by Rowan Jacobsen
​Images by Alyssa D'Adamo of the HCP

Hello, heirloom cacao lovers! Greetings from Mexico City. HCP is here with Alejandro Zamorano Escriche, the founder of Revival Cacao, in search of lost, overlooked, underappreciated, or simply impossible-to-get-your-hands-on cacao varietals that might make good candidates for future heirloom designation. It’s part of HCP’s mission to Discover, Identify, and Preserve new heirloom cacaos. While the Identify and Preserve pieces of the mission have been happening for years, everything is finally in place to proactively Discover heirloom cacaos not yet on anyone’s radar and work with the producers to usher them into the world of fine cacao, and we couldn’t be more excited. First up, Mexico and Guatemala!


​Photo © Alyssa D'Adamo of the HCP

​Why start here? Well, in a sense, it all started here. Just a stone’s throw away, the Aztec court first introduced the Spanish to chocolate 500 years ago. The Aztecs were getting it all from the Maya and other indigenous groups in what are now Guatemala and the southern Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas. (They even conquered Soconusco specifically to get ahold of its cacao, considered the finest in the world at the time.) Millions of beans were sent to the Aztec capital as tribute each year. The Spanish, of course, took over this protection racket from the Aztecs and expanded it, supplying cacao to the world (still on the backs of indigenous farmers) for centuries.

So the Maya heartlands of southern Mexico and Guatemala had the oldest unbroken cacao traditions in the world, and they never lost them. You’d think this would make the region the epicenter of heirloom cacao. And according to Alejandro, who will be HCP’s pointman for this expedition—it is! In terms of weird and delicious cacaos grown in the middle of nowhere by people who have been at it for centuries, Mexico is the motherlode.

Yet ironically, according to Alejandro, very few of these desirable cacaos ever make it into a chocolate bar or leave the country. Mexico is the drinking-chocolate capital of the universe—another unbroken tradition—and virtually every bean produced domestically is also consumed domestically.

That sounds like a good thing, but all is not well in the world of Mexican cacao. Mexico may be the drinking-chocolate capital of the universe, but that doesn’t make it the cacao-appreciation capital of the universe. The tradition here is to drink your chocolate so sweet that any fine points of flavor are hopelessly lost, so any especially delicious beans (and we are talking about the epicenter of criollo here) go for the same low price as any other beans.

In such an environment, why would these cacaos still exist? Thanks to some combination of inertia, nostalgia, and love, says Alejandro. The old farmers still growing these quirky old varieties have known these trees their whole lives. Sometimes the trees predate the farmers. No, they’re not commercially viable—at least at current prices—but who cares? Neither is your old farmdog, but that’s no reason to get rid of him. He’s part of the family.

Sounds like a job for HCP! And the timing is good. Although Mexico has barely had a culture of bean-to-bar chocolate, and its cacao farmers have had almost no encouragement to maintain their heirloom varieties, things are starting to change. Here in Mexico City, you can sense the first signs of revolution, a nascent culture of chocolate adoration that could awaken this sleeping giant.

Let’s start with Alejandro, who launched his company, Revival Cacao, six years ago to give these cacaos the rapt attention they deserve—to return Mexico to its rightful position at the top of the cacao pyramid. He’s tracked down exceptional beans and farmers across Tabasco, Chiapas, and Oaxaca, and he supplies those beans to the rare bean-to-bar maker in Mexico, such as Cuna de Piedra. He’s even begun to export to the United States. 

Alejandro feels that many of these farms contain varieties that have everything it takes to achieve heirloom status, and he’s thrilled that HCP is taking a look. He’ll be our pointman in Mexico, collecting samples from dozens of farms, as well as numerous wild areas, and submitting them for heirloom consideration. We’ll be tagging along, so expect to hear much more about that in the coming days.

And along the way, you’ll hear about many other sparks of light in Mexico’s cacao awakening, some of which are flaring up right here in Mexico City. Let’s start with the Museum of Chocolate, aka MuCho. Launched in an elegant century-old building in Mexico’s historic district by architect Ana Rita García-Lascuraín, MuCho holds an extraordinary display of artifacts and dioramas covering both Mexico’s prehistoric and post-Conquest chocolate past, but it’s also remarkably hands-on. Visitors can grind cacao on a metate, as it’s been done for millennia, and they can sample MuCho’s own bean-to-bar chocolate, handmade on site using fine-flavor cacao from Mexican producers. Every day, hundreds of people walk out of MuCho’s doors with a new understanding of the heights Mexican chocolate once had—and could have again.

And for an even better sense of that future, meet the young couple making it happen just a few blocks away at La Rifa, Mexico City’s best chocolateria. Mónica Lozano and Daniel Reza have devoted themselves to working directly with small-scale cacao farmers in Tabasco and Chiapas, sourcing multiple varieties of criollo—including several different white cacaos—and turning them into half a dozen single-variety bars. They’ll even make you a super-frothy, 100% unsweetened, incredibly powerful drinking chocolate— possibly a first in Mexico City!

But as encouraging as these examples are, they are few and far between. These cacaos and regions are still virtually unknown to the greater chocolate world. So there’s work to be done. Something very special—something that couldn’t be more fundamental to chocolate’s history and identity—still exists in the famed regions of Chontalpa and Soconusco, but how much longer it can survive without outside help is anyone’s guess. The farmers certainly aren’t getting any younger. As Alejandro says, “It’s now or never.”

​So here we go. We’re headed to Oaxaca City, the heart of Mexico’s cacao traditions, both ancient and contemporary, to get a grounding in those traditions. What do they mean to Mexican culture, what role do they have in contemporary Oaxacan life, and what can HCP do to help support that cacao culture and allow it to flourish in the modern world? After that, some hellacious roads and the deep jungle await. Wish us luck, and please follow along!

Caputo's Market and Deli located in SLC, UT, is a specialty food market and deli, focused on protecting and preserving the food traditions of the world's collective ancestors. The Caputo's are the largest supporter of the HCP, donating the proceeds of their annual Chocolate Fest since 2013.  

Caputo’s Market and Luisa Abram Chocolate are launching a collaborative chocolate bar using a unique strain of unfarmed cacao (not found anywhere else in the world) from Brazil’s Jurua region in the upper Amazonian jungle, paid for pre-harvest by Caputo’s. The prepayment investment provides the foragers with the means necessary to harvest and process the wild cacao, build their own fermentary, and allows Luisa Abram to transform the cacao into chocolate. The entire US allocation of wild Jurua beans will be branded as the Caputo’s Wild Jurua 70% bar, and will be the only way US consumers can experience this exceptionally rare cacao. The companies are also planning “Amazon Camp,” an opportunity for Caputo’s crew members to visit the areas in Brazil in which cacao is harvested and see for themselves the challenges involved. 

Biodiversity, craftsmanship, and sustainability suffer when large scale chocolate makers take the lead. The effects of Covid 19 have only exacerbated the problem; during the beginning of the pandemic Luisa Abram's father Andre told Matt Caputo that his favorite bar, Jurua 70%, would be permanently discontinued. This bar was made with a genetic strain of wild cacao that only grows along the banks of the Jurua River in Brazil's Upper Amazon. He explained the mounting challenges and financial burden of foraging for and processing this incredibly unique cacao (in the world's most remote jungle) made it impossible to continue. 

Matt states: “As Andre explained their challenges, I...realized that any hope of making this wild crop economically viable may take a decade of investment. I knew their company was facing pandemic induced financial challenges and could not shoulder the burden.This is when I knew that despite our own pandemic emergencies, Caputo's could solve this. If we throw out any expectation of profit on this chocolate bar in the near future, we could prepay for the next harvest. Luisa and Caputo's together could make sure the small community in the Jurua had the money and guidance to set up their own fermentary and continue to return to Jurua to harvest this incredible cacao, year after year.” With Caputo’s guaranteed support, Luisa can purchase all of the Jurua cacao the foragers can procure. 

The Caputo’s Wild Jurua 70% bar isn’t about seeing a worthy investment return in this generation; it is about ensuring this crown jewel of cacao from the Amazon is protected for future generations. This isn’t the first time Caputo’s has stepped up to invest in an artisan in need; Mesa Farm, a cheesemaker in Southern Utah, credits Caputo’s for their survival through the company’s determined efforts to brand, sell, and support the craftsmanship demonstrated by Mesa Farm. With success stories such as Mesa Farm, one can only assume the new Wild Jurua bar will be around for years to come; and with it, the wild cacao from which it is crafted and the foragers whose livelihood depends on it. 

Learn more about the bar and the Caputo's Preservation Program (CPP) on their blog post here.

By Jody Hayden, Grocers Daughter

One of the things I enjoy most at Grocer's Daughter Chocolate is sharing the story of cacao and chocolate with our customers. Even though many of us have enjoyed chocolate in some form or another since childhood, many don't know that it is derived from cacao, a pod-shaped tropical fruit bursting with sweet, tart flavor. 
Just like most agricultural products, the flavors we experience in cacao and the resulting chocolate can vary widely depending on genetics of the cacao, the microbiome of the fermentation area, and the amount of sunlight and rainfall each tree receives.
These days we're experiencing an exciting renaissance in cacao and chocolate that conjures the days of the Mayans and other Mesoamericans who had very sophisticated preferences and preparations of cacao, mostly in the form of foamed beverages. Like these ancient gourmands, chocolate lovers are once again beginning to appreciate (and seek out) cacao and chocolate that celebrates the nuanced flavors of this incredibly complex food.

To continue reading head to Grocer's Daughters website here.

DAVAO CITY—There’s no better road to Philippine glory, at least in making the global royalty food—chocolate, that is—than to start it all in the farm.
This is the gem held dear by the caretaker-owner of the Malagos cacao farm, just at the back of the equally world-famous Malagos Gardens of cutflowers and orchids.
Chocolate-maker Rex Victor P. Puentespina pointed to good farm practice and crop care as key to excellent cacao beans quality for fine chocolate products. “However good a chef, or chocolate maker…one cannot produce an excellent chocolate if the raw material itself is the problem.”

Global chocolate experts emphasized this to the exhibit team from the Malagos Agri-Ventures Corp., when they were surprised at the “very good and fruity flavor” of Philippine-made Malagos chocolates at the international trade fair in Berlin, Germany, in 2015.
Puentespina said the chocolate connoisseurs in Europe were awed by the taste of the Malagos chocolates, the first of any Philippine chocolates in any global trade fair, and remarked that these have a lot of potential in the world market.

​Read the full article on HCP Designee #16 here.

Q: How has the Pandemic affected your farm operations and programs?
A: Business has slowed down, but despite the ongoing pandemic the farm still continues to operate.   In the coming months, we plan to develop new products for the mass market in order to respond to the decreased interest in luxury food. This will help us avoid difficult choices such as reducing our labor force.

Q: How has the Pandemic impacted the livelihood and Economy in your area?
A: With or without the pandemic, our daily operation continues on our farms albeit following strict social distancing guidelines. We actually started harvesting cacao last month.

Currently, it is the beginning of the low-peak season and we expect it to last another 2 months. The next harvest will be in November up until January 2021, which we call the high-peak season, meaning there is more harvest than what we are able to achieve now. Regardless of the difficulties we are all experiencing, we continue to strive to make our farm productive and continue to implement Good Agricultural Practice (GAP).

Across our different revenue generators at Malagos, farm tourism is definitely the hardest hit. Before the pandemic, our Tree-to-Bar tours were able to give guests first-hand experience of our processes. Tourism accounted for a substantial portion of our business. With that said, it will take a while for this to get back to normal since there are currently no domestic flights.

Q: What new challenges has the pandemic caused your operations?
A: The biggest challenge for us is logistics. At the height of ECQ (Enhance Community Quarantine), we couldn’t move our products from our base in Davao to our different domestic and international partners because there were simply not enough flights that could accommodate our deliveries.

Q: What is the current status of your operation today?
A: The farm is still operating and our chocolate factory will be 50% operational.  The usual pod rot and pod borer infestation remains a challenge.

Q: Are you developing new opportunities to adapt to these new challenges?
A: E-commerce is a great way to remedy the reduced amount of sales from our traditional brick-and-mortar retail partners. Before the pandemic, the Malagos team had already capitalized on building a strong website and online store. We plan to boost this further and expand our reach. We also plan to develop products for the mass market to help mitigate what could be the effects of decreased global demand. Some may have apprehensions with this new addition to our product line, but even with mass-market items people can still expect Malagos Chocolate to produce high-quality chocolates that remain faithful to our standards.

I believe that our brand equity and the reputation of Malagos Chocolate that we’ve built through the years, from our markets overseas to the farmers in our locale, will see us through in these difficult times. People can expect us to still deliver high-quality products and to always adhere to fair practices while producing one of the best chocolates in the world, even in times of crisis.

Jacob Marlin, BFREE’s founder and Executive Director, discovered a remnant population of wild cacao trees growing on the reserve over 20 years ago. In 2016, genetic testing done by the USDA/HCP determined that this variety is 100% pure Criollo parentage, grown and revered by ancient Mayan civilizations, and one of the few pure wild cacaos known to exist on the planet. As a result of this discovery, 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 over 15 acres of HCP #11 cacao growing in an agroforestry environment, where wildlife like Jaguars, Tapirs, Howler monkeys, Harpy eagles, and Scarlet macaws are ever- present. Since this designation, BFREE has become an active partner with HCP. As part of HCP’s work, we have been providing small grants to BFREE over the past two years to assist with nursery and farm development to propagate this rare and flavorful heirloom fine flavor cacao.
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Erick has taken the time to answer some questions in regard to how the pandemic is affecting BFREE operations and its programs, as well as the country of Belize as a whole.

In Belize, the government implemented actions starting in mid-March, when the first positive COVID-19 case appeared. After an initial outbreak, a total of 30 positive cases have been confirmed. Of those, there were two deaths. Starting in early March, the Belize Government took prevention actions in the form of laws including 6 feet social distancing, mandatory use of masks, an 8pm curfew, public transit restrictions, total closure of borders as well as the international airport, and closure of all non-essential businesses. Heavy fines and imprisonment have been levied on persons breaking the mandatory regulations. The strong measures taken by the Belize Government early on in the pandemic have virtually eliminated any further spreading, and Belize ranks as one of the best models for mitigation of COVID-19 in the world, and for months has been the only country in the Americas COVID-19 free.

Q: How has the Pandemic impacted your operations?
A: Operations at BFREE have been especially affected by:

• Lack of reliable public transportation for local cacao staff members.
• Erick Ac, has not been able to enter the country of Belize as usual, due to the closing of borders, as Erick resides in Guatemala.
• The purchase of agricultural inputs for the management of the plantations and nursery is complicated and difficult to find all the necessary inputs. For example, all of the organic fertilizers used in the cacao program are transported from Guatemala.
• Some equipment and materials could not be purchased, since the supplying companies have  either closed or limited their operations. (irrigation systems, measurement equipment for processing center and laboratory, etc.)
• The work schedules have had to be adjusted to the times and restrictions established by the government. There have been periods of time when less work has been accomplished due to limitations based on government orders.
• The visitors to BFREE, including researchers and students, which supports the research at BFREE that includes cocoa, has completely closed and it is estimated that the closure will continue during the rest of 2020 and possibly into 2021.

Q: How has the Pandemic impacted the livelihood & economy in your area?
A: Many producers in the area have stopped attending their workplaces due to restrictions.  Furthermore, there are many people who work in the tourism sector and currently this sector is completely stopped, without any activity due to the closing of borders, the international airport, and restrictions of crowding of people. Perhaps this is the activity most affected and with the greatest impact on the national economy and many local people.

Over 75% of all jobs in Belize are related to the tourism industry. Many of these companies may be going bankrupt and there is a high risk that many people will become unemployed permanently. Currently, close to half of the entire working population is now unemployed.

Q: What is the current status of operation in your country/region?
A: Currently we are partially operating, the field work in the nursery and farm continues, however, with many limitations to efficiently implement all the management protocols: lack of supplies, availability of equipment and materials, limitations on the mobilization of staff members to get to BFREE and go home. Visitation, research and field education linked to the cocoa program are completely closed, and the opening does not have a definite date and will possibly take the rest of the year.
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BFREE Nursery Program
In 2018 and 2019, BFREE was awarded two HCP grants funded by the Lesley Family Foundation to support the preservation of their heirloom designated cacao.

The main objectives of the project is to conserve the genetics of criollo cacao and generate knowledge about its ecology and potential of production.  The projects support the generation of data for mechanistic process-based crop simulation models for an ancient wild criollo cacao, which are useful tools for maximizing the efficiency of crop management ultimately improving profits to growers.
To learn more about the HCP designation process and BFREE program, watch our documentary on the HCP YouTube channel here:

Q: How has the Pandemic impacted your program rollout?
A: The program is operating, however, some actions included in the new grant with HCP and LFF, will be postponed due to the lack of purchase options for the necessary equipment, which could take until the restrictions are concluded and the companies start operations and shipping is more normalized. This situation delays the measurement activities in the field and laboratory, and it will be necessary to wait for another harvest period to continue with the tests and validations. Only progress can be made in developing protocols for testing and preparing the necessary infrastructure in the processing center.

Q: What new challenges has the pandemic caused in your operations?
A: Coordination of field activities are a challenge in the current farm, nursery and the implementation of new plantation areas, in addition to research in wild cocoa, because Erick Ac (Cacao Project Manager) is in Guatemala and the team at BFREE in Belize, which limits personalized training, follow-up of activities, monitoring and decision-making to implement the activities of the operational plan. The investigation of wild cacao is partially halted because the coordinator is not currently present in Belize and the coordination is remote, by chat or video calls, and through social networks.

Q: Are you developing new opportunities to adapt to these new challenges?
A: We are implementing strategies to adapt to the new conditions. Fortunately, the team went through a period of training and induction, prior to the arrival of the pandemic. These local capacities developed in the first phase of the project have allowed the program to continue operating to a certain extent.
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We are looking for a communication strategy that will allow us to continue operating in the field and share the work being done and the results obtained.

With your purchase, you will enjoy extraordinary chocolate and support our Heirloom farmers.

HCP Designee  #5: la Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios Artesanal Nueva Esperanza (ASOANE)
Puerto Quito, EcuadorThis week we are hearing from Diego Saquicela Rojas, consultant to la Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios Artesanal Nueva Esperanza (ASOANE), HCP Designee #5. ASOANE is an association of 25 producers of artisanal agriculture located in Puerto Quito, Ecuador.
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ASOANE has been awarded two ‘nursery program’ grants from HCP, funded by the Lesley Family Foundation, to establish a clonal garden to propagate their unique Heirloom designated cacao.  Diego has overseen these two programs and, has taken the time to answer some questions in regards to how the Pandemic is affecting the association.

Q: What is the status in your country/region?
A: In Ecuador, transportation and mobility have been restricted since March 17 due to the pandemic, and a curfew is in place for the afternoon and evening. However, among the exceptions to this security measure are farmers, who are free to carry out their activities without the need for any safe-conduct. Products, and even some inputs, can then be moved to and from the farms.
At the moment, the normalization of activities has begun, although it will be a slow and complicated process, because there are several phases and people are very eager to go out and carry out their normal lives.
In Ecuador, three phases are planned before returning to normal. Simulating a traffic light, we have the red, yellow and green phase, in decreasing order of restriction. At the moment, almost the whole country is in a red phase.
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Q: What challenges has the pandemic caused in ASOANE’s operations?
A: The HCP program activities in the community have been affected, because it is not allowed and it is a bad idea to have meetings with the farmers.  Therefore, all the coordination of meetings has been suspended and there is very little conversation by phone or messages.  In the area where the farmers live telephone and internet coverage is limited. Therefore, the communication and coordination are always more effective in face-to-face meetings.

Q: How has the pandemic affected the economy in your area?
A: The economy of ASOANE farmers so far has not been seriously affected. However, the whole country is envisioning a very strong economic crisis due to the pandemic and economic measures taken by the government.  There is a deterioration in the quality of public and private employment, is expected to increase the cost of fuel, which according to several analysts will generate less consumption capacity and there will influence farmers; specifically in the demand for their products and prices paid for their products. In the case of ASOANE, as they are involved in cocoa bean production, and as this is mainly an export product, there will be some security in maintaining stable prices especially if the consumer markets (Europe, USA) manage to overcome the economic crisis quickly, but other products for domestic consumption may be affected.
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Q: Are you developing new opportunities to adapt to these new challenges?
A: ASOANE members are less anxious, because they have been able to continue working on their farms; unlike city dwellers. Among the activities that ASOANE has been developing is the preparation of chocolate bars for tourist companies. Before the emergency there was an order for 15,000 chocolate bars. However, that order was cancelled and some business opportunities have been lost. They hope to be able to sell those bars as soon as the emergency passes. That is complicated in Ecuador where the consumption of chocolate bars is very low.

How can you help support Heirloom Designees around the world during these uncertain times? Click the following link to our Buy Heirloom Chocolate page on our website, where you can find a list of retailers selling chocolate made from Heirloom designated cacao beans.
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With your purchase, you will enjoy extraordinary chocolate and support our Heirloom farmers.