Sisa
Source: Co-operative
Region: Northern jungle mountains
Department: San Martin
Elevation: 300-900m
Yearly Rainfall: ~2000 mm (79 inches)
Genetics: Local Native with criollos and Trinitarios
Harvest Season: Apr - Aug (major); Nov-Dec (minor)
Tasting Notes: Robust; citric fruits; mild red fruits.
Fermentation Style: 6-7 days in Tornillo hardwood boxes; daily bean rotation after first 2 days.
Drying Style: 6-8 days – sun then shade dried. On tarps and mesh drying shelves.
These premium organic beans come from the San Martín department. Specifically the province of El Dorado. Even more specifically the district of San Jose de Sisa, a predominantly mountainous 300 square-kilometre area that resides at an altitude of 300-900 metres above sea level.
It is here that this exceptional bean origin of mostly Local Natives with aromatic Criollos and Trinitarios are harvested by farmers of Quechua Lamista ancestry (although they like to refer to themselves as Llacuash). A premium mix with a general flavour profile that’s typically robust with citric fruits and mild red fruit notes but, of course, will change depending on the terroirs, sun, rain, and other seasonal factors.
The fermentation is done in Tornillo hardwood boxes—an exceptional type of wood for fermenting that does not add flavours to the cacao—and lasts six to seven days with a bean rotation done every day after the first two days. After a very well-controlled box fermentation, the Sisa beans then get transferred to mounds for drying, stirring the mounds for two to four days depending on sun exposure. From there, the mounds are spread out over covered tarps or mesh shelves where they finish drying in the shade. The total drying process typically takes around seven days but can vary due to cloud cover and weather conditions.
We’ve been working with the Oro Verde cooperative in Sisa for many years and are very happy with the consistency they provide in both fermenting and drying, which has translated into a bean quality that is uniform, reliable, and always improving.
The co-operative buys cacao from over 250 producers. We pay above market farmgate price and are extremely careful when we procure these beans. And, as is the case with all fine-flavoured cacaos, we encourage farmers to be very strict about only harvesting ripe pods. This not only allows them to sustain a premium supply that yields premium profit margins, but helps prevent such specialty cacao from slipping into the world of “commodity cacao” used to make industrial chocolate.
So, if you’re not making industrial chocolate, but rather something more artisanal and crafted, then this premium organic bean is definitely worth exploring.
5kg boxes available in our shop. For any other volumes please contact us.