Evaluation 5
SWEET FRUITY 2.5
CITRUS FRUITY 2.9
FLORAL 0.8
CREOLE 3.2
COCOA 3.1
WOODSY 0.1
SPICES 1.6
ANNUAL PRODUCTION (MT) 75
MAIN HARVEST OCT-FEB
MID HARVEST FEB-MAY
CREOLE BEANS 18%
FERMENTED BEANS 88%
PURPLE BEANS 10%
SLATEY BEANS 2%
TOTAL 100%
Beans / 100g: 90
g./1 Bean: 1.12 g
CERTIFIED NO
AWARDS NO
Physical and Organoleptic Characteristics
Positive Flavors
Sweet Fruity Raisins • Dried plums
Citrus Fruity Orange
Floral Orange • Tangerine
Creole Malt • Sugarcane • Panela • Roasted peanuts • Almonds • Walnut • Caramel
Cocoa Cocoa
Woodsy 
Spices 
Assessment
F = Flavor:
STRONG Nutty flavor notes
A = Aroma:
STRONG Pronounced fruity and floral essences
F = Fermentation:
HIGH Low levels of astringency and bitterness
Cut Test Analysis
El Tesoro cocoa has Trinitario genetics with low Creole ancestry, producing 6% white beans that provide its quality and aroma.
Its cut test shows fermented beans (±90%), purple beans (±2%) and slatey beans (±8%).
Regarding weight, beans typically contain 84 almonds per 100g, meaning each almond weighs 1.19g.
Flavor Map
"This distinguished bean features Creole characteristics such as: Panela, malt, Walnut and Peanut, with predominant strong cocoa flavor and citrus notes like Grapefruit and Orange Peel, confirmed by aftertaste with pronounced dried fruits and raisins, enhanced by fresh forest, wood and spice notes of cinnamon and cloves."
Sensory Map
Main characteristics include moderate cocoa flavor intensity with citrus acidity of Orange and Grapefruit; black fruit sweetness like raisins and nuts; Creole notes of walnuts, peanuts, panela, malt and honey; spice hints of cloves and cinnamon; maintaining balanced astringency and bitterness levels.
Post-Harvest Benefit
For the development of the Cacao El Tesoro product, the following stages must be completed, beginning with the harvesting process, which is carried out by collecting the fruit with a machete or with a stick (a scythe) if the branch is very high; Once the product is collected, it is transported to the site where the cracking, bean extraction, fermentation, and drying processes will take place.
Refining Protocol
Cacao Type
Trinitario &
Criollo
Fermentation Days
3 days
Fermentation Days
-
Type of box: Wood
-
Turning frequency: every 24 hours
-
Fermentation Method: For the execution of the Post-Harvest process, they have fermentation boxes, 9 raised drawers, three measuring 70x70x70 cm and two 60x60x60 cm drawers, storing between 60 and 80 kg of cacao.
Drying Protocol
Cacao Type
Trinitario &
Criollo
Drying Days
4 to 5 days
Drying Techniques
-
Floor Type: Cement / concrete
-
Humidity: 7.5%
-
Drying Method: Sun
The drying procedure consists of spreading the cocoa beans in a thin layer on a bed of cement or wood exposed to the sun and stirring with wooden rakes. The drying time will be determined by the current weather conditions and the color of the cocoa beans.
Traceability
certifications and awards
Certificate of origin and traceability that guarantees the origin of the cocoa bean.
The El Tesoro processing plant was created out of the need to obtain fine cocoa. The post-harvest process in the southern area of the lake was carried out in a rudimentary manner. They placed the cocoa slime in polypropylene bags for 5 days, with artificial drying, which diminished the quality obtained in the cocoa bean. With the creation of the processing plant, it is possible to work together with the producers in the area and support them through the plant staff with techniques that improve post-harvest processes, increasing the potential for cocoa quality.
The plant currently has 4 people in charge of the main tasks, with approximately 75 producers who deliver the cocoa slime to carry out the post-harvest process. A capacity of 150 tons per year, with a high harvest from September to February, a medium harvest from February to May, and a low harvest from June to August.
The inhabitants of the area live in modest houses, striking for the joyful colors of their facades. They plant and harvest cocoa, oranges, yucca, and pineapples, both for their own consumption and as an economic means of subsistence.
Among their traditions is the cult of Saint Benedict, also known as the Moor. Celebrated on December 27, Saint Benedict is included in gaitas and Christmas festivities. The cult was introduced by Franciscan priests in the 1600s to the plantations and haciendas south of Lake Maracaibo as a way to evangelize the African slaves who worked there. These festivals are characterized by a cultural and religious syncretism that blends the indigenous, African, and European roots that make up the Venezuelan folklore.
It stands out in tourism The Catatumbo Lightning has allowed the growth of tourism in Congo Mirador, a village made up of stilt houses and inhabited by indigenous people, where you can witness the spectacle offered by this gift of Venezuelan nature. This natural phenomenon is the main generator of ozone in the world with a contribution of 10%.
Another emblematic place is the town of BOBURES, where sun and beach tourism has been promoted by its own inhabitants as an economic alternative, driven by the attraction of its waters and the sandy shores. In this population, the customs of their ancestors, the African slaves who They came to work on the cocoa plantations, subdued by the conquistadors. In the town, you can see narrow streets with brightly painted houses, with large doors and windows, which are vestiges of the Spanish passage through their fertile lands, now dedicated to livestock and agriculture.
Geographic Location and Ecology
Geographic Location
- Country: Venezuela
- State: Merida
- Municipality: Caracciolo Parra Olmedo
- Area: 607 Km2
- Average altitude: 125 M
- GPS Coordinates: 8º55´6.25"N 71º18´26.53"W
- Population: 32,678
South of Lake Maracaibo region spans multiple municipalities in Zulia and Merida states, Venezuela - center of Venezuelan Creole cocoa magic.
Ecology
Located at 150m elevation in Andean foothills with numerous rivers, the area combines livestock farming with cocoa, citrus and coffee cultivation. Maintains environmental balance with native forests hosting diverse fauna.
History
The name El Tesoro comes from the amount of treasure buried in the grounds of what was once the "El Tesoro" farm. Several of them have been found, and according to the residents of this area, many others are still there. It is known that these treasures came from the pirates who lived in the southern part of the lake during the Hispanic era. More recently, the El Tesoro farm was formed in the 1980s by the merger of 7 farms, giving rise to what was known at the time as the El Tesoro farm. This farm was originally intended for cattle raising. The existing cacao plants were wild, and it wasn't until the late 1980s that cacao planting began.
The heart of southern Lake Maracaibo is undoubtedly the epicenter of the magic of Venezuelan Criollo cacao, where it is believed that a cacao plantation, or "espití," "chiré," and "tiboo," as the ancient indigenous inhabitants of these lands of the Motilón Indians called it, was found for the first time in Hispanic America.
Before the arrival of Europeans, the region was inhabited by indigenous Carib ethnicity, with tribes such as the Quiriquires. In 1592, Gibraltar was founded, and the region became a prosperous agricultural area through slave labor. During the 17th century, it was a target of the greed of pirates such as El Olones, Henry Morgan, and Michael de Grandmont. The southern part of the lake was under the jurisdiction of the province of Maracaibo and was part of various administrative divisions such as the Zulia Canton, the Fraternidad Canton, and later the Perija District, the Colon District, and the Catatumbo District of the state of Zulia.
In 1904, the Palmarito corridor was loaned to the state of Merida to provide an entrance to Lake Maracaibo.