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Buy Cacao Beans: The Ultimate Guide for Chocolate Lovers
If you are a chocolate lover, you might have wondered where your favorite treat comes from. The answer is cacao beans, the seeds of the cacao tree that are roasted and ground to make chocolate. But did you know that you can also buy cacao beans and use them in your own recipes? In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about buying cacao beans, including where to find them, how to choose them, how to store them, and how to use them.
Where to Buy Cacao Beans
Cacao beans are not very common in supermarkets or grocery stores, but you can find them online or in specialty shops that sell chocolate or coffee products. Some of the best places to buy cacao beans online are:
- Chocolate Alchemy: This website offers a wide range of cacao beans from different origins, such as Peru, Ecuador, Madagascar, and more. You can also find roasting equipment, brewing tools, and other accessories for making your own chocolate.
- Meridian Cacao: This website sources cacao beans directly from farmers and cooperatives around the world, ensuring fair trade and organic practices. You can choose from different varieties of cacao beans, such as Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario, and more.
- World Wide Chocolate: This website sells cacao beans and nibs from different brands, such as Valrhona, Guittard, Callebaut, and more. You can also find chocolate bars, chips, wafers, and other products made from cacao.
How to Choose Cacao Beans
When buying cacao beans, you should pay attention to some factors that affect their quality and flavor, such as:
- Origin: Cacao beans come from different regions of the world, each with its own climate, soil, and cultivation methods. These factors influence the taste and aroma of the cacao beans, giving them distinct characteristics. For example, cacao beans from Africa tend to be more bitter and acidic than those from South America or Asia.
- Variety: Cacao beans belong to different genetic groups or varieties, such as Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario, and more. These varieties differ in their shape, color, size, and flavor. For example, Criollo cacao beans are rare and expensive, but they have a delicate and complex flavor. Forastero cacao beans are more common and cheaper, but they have a stronger and simpler flavor.
- Processing: Cacao beans undergo different processes before they are ready to be used. These processes include fermentation, drying, roasting, cracking, winnowing, and grinding. These processes affect the flavor and quality of the cacao beans. For example, fermentation enhances the flavor and reduces the bitterness of the cacao beans. Roasting develops the aroma and color of the cacao beans.
When buying cacao beans online or in specialty shops