How Jungle Cacao Peru gets from the tree to you

  • The organically certified cacao farm is tended by the Arrochea-Perez family year round: this includes cutting back the continual jungle growth between the trees and pruning the trees. Other than that, nature does the rest

  • Once a month during the cacao harvest season (roughly January to June), the ripe cacao fruits are harvested by the family, a team of neighbours and Caroline. 

This involves cutting the ripe cacao fruit (those that are already tinged with yellow) from the trees and ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ then cutting the fruits open to empty them of the white fruit-encased cacao beans. 

The white pulp is collected and put into large vats to be fermented. Fermentation takes around 8 days ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ (depending on how hot the weather is) and the cacao needs to be moved between vats every day to ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ensure heat is evenly dispersed so that fermentation is even. 

Once the beans are fermented (they’ll be brown inside when split open), the beans are transferred to ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎the drying table until dry to a humidity of 7% (again, weather dependent). This usually takes 5-7 days, ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎with the beans being turned every few hours to dry out evenly.

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  • Caroline looks after the fermentation and drying process, adding in a shit ton of love and intention, as well as blood, sweat and tears!

  • … and then gets the dried cacao beans from Lucerna to Puerto Maldonado where Luis at EcoDely toasts, peels and turns the beans into cacao paste using the machines at his facility

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The dried beans are first roasted in batches at 115oC for 25 minutes (to add flavour and to make it ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎easier to shell) and then shelled. This processes cacao nibs. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The nibs are roughly milled and then refined to a degree of 60 micras. This makes our cacao smooth ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎when made as a drink.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ We do not temper our cacao: hence its marbled appearance.

  • The paste is boxed up and then travels to Lima, where Jano coordinates pick up by DHL to the UK or USA

  • We then send your orders from either the USA or UK via local mail to where you are

  • Cacao is a product of nature and so there will be variations from harvest to harvest

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ due to the distinct weather and climatic conditions at each harvest

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Got any questions about how our cacao is made or how the business is run? Email us: ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎blackgold@junglecacaoperu.com

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Check out our products here

This is genuinely one of the tastiest cacaos I've ever had! Lots of subtle fruity tones, naturally quite sweet, and deep delicious dark chocolatiness. Plus I know I'm buying it from the person who made it, that loves cacao deeply ❤️