Our Process
From beginning to end.
From Seed to Your Table
Every cacao product begins with a single seed and a commitment to preserving the ancestral way of cultivating cacao.
At Cacao Senses, every step of our process is done with intention. We germinate each cacao plant by hand, carefully nurture every tree, and harvest each pod at peak ripeness to ensure the highest quality from the very beginning.
01. Germination & Growth
01. Germination & Growth
Each cacao plant begins with care. Our plants are germinated by hand, nurtured from the soil, and monitored as they grow. This early stage helps us protect the quality and future character of every cacao tree.
02. Harvesting at Peak Ripeness
Cacao pods are harvested by hand at peak ripeness. This allows us to select fruit at the right moment, when the cacao is ready to begin its transformation.
02. Harvesting at Peak Ripeness
03. Opening the Cacao Fruit
03. Opening the Cacao Fruit
Once harvested, the cacao fruit is opened carefully to reveal the fresh pulp and seeds inside. This is where the transformation from fruit to cacao begins.
04. Manual Selection
The fresh cacao beans are manually sorted and selected. This hands-on step helps us separate the best fruit and prepare each batch for fermentation.
04. Manual Selection
05. Six-Day Fermentation
05. Six-Day Fermentation
Once harvested, the cacao fruit is opened carefully to reveal the fresh pulp and seeds inside. This is where the transformation from fruit to cacao begins.
05.1 Key Quality Indicators
During fermentation and drying, we monitor key quality indicators such as humidity, temperature, and pH to guide each batch and preserve the natural character of the cacao.
05.1 Key Quality Indicators
06. Sun-Drying
06. Sun-Drying
After fermentation, the cacao beans are slowly sun-dried and carefully rotated by hand. This step helps reduce moisture while preserving the cacao’s natural aroma, flavor, and quality.
07. Bean Evaluation
Each batch is evaluated to understand its fermentation, color, aroma, and quality. This allows us to confirm that the beans have reached the right profile before they move forward in the process.
07. Bean Evaluation
08. Ready for Transformation
08. Ready for Transformation
Once dried, selected, and evaluated, the beans are ready to be transformed into our cacao products — nibs, powder, butter, tea, paste, wafers, and more.