Kokoa Kamili

Location: Mbingu, Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. ‘Mbingu’ translates to ‘Heaven’ in Swahili.

Varietal: Udzungwa Trinitario

Flavour notes: Bursts of red fruit, berries, applies, plums, orange and tropical fruits are accompanied by woody and light chocolate notes.

Description

Photo credit: Uncommon Cacao

When Original Beans Chief Grower Philipp met Simran Bindra and Brian Lobue for the first time, they had already been on a parallel track for years. While Brian and Simran had worked for Technoserve, a technical assistance firm in developing countries, on cacao farming in Tanzania, Philipp had been working with Technoserve on cashew farming in Mozambique – the neighbouring country. All three had independently become interested in growing businesses for positive social change. And all three had identified the chocolate industry as a game that needed change and had made the leap. Brian and Simran had set out to build one of the earliest craft cacao enterprises near Tanzania’s Udzungwa Nationalk Park. Their excellent cacao and deep social commitment was a perfect match for Original Beans regenerative chocolate business. In turn, Original Beans buying power, knowhow and conservation ambition has speeded up organic certification, tree planting and conservation linkages on the ground.

The Udzungwa Trinitario varietal is a local hybrid of an inherited Trinitario cacao. Among classic Trinitario cacao from the Udzungwa region, scientists have also identified cacao trees that are a hybrid between Ecuadorian Nacional and Trinitario from Venezuela. There are few origins worldwide where this cacao has been found to date.

Harvest Times: August-December

Harvest Volume: 150 tons

No. of Farmers: 819

Hectares Farmed: 337

Farming notes: The Jurua cacao is world-class, giving chocolate notes and aromas typically found in fine cacao from Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru.

Fermentation and drying notes: Kamili translates from Swahili as ‘Exactly’ or ‘Absolutely’. Kokoa Kamili’s fermentation and drying protocols are so meticulous that there could be no better name.

To ensure maximum freshness, only beans from pods that have been broken the very same day are used. After being partially drained in bags on a drainage rack overnight, they are then placed into tiered wooden fermentation boxes for a total of 6 days. On the morning of the 7th day, the beans are taken out to dry before being brought back under cover by evening. The process is repeated until the beans have reached a moisture content of under 7%. Finally, the beans are graded by hand.

Photo credit: Uncommon Cacao

Photo credit: Uncommon Cacao

Photo credit: Uncommon Cacao

Photo credit: Uncommon Cacao

Photo credit: Uncommon Cacao

Photo credit: Uncommon Cacao