Once considered a defect caused by a cacao (Theobroma cacao, Malvaceae, formerly Sterculiaceae) pod abnormality, the rare white cacao bean has become highly sought after by a number of chocolatiers.^1,2 The beans can be found largely in the northern part of Peru, near Piura, which lays 4º south of the equator. The region has a dry climate nine months of the year with the three main summer months (January, February, and March) consisting of copious amounts of rainfall. The beans are thought to be mutations occurring when cacao trees are left untouched for hundreds of years.¹

The unfermented white beans are milky in color with aromas ranging from citrus, nuts, honey, and toast.¹ The white criollo cacao beans have a 50-60% content of cacao butter, making them more rich in fat compared to other cacao beans. White beans contain less anthocyanins, making the beans less bitter and acidic and more mellow in taste than the traditional bean.

In 2007, Pierrick Chouard, co-founder of Vintage Plantation Chocolates, visited the region and realized the uniqueness and potential of the white cacao bean.² A development project to conserve and promote the rare varieties of cacao began, aided by a French NGO, with the goal of providing sustainable income for the local agricultural communities. A técnico, an agricultural engineer, advises the communities on cacao cultivation and post-harvest techniques, allowing yield and quality to improve with each growing season. The farmers maintain control over the lengthy post-harvesting process and receive better prices for their beans. In 2012, three cacao producing associations in the Piura region consisted of a total of 102 members producing 50 tons of cacao beans. Demand far exceeded supply, and the beans sold for $8,000 per ton in 2012.²

Known as the white porcelain bean² or, more romantically, Manjar de los Dioses – or the gods' nectar,¹ the exotic Peruvian white bean is no longer a flawed commodity, sold to make cacao powder and butter, but is both highly prized and a means for the local farming communities to be self-directed and create a healthy economy.

References

¹Caskey L. Peruvian white cacao – the world's best cocoa beans? Eatwiine^© website. Available at http://eatwineblog.com/2014/04/25/peruvian-white-cacao%E2%80%94the-world%E2%80%99s-best-chocolate-beans/. Accessed on July 7, 2014.

Lori Glenn,  Managing Editor