Chanthaburi
Chanthaburi is a beautiful region, located on the coast just a few hours drive southeast of Bangkok. During a visit to Thailand in 2022, we took the drive to meet husband and wife team Khun Boom and Khun Suriya at their small farm. Boom spent time walking the fields with us, and taking us through their exacting post-harvest processing protocols. Her attention to detail was impressive, translating into some of the best quality Thai cacao we have tasted. In 2024, we also participated in some fermentation experiments at the farm, with inoculated microbial cultures provided by our Danish partners at Novonesis.
Thailand
Our first returning cacao release comes from the Chanthaburi region of Thailand. We have taken a great interest in Thailand since we opened our locations in Bangkok; travelling often to the city and outwards into the country. Over our many visits we have been stunned by the Thai landscape; the numerous micro climates and terroirs, the passionate and welcoming people. This lush green terrain has an incredible potential to produce very high quality coffee and cacao. This release marks the first time a cacao release has returned to our lineup, a testament to the quality potential of cacao in Thailand.
The Chumphon Hybrid
Thailand is a very interesting origin in terms of quality cacao. As cacao is self-pollinating, there is an incredible genetic diversity around the world, caused by involuntary hybridisation on farms. On our visits to farms in other origins, it’s possible to see this in the varying sizes and colours of pods, even within what can be deemed ‘Trinitario’ cacao.
However, in Thailand, a recently released hybrid varietal dominates the cacao lands. Chumphon-1 was hybridised from two Trinitario strains in order to suit Thai conditions, yielding high and consistently. The genetic homogeneity was clear to see while walking with Boom and Suriya. Similarly sized pods, and a much more uniform colour. As well as the high yield, the uniform genetics lead to more consistency in processing, both within batches and from year to year. This means that Boom has been able to develop a post-harvest protocol that brings the best out of her cacao.
