What Is Criollo Cacao (And Why Is It So Rare?)
Chocolate and Cacao Flavour Profile Map
📷 International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting
The Crown Jewel of Chocolate
Not all cacao is created equal. Among the hundreds of cacao varieties cultivated across the globe, one stands out for its exquisite flavour, rarity, and near-mythical status among chocolatiers: Criollo cacao.
Often referred to as the “prince of cacao”, Criollo is one of the oldest and most genetically pure cacao types still cultivated today. But what makes it so unique, and why is it almost impossible to find in mass-market chocolate?
Criollo: A Cacao with Heritage
Criollo cacao is considered one of the original domesticated cacao varieties, believed to have been cultivated by the Maya and Olmec civilizations thousands of years ago. Unlike more common cacao types such as Forastero or hybridized Trinitario, Criollo is prized for:
Low bitterness and astringency
Exceptional aromatic complexity
Delicate, nuanced flavour profiles
However, it is also fragile, low-yielding, and highly susceptible to disease, which makes large-scale cultivation almost impossible.
According to the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting (IICCT), Criollo’s flavour archetypes align with some of the most expressive points on their Chocolate Flavor Profile Map. Think:
Floral: Jasmin, geranium, citrus
Nutty: Almond, hazelnut
Fruity: Red berries, banana, lychee
Spiced: Cinnamon, dried leaves
It’s not just chocolate—it’s perfumed, layered, and sophisticated.
Criollo in Peru: A Living Treasure
Peru is home to ancient strains of Criollo, especially in regions like Piura and Cuzco, where Ochre Brands sources cacao from micro-farmers and cooperatives. In Piura, a rare white-seeded Criollo variety grows in small pockets, producing chocolate with:
Bright citrus top notes
Mild bitterness
Creamy, floral undertones
Because these cacao trees yield less than half the volume of conventional hybrids, the supply is extremely limited, and flavour becomes the focus, not quantity.
Why Is Criollo So Rare Today?
Criollo now accounts for less than 5% of the world’s cacao production. The reasons include:
Susceptibility to disease and pests
Lower productivity vs hybrids like CCN-51
Higher farming costs
Longer fermentation and drying requirements
Farmers often switch to hardier, more profitable hybrids, making Criollo increasingly endangered.
At Ochre Brands, we work with Tesoro Amazónico to support efforts to preserve genetic biodiversity by paying premium prices for heirloom Criollo beans and investing in long-term relationships with Peruvian farmers who protect these lineages.
Flavour Map: Where Criollo Lives
To better understand Criollo’s complexity, we recommend referencing the IICCT’s Chocolate and Cacao Flavor Profile Map (at top), which visually represents the aromatic spectrum of fine cacao.
The Chocolate and Cacao Flavour Profile Map by the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting shows how Criollo beans often exhibit notes from the fruity, floral, nutty, and herbal quadrants, making them some of the most expressive cacao types in the world.
Tasting Criollo with Ochre Brands
When you choose our single-origin chocolate, you’re tasting a piece of living history, a flavour shaped by millennia of cultivation and care.
