THE EXCITING FLAVOR OF "DON VEITIA CHOCOLATE"
Much like wine production, high quality chocolate depends on a number of factors: the quality and degree of acidity of the beans, the proper fermentation, the manufacturer's proprietary blend of beans, and the roasting and refining process.
Chocolate is a natural product made from the bean of the cacao tree. Cacao is thought to have originated in Brazil's Amazon basin, but it grows today in equatorial climates all over the world-Venezuela, neighboring South American countries, Central America, the Caribbean, Indonesia, West Africa and Hawaii.
Like wine grapes, cacao beans develop different characteristics in different regions.
The most prized chocolate comes from Criollo cacao trees, grown mainly in the humid soil of Central and South America . The Criollo gives chocolate a complex fragrant and nutty flavor. The trees are fragile and outside of Venezuela there have been virtually no new plantings for the past 50 years. A third variety, Trinitario is a cross between Forastero and Criollo. It is prolific and sturdy with flavorful beans. But Criollo and Trinitario, mainly from Venezuela and Ecuador , make up only about 10% of the world's production. The easier-to-grow Forastero cocoa bean is far more abundant, and accounts for about 90 percent of the world's production and is the source for most commercial chocolate. This bean lacks the aroma and delicacy of the Criollo.
The world's best chocolates have always depended on Venezuelan cacao beans to impart that extra touch of fragrance and aroma. Yet, due to the fact that so little Venezuelan cacao has been traditionally available on the world market, no major company was producing chocolate using 100% of this prized raw material," This is an important characteristic of Don Veitia Chocolate. Don Veitia Chocolate is manufacture with 100% Venezuelan cacao beans what makes it very attractive for chocolate connoisseurs. Venezuelan chocolate is well known as one of the finest in the world. |
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 Chuao Church |
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A Chocolate connoisseur once said:
"The small Venezuelan town of Chuao is the home of cocoa, so special than it has passed into legend. This is the Holy Grail of the chocolate world".
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Chuao Museum |
VENEZUELA COCOA SPECIES
Criollo Cocoa : Regarding Criollo type, there are some varieties, including the following ones:
• Criollo – Porcelain: Found in Maracaibo state, considered the one of the best Cocoas of the world, the Porcelain Criollo comes from trees of low size, fine and short branches and leaves of green or smooth pink color.
• Criollo – Andino: it generates red and green pods, and lengthened before maturing.
• Criollo – Pentágona: it id of Cocoa pod with 5 prominent edges.
Trinitarian Cocoa : it is found in the most of the Venezuelan Plantations in the following states: Miranda, Aragua, and Sucre . It constitutes the 90% of the national production, because the Criollo is little and needs strong investment to not be extinguished or to mix itself.
COCOA INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION
According with the origin and quality of the Cocoa , the most accepted internationally Classification is the following one:
COCOA TYPE |
MAIN PRODUCERCOUNTRY & GASTRONOMIC USE |
ORIGIN OF MORE QUALITY |
Criollo |
Venezuela
Very fine chocolates |
Venezuela |
Trinitarian |
Venezuela, Trinidad y Grenada
fine chocolates |
Venezuela |
Cacao Arriba |
Brasil, Costa de Marfil, Ghana, Indonesia y Malasia
Chocolate with milk. |
Ghana |
Amelonado |
Ecuador
Fine Chocolates |
Ecuador |
