Product description
Öko Caribe works alongside more than 160 farmers in Duarte. Together, they produce and commercialize around 500 MT of top quality Organic certified cacao on a yearly basis. Through technical and financial support, the small holder farmers are able to improve the quality and yield of their cacao which is collected fresh and fermented in a state of the art fermentation center run by Öko Caribe.
Öko Caribe conventional cocoa beans showcase the same commitment to quality as the company has shown with its organic certified cacao.
| Net weight | 70 kg |
|---|---|
| Weight | N/A |
| Continent | Central America & The Caribbean |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Region | Duarte province, San Francisco de Macorís |
| Packaging | 500gr Sample, 70kg Bags |
| Cocoa type | Collected |
REGION AND COUNTRY
San Francisco de Macorís, Duarte province, Dominican Republic
THE STORY
Social enterprise Öko-Caribe was founded in 2006 by Gualberto Acebey and Adriano Rodríguez. Between them, they have decades of experience working in the improvement and commercialization of organic cocoa as well as working with small holder farmers in the northeast of the island.
The cocoa producers represented by Öko Caribe are organized in grassroots associations. This allows Öko Caribe to organize more efficient trainings, plan a timely collection of the wet beans and develop a collection plan that will allow the cocoa to reach the fermentation centre in less than 6 hours. This is crucial to ensure a good fermentation and therefore produce a very good quality cocoa.
All cacao cultivated by the producers is grown in agroforestry schemes along with timber species, fruit and other crops. This contributes to maintaining a healthy plant ecosystem free of pests and disease.
Some volumes exported by Öko Caribe consist of volumes produced in farms that are not (yet) organic certified.
HARVEST
March – June (main crop) October – December (mid-crop)
GENETICS
Dominican cacao is a mixture of different genetic varieties: Jamaican, Amazon Amelonado, Ecuadorian Nacional, Venezuelan Criollo, Rio Caribe, and Trinitario hybrids. 85% of all plantations in the country use high quality genetic material.
POST HARVESTING PROCESS
Beans are fermented in tiered wooden boxes during 5 to 6 days. Once fermented, the cacao is dried in solar dryers and bagged in 70 kg. polypropylene bags.
FLAVOUR PROFILE
Strong chocolate base with notes of coconut milk, caramel, vanilla, crème bruleé, lavender & violets
