Travelogue - Rio Sinu, Colombia

Chocolate production already begins on the farm. The small farmers of Rio Sinu, who grow the cacao for our Colombian chocolate, are known throughout the country for the quality of their cacao. Here you can find out why chocolate production starts way before the cacao arrives at our manufactory.

Cacao cultivation at Rio Sinu is different from other cultivation because the farmers place a lot of emphasis on the different varieties of cacao. Since each variety has different characters and develops different flavors during the sun fermentation, the varieties are carefully distinguished from each other.

The most common cacao varieties are probably Trinitario, Criollo, Forastero and National. But there are numerous other cacao varieties, which can be clearly distinguished on the basis of shape and color. At Rio Sinu, the farmers carefully separate the different varieties and ferment them individually. This is the only way that the cacao can develop its very own character, one that is unique and rich in nuances.

Thanks to the INTERGRASINU Foundation, which supports nearly 200 small farmers, the cacao farmers receive technical training and financial support. This enables even the smallest farmers to meet the high quality standards and complicated processes. INTEGRASINU is not only committed to the farmers in terms of cacao cultivation and processing, but is also responsible for the continuous improvement of the social conditions; this includes, for example, the construction and organization of schools.

Manlio Larotonda from the company Disidente, which produces chocolate itself, is responsible for teaching “chocolate knowledge”. He passes on his profound knowledge to the INTEGRASINU farmers. It is also thanks to Manlio that laflor Rio Sinu chocolate gets its beautifully balanced character. That’s because Manlio has developed an assemblage of different cacao varieties for our Rio Sinu chocolate. For many months he has done testing for the laflor blend to show its own sweet and floral flavors and notes of red berries and caramel.

All our cacao beans are fermented and dried on site. The fermentation takes place in wooden boxes for about four days. After that, the cacao beans are dried under the hot, burning sun. This is how the different varieties develop their characteristics. This distinguishes our cacao from conventional mass-produced cacao that we know from milk chocolate sold in supermarkets. Often, much less time is spent on these processes, which leads to the need for additives such as alkali, to prevent the final product from being too bitter. When the cacao beans undergo a proper fermentation and drying process that require sufficient time and expertise, the cacao unfolds fruity notes and a delicate acidity instead of bitterness. Consequently, the laflor chocolate flavor is significantly different from that of the big commercial chocolate brands.

The photos were taken last year in Colombia. We were accompanied by Manuela Uribe, who lives in Bogota. A big thank you to Manuela.