by Ronan Weggelaar | Apr 28, 2023 | Cocoa Stories
The history of cacao and chocolate is inextricably linked to Mesoamerica and the Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Toltec and Aztec peoples. The Mesoamerican region extended from what we now know as northern Costa Rica all the way up to central and southern Mexico, including...
by Ronan Weggelaar | Mar 28, 2023 | Cocoa Stories
Food safety regulations are something we all have to deal with along the cocoa and chocolate value chain. By knowing how and where cacao is grown and processed and how it is transported and stored, we can determine which potential food safety risks are involved with a...
by Ronan Weggelaar | Mar 22, 2023 | Coffee Articles
In the outskirts of Gayo Highlands Berawang Baro is a village consisting of 600 inhabitants who live and breathe coffee. With 127 registered farmer families, coffee is everywhere. While the residents enjoy their quiet life in a remote area, the 2-hour drive to the...
by Ronan Weggelaar | Feb 24, 2023 | Cocoa Stories
My name is MarÃa, and ever since I joined the Cocoa Team at Daarnhouwer & Co. over ten years ago, I made it my mission to learn and understand cocoa quality and flavours. When I started back then, only physical analyses were performed on our cocoas. After cutting...
by Ronan Weggelaar | Jan 26, 2023 | Cocoa Stories
During a recent visit to Mexico, our colleague Erika embarked on a journey to learn more about her country’s deep and proud cacao roots. Tag along with Erika on her discovery tour of Mexico’s rich cacao heritage. From Mexico City to Chiapas, we will follow the cacao...