ORGANIC & FAIR TRADE COCOA PRODUCTS

Ciranda offers Organic and Fair Trade cocoa with an extensive range of products, from raw cocoa beans, cocoa butter, and cocoa liquor to alkalized and natural cocoa powders and chocolate chips and couvertures . We offer quality cocoa products to fit every flavor, application, and value requirement. Our ‘Silver’ lines of cocoa products are processed in the country of origin. Our ‘Gold’ line premium cocoa products are processed in the US or in Europe .

OUR PRODUCTS

COCOA BEANS

We offer full containers of single origin organic cocoa beans from several countries on special order.

COCOA NIBS

The nibs are made by roasting and breaking the cocoa beans into its naturally grown segments which are about 1 to 3 mm in diameter. The nibs are cleaned and calibrated. They can then be used in various baking applications as a crunchy cocoa ingredient.

COCOA LIQUOR

The cocoa liquor, also known as mass, is produced by finely grinding roasted cocoa beans to a smooth, liquid state and then cooling and forming into blocks or wafers. The liquor contains between 51 and 53% cocoa butter and between 47 and 49% solids (10-12% fat cocoa powder).

COCOA BUTTER

Cocoa butter is the natural, cream-colored vegetable fat extracted from the cocoa liquor. It is available in both natural and deodorized (neutral flavor) versions. It adds smoothness and flavor to chocolates and is also used in the body care industry.

COCOA POWDER

Cocoa powders are available in natural and alkalized (Dutch process) and in two fat levels, 10 and 20%. Alkalized cocoa is a bit more soluble, slightly darker in color, fuller in taste, and has a neutral to alkaline pH. The low fat cocoa powder contains 10 to12% cocoa butter and is used in a wide range of products including dairy and soy based drinks, baked goods, and ice creams. The high fat cocoa powder contains 20 to 22% cocoa butter and, due to the extra fat, carries fuller flavor for premium product applications. We also carry organic Black Cocoa Powder (pH 8) which is used for color and flavor in sandwich creams and other cookies or baked goods.

CHOCOLATE COUVERTURES & COATINGS, CHIPS & WAFERS

These chocolate products are used for coating bars, cookies and making finished chocolates. CIRANDA offers cocoabutter based couvertures with a 56% and 70% cocoa solid content.

FARMING AND PROCESSING

THE COCOA TREE (Theobroma) originated in Central America where it was cultivated by the Aztecs. The natural habitat of the cocoa tree is in the lower levels of the evergreen rainforest, 15 degrees north and south of the equator in areas like West Africa , Southeast Asia and Latin America . Climatic factors, particularly temperature and rainfall, are important for optimum growth. There are two major varieties of cocoa grown today: high yielding Forastero accounts for about 70% of the worlds’ bulk cocoa and Trinitario trees supply higher quality ‘flavor’ type beans.

A TYPICAL ORGANIC COCOA FARMER in Latin America owns 5 to 20 acres of land and belongs to a cocoa grower’s cooperative. Farmers grow staple crops beside the cocoa and intercrop the cocoa trees regularly with papayas, mangos, bananas and other food crops. Ripe pods are picked from the trees and opened to extract the wet beans which are covered with a white pulp. Beans are fermented for 5 to 6 days which develops the characteristic chocolate flavor and color and then are sun-dried. Some cocoa beans are not fermented. They are sold as “Sanchez” beans and they do not develop the typical cocoa flavor. Ciranda has a policy to only work with fermented or “ Hispaniola ” type beans.

PROCESSING Cocoa beans are cleaned to remove the shell, roasted, and then ground to make cocoa liquor or mass. In some cases, the addition of approved alkali materials (potassium carbonate) changes the pH and develops a richer flavor and deeper color. By pressing through a filter the cocoa liquor is separated into cocoa butter and cocoa powder.

FAIR TRADE COCOA

Ciranda ’s cocoa beans are supplied by small scale organic farmer cooperatives like our Fair-Trade partners in the Dominican Republic , Peru and other cocoa growing regions. These farmers are supported in their work of producing healthy, high-quality cocoa with technical support by organic agronomists and tree nurseries for seedlings. Fair Trade is a partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, disad van taged producers and workers. Fair Trade certified producer organizations comply with requirements related to social, economic, labor and environmental standards. Fair Trade producers receive a base price plus a premium if the world market price exceeds the base price. Certified organic cocoa receives an additional price premium.