About the Porcelana Beans

Porcelana originated in Venezuela and is still primarily found there.  Genetically it’s a part of the Criollo family, and is sometimes referred to as the world’s rarest cacao due to the fact that it’s extremely vulnerable to pests and disease.  However, the flavor can be exceptional, which is why a number of producers have been actively planting and propagating it.  One of these producers is Cacao Marquez, which owns 120 hectares of farmland just outside the community of Los Laureles, near Lake Maracaibo in Northwest Venezuela.  This farmland, known as Hacienda La Sabana is planted with native Porcelana cacao trees.

The cooperative of producers in Los Laureles not only grow their own cacao but do the post-harvest fermentation and drying at a facility they constructed near Lake Maracaibo.  As part of their efforts to preserve Criollo cacao they’ve established a nursery of more than 40,000 trees, and have undertaken a genetic study to develop a plan for the propagation and preservation of native cacao in the region.

We were very excited to have access to a small number of sacks of this bean in 2020, right before COVID hit.  It was hard to get these beans back then, and since that time Cacao Marquez has stopped selling them in the United States.  So, once this micro-batch is gone, it’s gone!

Nutrition information below.

Tasting Notes:  Green grape, green tea, toasted barley, pistachio

Ingredients:  Single origin cacao beans, organic cane sugar, single origin cocoa butter (Porcelana)

• May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts.