of the seasons. A smaller mitaca harvest arrives in May and June, before the main harvest peaks between October and December, when the trees are heavy with ripe pods.

Once harvested, the cacao begins a carefully managed journey shaped by Emilce’s training as an agricultural technician and her deep belief that quality is built through attention to detail. The freshly extracted seeds are placed into wooden fermentation boxes, where they spend four to four-and-a-half days developing flavour. After an initial rest, the cacao is turned regularly to keep temperatures in check and encourage an even fermentation. To determine when the process is complete, Emilce cuts the beans in half, looking for the characteristic “flowered” appearance that signals the flavours have fully developed.

The cacao is then spread across covered drying beds beneath translucent plastic roofs, where it dries slowly over several days. Emilce is particular about every part of the process — even selecting specific timber for her fermentation boxes and drying infrastructure to ensure no unwanted aromas find their way into the cacao.

One detail she speaks about with particular pride is her handling of the CCN variety. Known for its productivity but also its tendency towards bitterness, Emilce processes these beans separately before blending them back with her finer-flavoured varieties. It’s a thoughtful approach that allows each variety to contribute its strengths while creating a more balanced and expressive final lot.

We recommend storing the grated chocolate between 10-20 degrees, in airtight, cool, low humidity conditions for best enjoyment.