Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education

​BFREE Demonstration Cacao Farm, BFREE Private Reserve, Toledo District, Belize
Provided by Jacob Marlin, BFREE

HCP Designee #11
​​Designated 2016

​Bursary Sponsor: Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli

Discover Heirloom Designated Cacao Farming in Belize

Recently discovered deep in the rainforests of southern Belize lies a remnant population of ancient wild cacao trees. This small pocket of cacao trees was found by Jacob Marlin more than two decades ago growing on the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE) 1,153 acre private nature reserve located at the foothills of the Maya Mountains - an area described as one of the least disturbed and largest continuous expanses of tropical rainforest north of the Amazon. In 2015, beans from the wild trees were submitted to HCP and received Heirloom designation in 2016. In addition to its exceptional criollo favor, the results determined that this rare cacao is genetically 100% pure Criollo parentage, likely grown and revered by early indigenous civilizations from South America and brought to what is today, Belize, and propagated by ancient Mayan Civilizations. The trees are one of the few pure wild cacaos known to exist on the planet, and this same material was used to sequence the cacao genome in 2011. As a result of this discovery, in 2018, BFREE began a project to preserve and propagate this rare and wild ancient heirloom fine flavor cacao while investigating its economic, social, and environmental benefits. Propagated from these wild trees, BFREE has planted over 25 acres of criollo cacao growing in an agroforestry environment, where wildlife like Jaguars, Tapirs, Howler monkeys,Harpy eagles, and Scarlet macaws are frequently observed. After only a few years, BFREEE has begun harvesting beans from the newly established farms and small volumes of chocolate are now beginning to reach the market. 100% of the profits from sales go directly back into supporting BFREE’s conservation programs. Learn more at www.bfreebz.org​

• GENETIC PROFILE
• PRODUCTION NOTES
• TASTING PANEL NOTES
• HOW TO BUY

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USDA Genetic Profile for HCP #11 Cacao

Production Notes

The following roasting conditions were followed in preparing the liquor and chocolate samples for the tasting panel analysis:

112°C x 25 min
97 beans per 100g

​ISCQF Protocol for Roasting Cocoa Beans, time from -2°C from set point
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