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Single Origin

Small-Batch

Bean to Bar

PURE EXPRESSIONS

Peru

Marañón River Valley

(North Amazonian Highlands)

70% Dark Chocolate

This 70% dark chocolate is remarkably mellow, with a soft, dairy-like creaminess that unfolds into toasted Brazil nut and warm tobacco. Dark caramel and clean earthiness add depth, while a gentle sweetness lingers through the finish.

Grown in Peru’s remote Marañón River Valley, this supplier-identified Nacional cacao produces an elegant chocolate with a buttery mouthfeel, restrained bitterness and very little fruit—a distinctive expression that feels both delicate and deeply comforting.

$7.50

Country

Peru

Region

Marañón River ValleyBetween the Cajamarca and Amazonas departments

Elevation

900-1,300 m

Cacao Identity

Ancient Genetic GroupMarañón Nacional

Harvest

2025First Harvest

Fermentation

Controlled Seven-Day Box Fermentation

The cacao undergoes a controlled box fermentation lasting approximately seven days. This extended, managed fermentation develops the beans while preserving the mild bitterness, mellow structure and clean character associated with the finished chocolate.

Drying

Mound Drying Followed by a Tarped Finish

After fermentation, the cacao is transferred into mounds and stirred for approximately two to four days, depending on available sunlight. The beans are then dispersed across a tarped floor to complete drying.

Total drying generally takes about seven days, although the timing varies with the weather. The cacao is covered when rain threatens.

Certifications

Direct Trade

Producer

Marañón Valley cacao producers

Roast

Balanced

Genetics / Pedigree

A Distinctive Nacional Population

The supplier identifies this cacao as Nacional from Peru’s Marañón River Valley. The regional population is associated with an unusually high proportion of pale or white beans; we estimate approximately 40–60% in this lot based on visual inspection.

Marañón cacao is sometimes discussed under the broader Fortunato No. 4 or “Peruvian Porcelana” story. Because those terms do not necessarily describe every bean in the regional lot, this record uses the more supportable identity Marañón Nacional without claiming uniform or genetically pure ancestry.

Producer Profile

This cacao comes from producers cultivating Nacional cacao in the Marañón River Valley, a remote growing region in Peru’s North Amazonian highlands between the Cajamarca and Amazonas departments.

The geography has helped preserve a distinctive regional cacao population known for its unusually pale beans, gentle bitterness and mellow, buttery expression.

Why We Chose This Source

We chose this cacao for its remarkable restraint. Rather than leading with intense fruit or forceful bitterness, it develops a soft, dairy-like creaminess followed by toasted Brazil nut, dark caramel and warm tobacco.

Its quiet complexity rewards close attention. The result feels delicate and comforting without becoming simple—an unusual expression of both Nacional cacao and the remote Marañón River Valley.

Flavor of Place

Cacao Between the Canyon Walls

The Marañón River cuts through Peru’s North Amazonian highlands, forming a remote valley between the Cajamarca and Amazonas departments. Along its steep slopes, cacao grows at approximately 900–1,300 meters, shaped by elevation, mountain weather and the geography of the canyon.

The 2025 harvest expresses this place with unusual restraint. Rather than bright fruit or aggressive bitterness, it offers a sweet, clean chocolate character with a buttery mouthfeel. Notes of toasted Brazil nut, warm tobacco and gentle earthiness emerge slowly, creating a chocolate that feels quiet, grounded and remarkably composed.

Cacao Between the Canyon Walls — The Marañón River Valley in Peru’s North Amazonian highlands.

Living Cacao Heritage

Pale Beans, Enduring Character

The cacao of the Marañón Valley is identified by our supplier as Nacional, part of a regional population noted for an unusually high proportion of pale or white-seeded beans. These beans are sometimes discussed under names such as Fortunato No. 4 or Peruvian Porcelana, although the valley’s cacao is more diverse than any single name suggests.

Their significance is revealed less by color than by character. This harvest produces chocolate with gentle bitterness, lingering sweetness and a naturally mellow texture. Rather than leaning on stories of rarity, we let the cacao speak for itself: delicate, distinctive and unlike the more forceful expressions found in many dark chocolates.

Pale Beans, Enduring Character — Pale-seeded Nacional cacao from Peru’s Marañón River Valley.

Crafted After Harvest

Seven Days to Develop. Seven Days to Finish.

After harvest, the cacao undergoes a carefully controlled seven-day box fermentation. The beans are then transferred into mounds and stirred for two to four days as sunlight allows, before being spread across a tarped floor to complete their drying.

The full drying process typically takes about seven days, but its pace remains responsive to the weather; the cacao is covered when rain arrives and exposed again when conditions improve. This patient, staged process helps develop the harvest’s clean sweetness and balanced structure. Our roast carries that work forward, drawing out sweet cream, toasted Brazil nut and warm tobacco without overwhelming the cacao’s naturally mellow character.

Seven Days to Develop. Seven Days to Finish. — Marañón cacao undergoing its carefully managed post-harvest process.

Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*

Peru

The Cacao Record

Cacao Between the Canyon Walls

Pale Beans, Enduring Character

Seven Days to Develop. Seven Days to Finish.

Simple & Clean Ingredients

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