Criollo Cacao currently makes up just 0.01% of all the cacao grown in the world.
Criollo is a very rare and precious variety of cacao that was at risk of extinction for many years. It is the cacao of the Mayas and the Aztecs, the cultivation of which has been progressively abandoned owing to its low yield. It is a delicate cacao and makes up just 0.01% of global cacao production. However, the quality of this cacao is unparalleled: the absence of tannins, which normally give it bitterness and astringency, gives Criollo cocoa a unique creaminess, sweetness and roundness.
It was Domori, in 1994, that put down the foundations for a major project to recover this extraordinary cacao: Gianluca Franzoni, the founder and chairman, started studying the Criollo variety and its characteristics by working together with growers and research centres. That same year, in Venezuela, the first nursery was set up, which was the start of Hacienda San José: today its 185 hectares planted with grafted cacao is a real world heritage site for the recovery for some seven Criollo varieties.
Through Domori's commitment and by working with Hacienda San José, an extremely important step has been taken towards safeguarding this precious variety: consider that ten years ago, the amount of Criollo cacao available on the market only just reached 0.001% of global production, whereas today it is around 0.01%.
In 2017, a new chapter began in the history of Criollo cacao and Hacienda San Cristobal was founded in Ecuador, to make the finest cocoa available to all chocolate lovers.
Hacienda San Cristobal represents the culmination of 25 years of Research & Development and cultivation of criollo cacao by Domori. In its 47 hectares, innovative grafting, density, fertigation and plant architecture techniques have been used, once again allowing the company to achieve excellence in its agricultural and organoleptic model. A landmark project in safeguarding criollo cacao.
Short Recipe
To make Domori chocolate featuring a wealth of unique aromas, criollo cacao is grown directly in our plantations in Venezuela and processed every day in our factory in None, Turin, using the shortest and purest recipe in the world.
1. Cocoa Mass (min. 70%)
2. Cane Sugar (max. 30%)
This supply chain project is combined with our innovative low-impact production process, in which each phase is designed to preserve the aromatic notes naturally occurring in criollo beans.
