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San Martin is the region in Peru with the highest cacao production.
The cacao varieties for these nibs are mainly native breeds along with the aromatic Trinitarios and Criollos. The flavor profile is citric fruits with floral and red fruit accents.
Cacao was not always the main crop of San Martin. Through various governmental programs and with the aid of outside groups such as Cacao Life, the region now produces about 43% of all cacao in Peru.
The cacao undergoes a very well controlled box fermentation, usually 4-5 days in length with rotation of the beans done every day after the first 2 days.
The cacao then gets transferred to mounds – stirring the mounds for 2-4 days depending on how much sun exposure there is, then the mounds get dispersed over the tarped floor or drying shelves to finish drying. Total drying is typically 7 days... but may be longer or shorter depending on the weather. (If there are rains it gets covered).
We work directly with a couple of cooperatives of Urubamba valley (mainly Alto Urubamba)...we have been working with these cooperatives for a long time (many years). They are very established, have a good relationship with their farming members