Cacao Beans: A Comprehensive Look of Their Use in Our Collection

It’s no secret that the flavor of any chocolate bar comes from the cacao beans used to make it. Each bean possesses a uniquely distinct essence, offering many different flavors of chocolate. 

At Le Chocolat des Iles, these differences in taste set fine chocolate apart from the stuff in a checkout line. Let’s take a look at the subtle flavor differences between the beans we handpicked to use in our delectable collection.

Bali – Jembrana

This bar comprises a cacao bean from the Kerta Semaya Samaniya company. It is the first organic certified bean in Southeast Asia, and its flavor is strikingly rich with fruity notes. It is an especially sweet bean, giving this dark chocolate bar a more potent sweetness than our other bars. 

Belize – San Antonio

The bean in this bar originates from San Antonio, a large Mopan Maya-speaking region in the Toledo District. It thrives in a climate well-suited for producing high-quality cacao beans. It also includes dried fruit tastes, such as plum and tart cherry. Notes of jasmine follow, and a mild, creamy nuttiness characterizes the overall texture. Cacao varieties throughout South America and Mexico influence this selection.

Dominican Republic – San Francisco de Macoris

This bean is found in San Francisco de Macoris. This location is also known as the primary source of cacao bean production in the Dominican Republic. It generates subtle fruity notes such as mango, apricot, and cranberry. Its creaminess allows these bold flavors to melt in your mouth.

El Salvador – Cacahuatl

Derived from a small El Salvador company, this bean has a combination of fruity, earthy, and nutty flavors. One can also taste specific palates, such as bananas, honey, and toasted walnut. This bar also flaunts a malty, almost mocha-like finish that separates it from others. 

Haiti – Grande Riviere du Nord

The bean used in this bar is harvested from looming cacao trees in the Grande Riviere du Nord in Haiti. It carries an intensely rich and fragrant chocolate flavor with traces of citrus. The powerful chocolatiness is the central feature to note here.

Why Handpick Cacao Beans with such Subtle Differences?

Our ingredient list consists only of cacao beans and sugar. This way, we ensure that our bars hold only the most authentic, pure chocolate. But with only two ingredients, we know that the flavor of the bean transfers directly to the bar. Therefore, each cacao bean above was handpicked to capture sweet and well-rounded flavors. This allowed us to produce a variety of mouthwatering bars. 

Although they are all categorized as dark chocolate, the undeniable sweetness of each bar is reminiscent of milk chocolate—without any milk on the ingredient list! Instead, we’ve created a pure product with sophisticated flavors. Our “Premier Cru” chocolate is superior, so we are proudly transparent about our bean-to-bar process.