Guatemala (Alta Verapaz) - 46% Milk
Cacao Verapaz connects producers of fine cacao in Guatemala with specialty chocolate makers in the U.S. and Europe, with a focus on positive social and environmental impacts in indigenous communities. Cacao Verapaz is the first specialty cacao exporter to ship containers of high-quality, centrally fermented cacao from Guatemala. We identify and select the best cacao beans from around Guatemala, with a focus on the beautiful jungle region of Alta Verapaz. Cacao Verapaz is a majority-owned subsidiary of Uncommon Cacao, founded in partnership with Lake Champlain Chocolates and Taza Chocolate.
Since our founding in 2014, we have worked to train Q’eqchi’ Maya farmers and farmer associations in post-harvest practices, co-invested in fermentation and drying facilities, and run batch-specific quality control for our origins.
Cacao Verapaz currently partners with six smallholder farmer associations and two private estates to source high quality, centrally-fermented, and high-impact Guatemalan cacaos. We evaluate all cacaos in our Guatemala liquor lab before approving them for export, then we hand sort, package in Grain-Pro + jute bags, and ship in containers to the U.S. and Europe.
