Chocolate Chips – El Salvador 65% Cocoa

Flavor

El Salvador 65% Chocolate Chips have a balanced and delicate taste. They lack bitterness and provide plenty of fruity, floral and nutty notes at the end. They are suitable for beverages, but also for desserts, toppings or ice cream.

Origins

El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is located in Central America, on the Pacific coast. It has been associated with cacao trees since the time of the Mayan, Cuzcatlec and Olmec peoples. When the Spanish took over the country in the 16th century, cocoa beans became one of its most important crops. In the 19th century, cacao trees were joined by coffee trees. Today, both commodities are a significant source of income for local farmers.

The climate is more than favorable to them. Rainfalls alternate with weeks of drought and as the altitudes grow, temperatures drop. The lowlands are hot and humid, and the climate in the central plateau is milder. The rainy season (invierno) starts in May and lasts until October. Thunderstorms are common, with occasional hurricanes. Temperatures vary between 25-29⁰C in the lowlands and around 23⁰C on the plateaus. In mountainous areas, temperatures can reach freezing point, but are on average around 12-23⁰C. According to the local authorities, there are 42 registered farms in El Salvador, of which 35 supply the market with top-quality cocoa.

National production is 500t per year. To give you an idea, in 2019, around 8,500 Salvadoran farmers were cultivating coffee trees. Among them are the owners of the Hacienda San José Real de La Carrera, founded 125 years ago by their ancestors. The local cocoa trees probably come from Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador. In addition to the cocoa trees, the 350 hectare farm is also home to coffee trees, and part of the land is used for restoring native forests.

How is chocolate made? The cocoa beans must first be removed from the cocoa trees, fermented, then dried, prepared and peeled. In the factories, machines are used to crush and grind the beans to produce the cocoa mass, from which the cocoa powder and cocoa butter are separated.

These must be mixed again in the desired proportions and then processed into chocolate using complex technology. The process involves kneading, whisking, tempering, conching and so on. El Salvador Chocolate Chips are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

As far as allergens are concerned, people with allergies to milk, cocoa and vanillin should be careful. The product may contain traces of nuts.

Store at 12-20⁰C.

Please note

If you order chocolate during hot weather, it may lose form or partially melt during shipping. This does not affect the quality.

Hot chocolate & Hot cocoa packaging preview

Our quality aluminum packaging lacks any bold graphics, as we’d rather focus on the taste of our products. Thanks to the hermetic seal, this container helps the contents keep their freshness and protect them against humidity, light or foreign odors.