2. TISANO CACAO COMPANY
In 2009 Tisano’s founders were the first to export
USDA ORGANIC CERTIFIED cacao from Venezuela.
Tisano adopted the concepts of chain of title
traceability procedures as well sustainable produc-tion
practices implementing it across our value
chain in our ‘Origin-Sourcing Model.’ By partnering
with the farmers our transparent purchasing model
empowers farmer run co-ops to purchase directly
from their communities, removing the middle-men
allowing us to pay higher prices, supporting farmers
through financing. The co-ops we partner with
ensure good harvest, fermenting and drying tech-niques
are in place and once they are dried we
receive the beans at our facility where we clean,
sort and blend the batches by Origin to ensure
uniformity of bean size and terroir flavour consis-tency
from bag to bag within each lot. The beans
that don’t meet our minimum quality requirements
for size or defects are discarded. In our stringent
selection process we reject between 5-7% of
inbound beans so that our customers don’t have to
lose time or money in cleaning and selection.
QUALITY vs. QUANTITY
Venezuela produces a small annual harvest of only
+/- 16,000MT of cacao, which equates to roughly
0.32% of World Production. The average Venezu-elan
cacao farmer owns between 1 - 5 hectares
producing some of the worlds lowest yields < 300
kgs / hectare. Low yields means that Venezuelan
cacao is expensive to farm compared to other
producing nations with average yields of 600 – 1,000
kgs / hectare. In Venezuela cacao farming is not a
lucrative option for many. Ancient varietals are
being ripped out and replaced by other cash crops.
Tisano’s Origin-Sourcing Model commits us to our
cacao farming partners as active stakeholder in the
450 year old tradition Venezuela was founded on,
Cacao Farming. We support our communities with
technical workshops, business skills to run a farm and
donate tools and equipment during and after the
harvest with the goal to promote quality farming.
GENETIC MAPPING – PROTECTING VARIETALS
Beyond sourcing Tisano has partnered with the
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural
Research Service (USDA-ARS) to protect unique
genetic cacao varietals by tagging and mapping
trees across the country to unearth the genetic origin
of Theobroma Cacao. In the process we are discov-ering
some of the most unique and diverse cacao
varietals in the world.
ORIGIN SOURCING
All Rights Reserved (c) 2012, Tisano, LLC
Tisano’s Origin-Sourcing Model vs current cacao supply chain diagram for Venezuela
Multinational
Processors
Multinational
Traders
Local Exporters
n < 8
Legend:
Raw cocoa beans
Processed cocoa products
(liquor, butter, cake, powder)
Multinational
Manufacturers
Market Actors outside Venezuela Market Actors in Ve nezuela
Chocolate / Confectionary Markets
(80% of cocoa exports)
Local Traders
n > 15
Local Collectors
n > 500
Smallholder Farmers
n > 17.000
Artisanal
Processors and
Manufacturers
Local
Proc.
n < 6
TISANO
Manufacturing
Processing
Trading / Importing
Exporting
Local processing
Collecting/Bulking
Cocoa Bean
Production
Juana, Harvest Foreman - La Empresa Campesina de Chuao
3. ARAGUA
CARABOBO
MIRANDA
SUCRE
PUERTO CABELLO
•Complex and varied
•Pepper, fruits, cashews and peanuts
•Trinitario with high Criollo tendencies
A favorite growing region for the Spanish Crown,
once the largest producer and named after the
port of embarkation, Puerto Cabello. Now aban-doned
haciendas offer bountiful untamed cacao
hidden in the tropical mountains. This region offers
the most diverse flavor profiles; from famed Chuao
to Ocumare to the subtle Patanemo criollo, spicy
Mantuano and molasses Trincheras. Each village is
surrounded by a unique micro-climate and terroir
creating unique origins.
CARENERO SUPERIOR
•Caramel, citrus, vanilla, berries, honey
•Chocolate undertone
•Mild acidity
Carenero refers to the port from which the cacao
was once shipped and “Superior” is a reference to
higher quality Trinitario beans. Typically, Carenero
has a strong underlying chocolate presence that
hides underneath a myriad of flavors, such as
spice, caramel, citrus, vanilla, berries, and honey.
A light acidity also adds further depth to the
profile. Historically known as Caracas Cacao.
RIO CARIBE
•Dark tone, bitter
•Coffee, cocoa
•Almonds, red fruits
This Forastero cacao bean grown near the Rio
Caribe has a slight dark tone and a refreshing
bitterness. Venezuela’s largest growing region - the
majority of this region produces an F2 cacao ( less
than 60% fermentation) and small plantation
specific F1 ( greater than 60% fermentation.)
For orders or more information email : beans@tisano.com
ZULIA
MERIDA
CARABOBO
ARAGUA
MIRANDA
BOLIVAR
SUCRE
AMAZONAS
PORCELANA
•Low acidity & delicate
•Great finesse
•Strawberries, cream, butter, bread, honey
MERIDA
ZULIA
From the Andean region, a genetically pure Criollo
species. This cacao is extremely mild, and is prized
for its delicacy and overall gentle appeal. While not
a complex cacao, the flavors and texture are
incredible and dazzle with finesse. Typical flavors are
strawberries, cream, butter, and sometimes bread.
Mexican strands of Porcelana deviate from the
Venezuelan variety with a heavier body and spicier
flavor profile.
MARACAIBO / SUR DEL LAGO
MERIDA
•Full-bodied
•Delicate and subtle under flavor tones
•Red fruits, cream, nuts
Maracaibo and Sur del Lago, meaning south lake,
have been farming criollo cacao since the late 16th
Century. Grown at the end of the Andean Mountain
range it is inherently hearty with a full body. Its com-plexity
is fairly minimal and can display wonderful
flavors of red fruits, cream and nuts.
GUASARE
•Nutty with caramel top notes
•Complex secondary notes, less acidic
MERIDA
High quality 100% ancient criollo varietal is currently
being rediscovered. Hailing from the mountainous
Andean region of Venezuela consisting of enor-mously
large, pure white inside beans.
ZULIA
ZULIA
REGIONAL NAMES // FLAVOR PROFILES
4. CHUAO
•Sharp, red fruits and berries
•Chocolate with licorice undertones
•Trinitario with Criollo tendencies
ARAGUA
17 MT / YEAR
Chuao is one of the most prized cocoa origins
amongst chocolate makers, so much so that over
4 times as much ‘Chuao’ chocolates are sold than
cacao is grown in this terroir each year. Chuao has
no roads leading out of town it is so isolated that
the cacao beans must be brought out on small
boats 900 kgs at a time. The isolation has meant
that forgotten traditions remain very much alive in
Chuao, such as their community harvesting and
three tiered drying patio process. These traditions
along with the varied genetic diversity of the 450
year old plantation is what makes the cacao from
La Empresa Campesina de Chauo world class.
OCUMARE CUMBOTO
•Plum, peaches, red fruits
ARAGUA
•Vanilla Caramel, Light acidity
•Trinitario with more Criollo tendencies
40 MT / YEAR
The town of Ocumare actually grows no cacao.
The name comes from a farmer run co-op which
purchased the beans from surrounding villages
such as Cumboto, Cata and Cuyagua. This
allowed for a uniformed fermenting and drying
process which enhanced the flavour. Since 2010
the co-op was displaced and Tisano has been
working with former co-op partners to continue
purchasing and combine fermenting and drying
for the region. In 2011 we introduced Cumboto as
its own origin. This cacao is gentle and light, but it
still possesses a slight acidic punch. Flavors vary,
between plum, peaches, red fruits with hint of
caramel and vanilla.
PATANEMO
•Floral top notes, red berries
•Cashews, peanuts
•Trinitario with high percentage of Criollo
Patanemo is a village formed by run-away slaves
on the foothills where the tropical mountains of
South America crash into the Caribbean Sea. The
name comes from the Spanish ‘pas tenemos’ (we
have peace.) Tisano’s founders were the first to
introduce this as a terroir specific origin in 2010 and
we continue to source directly from three farming
families who ensure our stringent harvest, ferment-ing
and drying practices are met.
Cacao Drying on the Chuao Church Patio Donaldo, Patanemo Farmer
MANTUANO
•Caramel and molasses flavor tones
•Deep complexity
•Trinitario with Forastero tendencies
CARABOBO
7.5 MT / YEAR
One of the original Cacao Growing Regions in the
by-gone era of the ‘Gran Cacaos’. The village of
Mantuano is named after the local nickname for
Spanish Dons and Lords of Colonial times - The
Mantuanos. It is a narrow valley between steep
tropical hills that produces a spicy and chocolaty
flavor. Mantuano is a female run cacao
co-operative founded with the support of Tisano.
They do all the local buying in pulp to ensure
fermenting and drying are standardized.
TRINCHERAS
•Dark Chocolate, herbal under tons
•Tannins and Astringency
•Higher altitude Trinitario
CARABOBO
15 MT / YEAR
Trincheras, known best for the healing thermal
waters that run out from under the town. It was
once a large cacao hacienda, today the dilapi-dated
17th Century Plantation sits in front of the
farmer run co-op. Trincheras is situated high in the
rainforest hills, 10 miles from the ocean, delivering
a cacao with uniform dark chocolate astringency
and subtle herbal bouquet as undertones.
GUANIAMO AMAZONAS
BOLIVAR
•Robust with strong chocolate over tones
AMAZONAS
•Acidic, strong
•Wild grown Forastero
Cacao grown deep in the Amazonian river basins
of Venezuela, thought to be the birthplace of
cacao. Wild cacao harvested by local Piaroa
Indigenous communities. It is a two-day canoe trip
or one day 4x4 expedition to bring this varietal
from the Amazonian basin to the nearest roads for
us to then drive another 10 hours to our ware-house.
All Rights Reserved (c) 2014, Tisano, LLC
For orders or more information email : beans@tisano.com
UNIQUE TERROIRS
CARABOBO
10 MT / YEAR
40 MT / YEAR