SINGLE ORIGIN AND JAVA COCOA

Increasing we hear about Single Origin Chocolate or Cocoa. What this means is that cocoa or chocolate from a single country has it own distinctive flavor. This flavor is due to the genetics of the plant, the soil and climatic conditions, fermentation, drying and other post harvest practices.This means that beans produced from one country is very distinctive and unique. Rather like wines. And like wines you may go further into regions within one country or even to particular plantations.

Single origin chocolate has not yet caught on in Indonesia. Though it is rumored that Freyabadi is experimenting, on behalf of customers, with single origin from Ghana and other countries in West Africa and Papua New Guinea. In Europe( Belgium, France, Germany, UK) of course according to recent studies 42% of chocolate consuming respondents have discovered origin chocolate. The Swiss are the most regular consumers of Origin chocolates, with 23% of them enjoying it at least a few times a month(Research by Barry Callebaut).In Indonesia you may be able to find a few bars at Sogo Supermarkets sometimes.

Java Cocoa is of the Crillo variety. The tree is a native of South America. It is known as the "flavor beans" and prized for their fragrance. Crillo has travelled far from South America to Java. The soil conditions are certainly different. Java is incredibly fertile. The soil is mainly volcanic. The island is home to almost every spice and herb known on earth.It enjoys and humid, wet, equatorial climate.Cocoa trees here have a lot of shade.

In flavor Java cocoa is bold in flavors that are ideal for milk chocolate because it can withstand dilution with milk solids. It is of a highly acidic nature with a citrus like flavor presentation. There are bolder flavors of leather(the experts say but I notice a hint of cardamom) and smoke. Overallthe cocoa is extremely light in body but strong in flavor. If you are a wine drinker Java Chocolate goes best with of course the wines with pronounced acidity and fruitiness, dry or semi-sweet.

Single origin Java is good for milk chocolate. It is also very interesting as a dark semi sweet.Indonesian manufacturers are however not very interested in maximizing tits potential nor of other Origins like Sulawesi, Sumatra,Timur, or Papua.Indonesian cocoa is waiting for innovators and more passion.

Besides single origin the selection process can go further. There are also cocoa or chocolate that are Grand Cru Cacao a marketing term invented by Valrhona when it launched Guanaja, a South American mixture of beans.

The highest honor goes to Premier Cru/Estate Grown where beans come from specific plantations. It is terminology taken from the wine industry.Though in wine Grandu Cru is loftier that Premier, it is reverse in the chocolate industry. Famous of a Premium Cru is Cluizel's Ier Cru Chocolate which is a single estate and considered superior to Valrhona's Guanaja.