Cacao from America

Cacao from America

*Cacao from America*
	Estados Unidos Mexicanos Republica de Guatemala Cacao from Mexico and from Guatemala, with round seeds, and a shell not very adherent and a brown almond; they have a very delicate fragrance and they are the most appreciated, especially the quality known as Soconusco. They rarely come to Europe.
	Republica de Venezuela Cacao from Venezuela, light brown, but generally reddish being usually covered with clay, the taste is nice and sweetish. It has different characteristics according to the ports of export: Puerto Cabello (among the most precious types are the Flor D’Estella and Chicao), Caracas (La Guiara),Caruplano and Maracaibo, with big seeds, with no clay, of grey and brown colour and violaceus inside.
	Republica de Colombia Cacao from Colombia: it comes especially from the region of Cartagena: there are the qualities Cauca, Madeleine which have a lot of similarities, for their round shape, with Socomuso above- mentioned, but they have a less pure taste; other qualities are less pure and known as Tumaco from the port of export in the region of Popayan.
	Republica de Ecuador Cacao from Ecuador, in general very aromatic with a strong vinous smell, a large and round shape at the two extremities, from light brown to reddish colour.The main port of export of this cacao is Guayaquil from where its name derives, it is divided in:Arriba, harvest time: April-June,yellow-brown, aromatic, of very good quality, it is the best type; Macala, more common, but richer in fat substances, dark-brown, harvest time:August and September; Balad, Naranjal, Tenguel, of intermediate qualities. Other qualities are: Esmeraldas, a very pure quality of cacao with small seeds, olive-shaped, brown, heavy, but of little value for international trade, Bahia de Caraques or Caraquez, and Manabi.
	Republic of Guyana Republiek van Suriname Cacao from Guayana, among the most common is the Suriname, with big seeds, hard and compact, grey and brown externally, brown-reddish inside, bitter and often badly prepared. Similar to the Surinam, and often mixed with it, are the cacaos from Berbice and from Essequibo, from Guayana.The Cacao from Caienna, from French Guayana, is of inferior quality ; the best blend (Oyoback) has a light-red colour.
	Republica Federativa do Brasil Cacao from Brazil, divided into: Parà and Maranha, with small seeds, long, rather flat, reddish-brown inside, the taste is bitterish (harvest time: June-August; Bahia with flat seeds, triangular, grey or reddish shell and dark violaceus almond; it is divided in: Superior, bright, well dried, with a smell very similar to chocolate, Good Fair, it has the same qualities as the former one, Fair is badly prepared and has defects internally up to 25%.
	Republic of Trinidad Cacao from Trinidad, rather well esteemed, with large and flat seeds, the shell is yellow-brown, it easily comes off and the almond is dark brown; it has a strong and aromatic taste, for this reason it is often used blended with other weaker cacaos; it is divided into three types but the best is Plantation;then there is the Estate and the type Cacao fair shipping Trinidad.
	Grenada Cacao from Grenada, it has dark and round seeds of irregular sizes, the colour is light brown and it is spotted on the shell, the brown colour is more or less dark in the inside almond, it has a bitter taste, not very aromatic.
	Republique d'Haiti Cacao from Haiti (Port au Prince, Samana), with small beans, flat, the shell is brown-reddish and the almond is dark brown, the taste is bitter, scarcely appreciated