When craft bean-to-bar makers buy single-origin cacao from the same exact producers, importers and sellers, the chocolate shelves end up being crowded with the same old country names.

Craft chocolate lovers can now find on the market hundreds of Madagascar, Tanzania, Vietnam, Ecuador or Colombia single-origin bars. The talent of the chocolate maker surely lies in imprinting her/his own signature in the chocolate with a unique bean-to-bar style, set of machines, roasting profile and personal techniques that culminate in an unmistakable aromatic profile.

However, it’s only natural for professionals to seek out new, untapped and niche cacao origins to differentiate themselves from the increasing competition.

Also craft chocolate consumers get excited to discover unfamiliar cacao origins while shopping for chocolate, and are very tempted to give them a try (i.e. they open their wallets easily). This is why cacao sourcerers keep scouting the most rural rainforests around the world searching for unnoticed farms and undiscovered varieties that they can be the first ones to bring to the market.

In the past months I have heard some new cacao origins repeated over time in social media posts, community discussions, in-person events and through my personal connections. In the craft chocolate industry you know that, when certain countries of origin come up over and over again from different unrelated sources, they are definitely going to be big and famous a few months later.

So it’s time to find out 3 new fine cacao origins that will definitely become popular in 2023!

THAILAND

Back in January 2023, the most well-known players in the craft chocolate industry gathered for an excursion to discover the fine cacao scene in Thailand. If trendsetters like Manoa Chocolate and Fjak Chocolate are going to start producing chocolate from Thai cacao, you can bet they will soon make this origin famous among their peers. The Chanthaburi Province is where the gold rush is taking place: the delightful aromatic profiles of flavorful Trinitario hybrids have finally been optimized with the right post-harvesting processes to express their full potential.

This cacao origin is also helped by an increasing number of local craft bean-to-bar chocolate makers that showcase the potential of their local cacao in award-winning creations. The Thailand Craft Chocolate Festival is going to host its 3rd edition this year. Thai cacao is sparking the interest of European, US and Canadian cacao importers that are ready to deliver the next harvests of this unique cacao origin to all their high-profile clients.

Thai Cacao is an export company for Thai fine-flavor cacao in direct partnership with the Suriya farm. Founder Ryan Berk (from Parliament Chocolate) had his eyes set on Thai cacao for a very long time: he was the first one to bring fine cacao from Chanthaburi to the United States back in 2019, before dedicating himself to directly helping Thai farmers improve their post-harvesting infrastructures and find potential buyers.

Mabco Importer is the one-man effort of Juan Gonzalez, Canadian importer of fine-flavor cacao, specialty coffee and vanilla beans. A pioneer in direct trading and scouting interesting cacao origins around the world, he was the first one to bring Thai cacao supplied by Thai Interco Cacao in the hands of Canadian chocolate makers already in September 2022.

Want to try the fine flavors of Thai cacao? Start with:

60% Thai Peanut Curry by Siamaya Chocolate (Thailand)

70% Thailand by Finnia Chocolate (Canada)

70% Ma Khwaen Spice by Paradai Chocolate (Thailand)

EL SALVADOR

Despite being surrounded by some of the most popular cacao origins (Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala), El Salvador has always gone under the radar in the fine chocolate industry. Why?

The problem has always been its production capacity: cacao trees abandoned for more profitable crops, never an incentive from the government and difficulties/low interest in developing appropriate post-harvesting infrastructures. But the country is actually hiding precious cacao genetics: most of the Salvadorean cacao produced is fine flavor coming from native Criollos and wonderful Trinitario hybrids.

Slowly but surely, El Salvador is living a cacao Renaissance and becoming a new point of interest thanks to many single farms scattered around the country. From the mangroves of the Usulutàn Department to the mountains of the Sonsonate Department, these producers are making a name for themselves thanks to the fine flavors of their production.

VAICACAO was founded by Elisa and Juan Rafael, an Italian-Salvadorean couple that owns a farm called Finca Cuyancua in Izalco and directly imports single-farm cacao from El Salvador to Italy to produce ceremonial cacao and stoneground chocolate. With their direct connections, friendships and partnerships in El Salvador, they have been relentless cacao promoters in the country and helped many farms set up and improve their post-harvesting processes.

Belco Cacao is a French direct cacao importer (with a specialty coffee background) that wishes to be a bridge between Salvadorean cacao farmers and European chocolate makers. The company currently sources from 9 local farms and collects the dried cacao in their new warehouse in Juayua ready to be shipped.

Alianza Cacao is the official national association committed to sustaining and assisting thousands of small cacao growers around the country, while promoting the prestige and stimulating the export of fine Salvadorean cacao.

Want to try the fine flavors of Salvadorean cacao? Start with:

72% Atehuàn with Rose & Raspberries by VaiCacao (Italy)

70% Hacienda Comalapa by Encuentro (France)

70% Dark Sea Salt by Belù Cacao (El Salvador)

TOGO

Outside of any possible expectation, Togo is climbing the latter of the biggest cacao producers in the world. After failing to make a name for themselves in the coffee industry, Togolese farmers discovered that their rich soils and heavy rainy seasons were more apt to growing cacao instead. More than 90% of Togolese cacao is cultivated in the Plateaux region. Despite being considered a “man’s job”, there are actually hundreds of Togolese women involved in the cultivation and promotion of cacao. Worthy of notice is the Kekeli Cooperative in Mount Agou founded by Abra Benczedi in 2019.

The Amelonado and Forastero strains cultivated in this country seem to have a wide plethora of tasting notes to offer that go beyond the straight chocolatiness from neighboring Ghana or Ivory Coast (when cared for during fermentation and drying), making for rich and satisfying yet dynamic chocolate creations.

Silva Cacao is a leader supplier of fine cacao among European craft chocolate makers. Founder Katrien is known to be a trendsetter when it comes to fine cacao origins, betting on new, unexpected and undervalued cacao origins that she manages to bring to success, including African origins like Togo often discriminated in the fine chocolate industry.

fine cacao origins — Togolese cacao pods source by Gebana Official

Gebana is a Swiss-based global online market that buys and works directly with family farmers growing different kinds of organic produces around the world. The company has been active in Togo since 2000, establishing strong partnerships with local cacao cooperatives and finding big European clients for their cacao such as GEPA, Equal Exchange and Altromercato, together with selling chocolate crafted with that same cacao.

Want to try the fine flavors of Togolese cacao? Start with:

100% Kekeli by NearyNogs (Ireland)

75% Togo with Toasted Peanuts by Cioccolato Banchini (Italy)

60% Passion Fruit Dark Chocolate by Frankly Delicious (United Kingdom)

Which one of these new trendy fine cacao origins are you curious to try?

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