Every pack of Rooted Essence starts in Peru’s Ucayali region, in the rainforest. This is what happens there before the cacao reaches your cup.
The region
Ucayali lies in eastern Peru and takes its name from the Ucayali River, one of the main rivers that form the Amazon. It is rainforest country: warm, humid, with fertile soil and a tropical climate in which cacao trees grow well.
Ucayali is a known origin of fine-flavour cacao. Such cacao is valued for careful cultivation and attentive handling after the harvest. All of this shows up in the cup.
The harvest
Cacao grows in pods directly on the trunk and branches of the tree. Every pod is picked by hand at optimal ripeness. Inside, the beans sit in a sweet white pulp, which matters for fermentation.
Fermentation
Freshly picked beans taste nothing like chocolate. The beans are fermented with their pulp for several days, and this is when most of the flavour forms. In our cacao, notes of passionfruit, mango, plum and ripe banana appear, with light citrus and a subtle caramel sweetness.
Gentle drying
After fermentation, the beans are dried gently using the farmers’ traditional methods. Drying stabilises the flavour. The beans can then be stored and shipped. Rushed or uneven drying often leaves beans sour or flat.
From bean to tablet
At the factory the dried beans are roasted, ground and refined into 100% cacao mass. The pure mass is poured into moulds by hand and packed with a best-before date and a lot number. Every batch can be traced. Our cacao is a blend of beans from different cacao trees. Together they make one rich, harmonious flavour, which is why nothing needs to be added.
Why the place matters
The cacao trees grow in the rainforest on terra preta, without chemical fertilisers. We buy our cacao from farming communities in Peru who grow it using environmentally responsible methods. The highest-quality cacao gives farmers a reason to protect the forest and supports local livelihoods. Healthy forests and exceptional cacao go together.
There is more on each step on our Sourcing & standards page.