🎥 Video (2 min) — from the opened pod to roasted beans.
In the Dominican Republic, cacao isn't just an export crop: it's a countryside tradition handed down in families. In this short video, about two minutes long, we show you the whole journey, from the fruit to roasted beans, ready to be peeled and ground. Below you'll find each step explained.
1. The fruit: harvesting and opening the pod
The cacao fruit is called a pod (mazorca in Spanish): it grows straight from the trunk and branches of the tree. Pods are harvested by hand, cutting the stalk with a sharp blade, and opened within a few days. Inside are the seeds, wrapped in a white, sweet and slightly tangy pulp.
2. Fermentation and drying
Freshly extracted seeds don't taste like chocolate yet. They're piled up or placed in wooden boxes, covered with banana leaves, and left to ferment: according to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), this takes about 5 days for Forastero varieties and 2-3 days for Criollo, with temperatures rising to 40-45 °C in the first 48 hours. This is where the flavor precursors develop.
The beans are then dried, usually in the sun, bringing moisture down from about 60% to about 7.5%. The country distinguishes two commercial types: Hispaniola cacao, which is fermented, and Sánchez, which is not.
3. Roasting
This is the step the video is named after. The dried beans are roasted over the fire, stirred constantly so they cook evenly without burning. When the shells turn brittle and come off easily, and the air smells of chocolate, the beans are ready. Roasting develops the final flavor: every producer has their own “recipe” of times and temperatures.
4. After roasting: peeling and the bola de cacao
The shell is separated from the inside of the roasted beans, the nibs (granilla in Spanish). In Dominican tradition the nibs are pounded in a wooden mortar, the pilĂłn, into a paste that is shaped by hand into balls: the bola de cacao. It's pure, bitter cacao with no sugar: it's grated to make hot chocolate and desserts.
Dominican cacao at a glance
- According to IICA (2017), the country has about 40,000 cacao producers and about 150,000 hectares under cultivation.
- The Dominican Republic is described as the world leader in organic cacao exports (about 60% of global volume, IICA 2017 figure).
- Cacao areas include Duarte province (San Francisco de MacorĂs), Hermanas Mirabal and, in Puerto Plata province, Altamira and Guananico, with plantation tours.
Frequently asked questions
Why are cacao beans fermented before roasting?
Because fermentation develops the precursors of chocolate flavor. It takes about 5 days for Forastero cacao and 2-3 days for Criollo; the beans are then dried and only afterwards roasted.
What is a Dominican bola de cacao?
A ball of pure, unsweetened cacao, made by pounding roasted, peeled beans in a wooden mortar (pilĂłn) and shaping the paste by hand. It's grated to make hot chocolate and desserts.
What's the difference between Hispaniola and Sánchez cacao?
They are the two commercial types of Dominican cacao: Hispaniola is fermented, Sánchez is unfermented.
Sources
- ICCO — Harvesting & post-harvest
- ICCO — Processing cocoa
- IICA — El cacao en República Dominicana (2017)
- Go Dominican Republic — Del cacao al chocolate (2024)
- Kah Kow — La bola de cacao
Want to see cacao up close during your stay?
Message us with your stay dates: we'll share our tips for visiting a cacao plantation on the north coast.
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