Collection: Java
Java is the most populous island of Indonesia, also lending its name to one of the country’s most well-known strains of cacao. The strain is characterized by its overt... Show More
Java is the most populous island of Indonesia, also lending its name to one of the country’s most well-known strains of cacao. The strain is characterized by its overt smokiness and light cocoa flavor, yet full and complex body. This is in part thanks to the island’s humid and often rainy climate, which forces most Javanese farmers to actually smoke-dry their beans. Such an approach has likely been done on the island for centuries, as long as cacao has had a place on Javanese plantations. Sometime in the late 1800’s, Mesoamerican criollo cacao made its way to Java. Over time, cacaos brought to the island from other parts of the world have cross-pollinated to form a light-colored, genetically criollo-heavy cacao strain unique to Java. Combined with the smoke-drying typical of the island, Java cacao has become a regional genetic blend prized around the world.
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