From bean to bag
How our cacao makes its journey from the forest to the world
Harvesting
Cacao pods are harvested by hand when they reach full ripeness. Producers cut the pods from the trees and open them to remove the beans inside.
Fermentation
The beans are placed into wooden boxes or covered with banana leaves to ferment for several days. Fermentation is one of the most important stages in developing flavor — it’s what transforms the raw beans into the base for fine chocolate.
Drying
After fermentation, beans are dried under the sun until they reach the right moisture and acidity level. This step preserves quality, prevents mold, and prepares the beans for transport.
Quality Control
Each lot is visually inspected, cut-tested, and checked for moisture to ensure it meets our quality standards before export.
Preparing for export
Once dried, each lot is packed into bags and weighed for transport. Every bag is labeled to identify its origin, producer, and lot number.
Export
From the producing regions, bags are transported to the Vila do Conde port, in Belém, where they begin their journey to chocolate makers around the world.
