Cacao beans submitted for evaluation by Puentespina Farms have been designated as Heirloom Cacao by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation (HCP) Fund, an initiative of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association. The announcement was made at ceremonies held in San Francisco last January 12, 2019.
The cacao beans underwent extensive evaluation by a tasting panel comprising nine chocolate experts from around the world. The farm on which the beans have been harvested, Puentespina Farms, is located in Davao, in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.
With this significant designation, Puentespina Farms joins 15 other heirloom cacao farmers around the world, from Bolivia, Ecuador, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Tanzania and Madagascar.
“We are elated to be part of this very small group of farmers who have been given this designation as Heirloom Cacao. We are only the 16th to be given this honor, and the first in the Philippines,” said Charita Puentespina, founder of Puentespina Farms. The company started their cacao farm in 2003. Since then it has gone on to attract international attention by supplying the fine quality dried fermented cacao beans that are used in the manufacture of the company’s own chocolate brand, Malagos Chocolates. To date, Malagos Chocolates has won 28 International awards.
The HCP is an initiative of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association. It is a non-profit organization founded in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Services. Together, chocolate industry professionals, chocolate makers, farmers, and chocolate enthusiasts from around the world are determined to save the quickly diminishing Theobroma cacao trees that produce the most high-quality, flavorful chocolate and identify the farmers who grow them. To that end, HCP has designated trees on a number of farms around the globe as Heirloom Cacao. The HCP’s mission is to “identify and preserve fine flavor (“heirloom”) cacao varieties for the conservation of biological diversity and the empowerment of farming communities”.
The fine flavor Theobroma cacao variety is the source of high-quality, flavorful chocolates. Sadly, they have been replaced by varieties grown mainly for their productivity and not by their flavor.
Heirloom cacao is important because they are primarily grown by small-scale farms in the lowland tropical regions, where cacao is an important source of livelihood. They are also good for the ecosystem because they are grown in the shade along with other fruit trees like bananas, coconuts, or forest trees. As such, they provide much-needed habitat for both flora and fauna and are a natural solution for areas plagued by deforestation and a vanishing biodiversity.
To become designated “heirloom cacao” is an incredibly high standard to meet. Flavor-wise, there must be a balance, uniqueness, complexity and clarity all at once − a unique flavor profile that commands a premium in the world of fine foods. Helping preserve these heirloom cacao helps the livelihood of the farmers that continue to grow them.
Puentespina Farms’ entry was designated the 16th heirloom cacao in the world by a super majority of the HCP’s tasting panel. Many of the HCP panelists remarked about the light color of the chocolate liquor (the pure cocoa mass) and chocolate itself, noting the mostly pleasant yet slightly astringent chocolate taste with a very herbal liquor flavor. According to the HCP, the most common note commented on by the panel was “fruity”. The chocolate was further praised for its flavor notes and very smooth melt. In addition, the panel commented consistently on the low acidity and touch of fruits in the liquor.
“We are of course very pleased with all the feedback, both positive and negative,” said Puentespina.
“This is exactly what we set out to do: anticipate any criticism and build on these to adjust our processes to make our beans even better. In the end, we want our products to be worthy of the heirloom designation that has been given to us.”
To celebrate the certification, MalagosAgri-Ventures Corporation, makers of Malagos Chocolates and a sister company of Puentespina Farms, has issued a limited-edition bar of Malagos Heirloom Chocolate 72% Dark Chocolate.
