Single-origin cacao comes from one place rather than being blended from beans grown in different countries. That place can be as broad as a country or as narrow as a single farm. The narrower it is, the more the origin tells you about what's in the cup.
Why does origin matter?
Cacao takes on the character of where it grows. Soil, altitude, rainfall and the trees planted around it all play a part, and so does what happens after harvest, because the beans are fermented and dried close to where they're picked. Beans from different places taste different, the same way coffee does.
Is most cacao single-origin?
No. Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana grow well over half the world's cacao, and most of it is bought in bulk and blended. That suits mass-market chocolate, where every bar needs to taste the same. Single-origin cacao goes the other way and lets the place show.
How specific should the origin be?
As specific as the seller can make it. "Single-origin" on its own could mean a whole country. A region is better. A named valley, cooperative or farm is better again, because it means someone knows exactly where the beans came from.
Is single-origin always better?
Not automatically. Origin tells you where cacao grew, not how well it was grown, fermented and dried. But a seller who can name the place usually knows the people growing it, and that tends to show in the cup.
Is Colombian cacao good?
Colombia is one of the countries the International Cocoa Organization recognises as an exporter of fine flavour cacao, a category kept for beans with distinctive aroma and taste. Within the country, flavour varies from region to region.
Where does Sierra Cacao come from?
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, a mountain range that rises from the Caribbean coast to snow-capped peaks. It's grown on mixed hillside plots rather than plantations, and harvested and fermented locally. All of it comes from that one region.
Try it for yourself.
Single-origin Pure Cacao from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. 11 sticks per pack, or a Month Supply of 33.