Tasting the Land
Cacao growers in Piedra de Plata practice “dry farming.” In other words, they do not irrigate their cacao. As a consequence, To’ak’s harvest varies each year according to weather fluctuations. Embracing these idiosyncrasies of land and weather, and likewise engaging their consequences during various phases of the production process, is the art and challenge of tree-to-bar chocolate-making. Arguably the single most critical element of the entire chocolate-making process is the fermentation and drying of the cacao beans once they are harvested—known as the “post-harvest” process.
