The secrets behind the consistency of our flavour are no longer a secret. If you want to know how did we achieve this, read the next story.
| Refreshed and republished on April 25, 2022 |
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| This post was originally published on January 20, 2020, and has been enhanced and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness. |
We take deep care of the cocoa transformation process, which lets us keep the chocolate flavour consistent.
To tell you how we have achieved this consistent flavour, we must go back to 2004 – 2005. This is when we saw Luker as a local company beginning to think about the world. We were working on the right strategy to internationalize as a global business.
It was then that we began to deepen our knowledge of Colombian cocoa. We had the flavour identified and standardised according to the country’s main regions. And we sought the help of CENICAFE to conduct a scientific study to allow us to design a strategy based on the flavour of the cocoa. Also, work on our ability to develop mixtures that preserve the flavour that we were promising.
In the first phases of our international business, it was scientifically proven that we had origin cocoa. The cocoa from Santander, Tumaco, and Huila had the necessary flavour characteristics to define them as origin cocoa.
This through its own personality, and enough differentiation and volume to build an international expansion strategy. At the same time, we realized that there was an organization called ICCO (International Cocoa Organization) which had a clear definition for special cocoas known as CACAO FINO DE AROMA.
This is cocoa-free of taste defects. Also, with a complex sensory profile that reflects not only the experience of those who harvest it. But also, the environment where it was grown, fermented and dried.
Cocoa that has these criteria also offers an important genetic diversity, as well as a historical and cultural heritage. This was exactly what we believed of our Colombian cocoa. Cocoa reflects the work of our country’s farmers, showing their culture and history.
And that stands as a symbol of economic development and social transformation in the Colombian countryside. The difference is that it was the beginning of our worldwide road.
At that time, one way to prove that the cocoa was Fino de Aroma was through the theobromine/caffeine ratio. An option used as a discerning factor to differentiate between Forastero, Trinitario and Criollo Cocoa. The first one is related to common cocoa and the latter to special cocoa.
This is by discerning between their aroma and taste characteristics. It is worth specifying that while the level of theobromine is similar in all cocoas, the more Latin American in origin the cocoa is, the higher the caffeine.
All these antecedents, organized by a team of visionaries determined to do something different, allowed us to design and install an expansion strategy based on the flavour of Cacao Fino de Aroma.
We accomplished this thanks to years of experience in chocolate making. Deep agricultural knowledge developed on the Luker Chocolate Granja. And a strong relationship with small cocoa farmers in our country.
In more than a decade of history, we have increased our scientific knowledge of our Cacao Fino de Aroma. We have developed new origins, and more are on the way. And we can now define the physicochemical characteristics of cocoa from 40 regions of the country.
Technical parameters such as vitamin and mineral content; antioxidants and polyphenols; the structure of triglycerides present or theobromine/caffeine ratio are information that we can use for the design of almost any type of chocolate that our customers need. And always preserving the flavour characteristics that we can control.
We continue to maintain our ability to manufacture the drinking chocolate that Colombian consumers like. While we are also developing a portfolio of chocolates for the world’s professional market. More than 100 recipes or mixtures of cocoa, and other ingredients, enable us to have an unsurpassable offer of chocolates made with Cacao Fino de Aroma.
The list of countries that export Cacao Fino de Aroma total or partially is made up of 25 countries according to the decision made by the panel of experts at the last ICCO meeting in Abidjan on April 13, 2019.
The panel of experts have up to 10 people. 5 from non-producer countries, and 5 from producer countries of which we are part. It handles recommending to the ICCO the qualification to be given based on the guidelines established in the International Cocoa Agreement.
According to historical information, the list of countries was reviewed in the years 1972, 1975, 1980, 1986, 1993, 2001, 2010, 2015, and 2019. Colombia appeared as a partial exporter of Cacao Fino de Aroma in 1993. In 2008, it was included by the panel in the list of countries with 100% compliance, and in 2010 this was raised to 95%, a figure that has been maintained ever since.
We are delving deeper into the world of flavour. Developing new varieties of cocoa that offer very interesting profiles. While increasing the productivity of our crops and the cocoa regions where we work.
We are exploring new technologies that will allow us to perfect and standardize the fermentation and drying processes. To continue to offer the best chocolates made with Colombian Cacao Fino de Aroma to the whole world.
