Ayacucho lies in Peru's south-central Andes, where steep valleys descend toward the Apurímac and Ene rivers. The lower elevations of the VRAEM area sit within Ayacucho and produce a growing share of Peruvian cacao, much of it Criollo-influenced and grown by smallholder farmers.

Chuncho is an ancient Criollo strain native to Peru, representing some of the oldest cultivated cacao genetics in South America. Makers value it for its rarity and its connection to pre-Columbian cacao cultivation, making it significant for makers exploring historical and ancestral varieties. Chuncho cacao encompasses around a dozen related cultivars of the Upper Amazon Forastero group, now considered to be native to the Quillabamba Valley of central Peru. They’re believed to have been domesticated by the Matshiguenga people, whose members were ancestral inhabitants of the Valley. Chuncho trees bear small yellow fruits with small beans (less than 1g per bean), known for their high fat content and very high-altitude growing region (400m-1400m).