The genetic homogeneity allows Boom to be very precise in her fermentation protocols, leading to a bright flavour profile with notes of lemon, lime and dried berries.
Chanthaburi
Chanthaburi is a beautiful region, located on the coast just a few hours drive southeast of Bangkok. During our recent visit to Thailand we took the drive to meet husband and wife team Khun Boom and Khun Suriya at their small farm. Boom spent time walking the fields with us, and taking us through their exacting post-harvest processing protocols. Her attention to detail was impressive, translating into the best quality Thai cacao we have tasted yet.
Khun Boom and Khun Suriya
Boom is one of a small group of producers in Chanthaburi that’s pushing the boundaries of quality for Thai cacao. Thailand is an incredibly small producer of cacao, having only started producing in the mid 20th Century, mainly using low quality hybrid varieties originating from the Philippines. This small production and relatively low quality meant that many local chocolate processors closed their doors, after years of having to import cacao to keep up with demand. This lack of local demand effectively ended production of cacao in Thailand, dropping to below 120 tonnes over the past 10 years.
The Chumphon Hybrid
However, Thailand is a very interesting origin in terms of quality cacao. As cacao is self-pollinating, there is an incredible genetic diversity around the world, caused by involuntary hybridisation on farms. On our visits to farms in other origins, it’s possible to see this in the varying sizes and colours of pods, even within what can be deemed ‘Trinitario’ cacao. However, in Thailand, a recently released hybrid varietal dominates the cacao lands. Chumphon-1 was hybridised from two Trinitario strains in order to suit Thai conditions, yielding high and consistently. The genetic homogeneity was clear to see while walking with Boom and Suriya. Similarly sized pods, and a much more uniform colour. As well as the high yield, the uniform genetics lead to more consistency in processing, both within batches and from year to year. This means that Boom has been able to develop a post-harvest protocol that brings the best out of her cacao, every time.
A new wave
This new wave in the Thai cacao industry has been driven mainly by local demand. The appetite for quality in the bigger cities has led to a growth of Thai boutique chocolate makers, all looking for high quality, locally produced cacao. It’s only in recent years that the external market has begun to take an interest, and we are the first chocolate maker in Europe to partner with any of the Chanthaburi producers. Boom’s cacao is an excellent example of this movement, and really reflects the flavour profile we’ve been searching for; a high acidity reminiscent of lemon and lime, alongside a deep sweetness of dried berries.
La Cabra Cacao
We have long been fascinated by taste experiences in many fields, carefully produced wines, skilfully brewed beers, or a beautifully balanced dish. However, not many other products have so many parallels to speciality coffee than high-quality cacao. The level of care taken in the field, the fermentation, the roasting and production stages leads clearly to an elevated taste experience, with character that can be traced back to intentional decisions taken by farmer, roaster, and chocolate maker. Over years of travelling to origin, visiting colleagues and tasting, our interest has slowly grown, to the point where we feel ready to take the step and share this exciting addition to the La Cabra lineup.
Ingredients:
Cocoa bean
Danish sugar
Nutrition pr 100g
Energy – 1915kJ/457 kcal
Fat – 29,9g
Saturated fat – 17,5g
Carbohydrates – 54,9g
Sugars – 30,0g
Fibre – 22,4g
Protein – 10,1g
Salt – 0g
