Also from the Same Region
Maker
DomoriDomori is a gourmet Italian chocolate maker that focuses on making bars with low production process. They use a low roast profile and medium conch (the stage in which chocolate gets its characteristic taste and mouthfeel from cacao beans) to preserve and maintain the aromas and flavors of the fine cacao beans they feature in their bars. Founded by Gianluca Franzoni in 1997, they are considered one of Europe's finest chocolate makers. Franzoni traveled to Venezuela to help develop a business model to reposition cacao but was ultimately fascinated by cacao itself. He experimented with different varieties to help preserve Venezuela’s biodiversity and even helped prevent the extinction of the Criollo beans. Domori is the first company to use the fine Criollo variety, which is considered the rarest and most prized cacao bean in the world. Their signature 100% Trinitario and unique 70% Criollo strains are an achievement that elevates cacao to a whole new level. The name ‘Domori’ comes from ‘Due Mori’ in Venetian which refers to objects of dark color. Franzoni wanted a name to portray his expressive chocolate company. Venice is considered the land of trades of spices and ideas, and its ‘Due Mori’ representing two bronze statues in the famous Piazza San Marco. Also to Franzoni, the term ‘Due Mori’ is represents two dark beans: cacao and coffee.


Cacao Region
Sucre, VenezuelaSucre is a relatively small province on the Venezuelan coast, best known for its beautiful beaches and the popular Mochima National Park. The economy of the state is based on fishing, with Sucre currently poised as the main producer of fish in the country. Somewhat inland you’ll find a small number of plantations dedicated to the commercial production of crops for export, including cacao.
Cacao Estate
Hacienda San JoséHacienda San José, owned & operated by the Franceschi family, is a 170-hectare estate on the Venezuelan coast. The farm is located on the Paria peninsula, in the northeastern part of the country, famous for being the first land in the Americas to be explored by Christopher Columbus on his third trip to the continent, in 1498. Over the years, the estate has become an important center for the recovery of genetic diversity in Venezuela’s native criollo cacao strains, including those from other parts of the country. Divided into 16 distinct parcels, the estate’s many criollo cacao strains are all carefully shaded by banana trees, which later often serve a second purpose during the fermentation process.
Cacao Strain
PorcelanaPorcelana; the name is Spanish for “porcelain,” a reference to the stark white color of the seeds borne in their small, pale green pods. Porcelana is one of the cultivars of the the Criollo group. Porcelana is perhaps one of the best-known ultra-rare cacao varietals, only grown in a small region of Venezuela and Colombia. It’s become one of the most prized and expensive cacaos in the world thanks to its near complete lack of bitterness and delicate chocolaty flavor.