Beyond Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario
To speak about cacao is to speak about one of the most important plants in human history. Its origin lies in the Amazon rainforest, a vast territory where biodiversity expresses itself in its fullest form. For thousands of years, cacao was cared for, selected and passed down by Indigenous peoples as food, medicine and a spiritual symbol.
Over time, however, the chocolate industry reduced this richness to a few simplified categories, concealing the true depth of cacao’s genetic, cultural and nutritional diversity.
The Amazonian origin of cacao and its ancestral roots
Cacao did not emerge as a commodity or a sweet indulgence. It was a living plant integrated into ancestral food systems and spiritual practices. Its value was never based on uniformity of flavour, but on its capacity to nourish, protect and support both physical and symbolic processes.
The Amazon rainforest allowed cacao to evolve freely, giving rise to an extraordinary genetic diversity that still survives today, largely unseen by the global market.
Beyond a simplified classification
One of the researchers who most deeply explored this complexity is Juan Carlos Motamayor, whose work challenged the conventional classification of cacao. His research demonstrated that dividing cacao into Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario is insufficient and reductive, as it ignores the richness of cacao’s genetic families and biological expressions.
Although practical for commercial purposes, this linear classification fails to capture cacao’s essence as a living plant and ancestral food.
Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario: an incomplete narrative
Traditionally, Criollo cacao has been described as having elongated, wrinkled and pointed beans, primarily associated with the Lake Maracaibo region in Venezuela.
Forastero cacao has been linked to the lowland Amazon, often labelled as inferior and excluded from the category of “fine” cacao.
Trinitario emerged as a hybrid between Criollo and Forastero and was rapidly adopted by the industry due to its higher productivity.
Today, vast areas of Africa cultivate Trinitario cacao, yet its true origin lies in the Amazon, from where it was transferred to germplasm banks in Trinidad and Tobago.
When bitterness is mistaken for a flaw
Under the label of “Forastero,” many Amazonian cacaos with deep purple beans are grouped together. These cacaos are often intensely bitter, not because of poor quality, but due to their exceptionally high antioxidant content.
Their bitterness reflects a richness in polyphenols and flavonoids, compounds known for their anti-inflammatory and protective properties. What the industry often calls an “excessive bitterness” is, in reality, a sign of medicinal and nutritional potency.
White beans and “fine” cacao: delicacy versus vitality
White-bean cacaos — known as Porcelana in Venezuela or Blanca de Piura in Peru — are valued for their mild flavour, lack of astringency and minimal bitterness. They are highly prized in fine chocolate making because they offer uniformity and softness.
From a nutritional and medicinal perspective, however, these cacaos contain lower levels of polyphenols, and therefore less energetic and therapeutic strength. What the market defines as “fine” is not always what is most nourishing or vital.
Cocoa butter and nutritional depth
Fat content is another essential factor.
White-bean cacaos generally contain 30–35% cocoa butter, whereas many Amazonian cacaos exceed 50%.
Cocoa butter is rich in polyunsaturated fats, which support healthy blood circulation and help counterbalance the excessive intake of saturated fats common in modern diets. From a nutritional standpoint, many cacaos dismissed by the industry are in fact more complete and beneficial.
Genetic diversity as living memory
The Amazon still preserves cacao pods with astonishing internal diversity. A single pod may contain ruby, purple, purple-with-white-tips and white beans. This genetic wealth is linked to families such as Contamana, found in regions like the Huancabamba Depression and the river basins of the Curaray, Purús, Marañón and the Iquitos area.
For generations, Indigenous communities selected cacao not by bean colour, but by the sweetness of the mucilage, allowing an immense diversity to be preserved.
Seed-grown cacao versus grafted cacao
A fundamental difference exists between cacao grown from seed and cacao propagated through grafting.
Seed-grown cacao retains its genetic memory, its ability to adapt and evolve, and its internal diversity. Each tree expresses a unique variation.
Grafted cacao, by contrast, fixes characteristics, reduces diversity and limits vital force. From an ancestral perspective, seed-grown cacao carries the memory of the rainforest, while grafted cacao follows a logic of standardisation and control.
Reconnecting through direct sensory experience
For those who seek cacao in its ancestral and medicinal dimension, the key is not repeating commercial categories, but returning to direct sensory experience: opening the pod, tasting the mucilage, observing the colour of the beans, sensing their astringency or softness.
In these simple gestures, cacao reveals its true nature beyond market standards.
The cost of standardisation
The industry requires uniformity, predictability and control. Anything that does not fit this model is marginalised. In this process, cacao loses its dignity and becomes a standardised ingredient, far removed from its origin as a sacred food.
The parallel with other ancestral plants is evident: once revered, later reduced or distorted. With cacao, this transformation has been quieter, but equally profound.
Cacao as diversity, memory and resistance
To restore cacao to its original place means honouring its diversity, recognising its multiple genetic families and understanding that each pod may contain an entire universe of flavours, colours and ancestral memory.
To speak of cacao is to speak of living diversity, resistance to standardisation and reciprocal relationship.
The true recognition of cacao does not lie in reducing it to three names, but in understanding it as it has always been:
a living being, an ancestral medicine and a bridge between the rainforest and the human heart.
The survival of ancestral cacao depends on preserving native varieties and traditional cultivation practices.
Choosing ceremonial cacao sourced directly from origin helps protect biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, and the true essence of cacao.
Alejandro Cerda Alvar
Researcher and Anthropologist
