Heirloom Cacao

Heirloom Cacao is an ancestral or traditional cacao varietal propagated on farms
or found in wild or semi-wild conditions that exhibit exceptionally complex, balanced,
and unique flavor profiles. To be deemed “heirloom,” the Heirloom Cacao Preservation, a non-profit collaborates assesses cacao with the US Department of Agriculture to locate, “genetically rare, diverse, and fine-flavor cacao.” Only after the heirloom designation is given are the genetics analyzed. Heirloom cacao doesn’t necessarily mean the tree is a thoroughbred either. Indeed, most of their heirloom designees are not. Beans from heirloom cacao trees can have DNA from many species of cacao trees, and such trees may still be rare and only found in small quantities in particular regions. These rare varieties simply may have DNA from many species of cacao which may very well be what gives them unique flavor characteristics.