Are Old Cacao Trees Really the Problem?
The idea that old cacao trees must be replaced has become widely accepted. But is the problem really the age of the tree—or the way we manage cacao forests? Recent research and centuries-old trees suggest a more nuanced story.
Chocolate Is the Record of Everything That Happened to the Tree
Every piece of chocolate tells the story of the cacao tree that produced it. From sunlight and rainfall to fermentation and roasting, each stage leaves its mark. Learn how chocolate becomes a record of everything that happened to cacao long before it reached your hands.
CCN-51: What Do We Ask a Cacao Tree to Be?
CCN-51 has been praised for its productivity and criticised for its flavour. But perhaps the more interesting question is what we actually need a cacao tree to do.
Sustainability Isn't the Problem. The System Is.
For more than twenty years, sustainability has shaped conversations around coffee and chocolate. Yet many farmers still struggle to earn a stable living. What if the challenge isn't sustainability itself, but the system we've built around it?
New Research Reveals Hidden Diversity in Peruvian Cacao
A new genetic study has identified four previously unrecognised cacao lineages in Peru, expanding our understanding of one of the world's richest centres of cacao diversity. Here's what the discovery means for farmers, chocolate makers and the future of cacao.
Four New Cacao Varieties Have Been Discovered in Peru. Here's Why That Matters
Researchers in Peru have identified four previously unrecognised cacao lineages, but the real story isn't the discovery itself. It's what it reveals about the extraordinary diversity of cacao and why protecting that diversity matters for the future of chocolate.
Open a Cacao Pod
Most people know chocolate, but very few have opened a cacao pod. Discover the fruit, the fermentation, and the remarkable journey from tree to chocolate.
Did You Know Chocolate Has Wild Cousins?
Most people think of cacao as a single plant. But chocolate is only one member of a remarkable family of tropical trees known as Theobroma. Discover pataxte, cupuaçu and the wild cousins that reveal a richer story of cacao.
What Does Cacao Fruit Taste Like?
Many people are surprised to learn that chocolate begins inside a fruit. Sweet, floral and unexpectedly tropical, fresh cacao tastes nothing like chocolate. Discover the flavors hidden inside the cacao pod and how they shape the chocolate we know today.
What’s The Difference Between Cacao and Cocoa?
Cacao and cocoa both come from the same tree, yet the two words are often used in different ways. Learn where the distinction comes from, why it can be confusing, and what really matters when it comes to chocolate.
What is tree to bar chocolate?
Deep in the lush forests of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, cacao grows directly from the trunk of the tree — a living reminder that chocolate begins as a vibrant tropical fruit long before it becomes a bar. Tree-to-bar chocolate starts here: close to the land, the farmers, and the cacao itself.