Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is the edible, natural fat that makes up roughly half the content of dried cocoa beans. White or yellowish in colour, it has a wonderful rich flavour and is one of the key ingredients in the production of chocolate.

Its low melting point, somewhere between 32 and 35°C, accounts for its characteristically soft and creamy texture – an attribute that makes cocoa butter appealing for use in food and cosmetic products alike.

Typically, 100g of beans produce 40g of fat. Due to the extremely stable nature of cocoa butter, it is easy to store with little danger of rancidity. Picking of the fruit occurs year-round and is still done by hand today.

The pods are sliced down from the trees with machetes and are cracked open to allow the removal of the cocoa seeds. These are then placed in fermentation boxes for three to four days – a process that is essential for the chemical composition of the beans and the development of their renowned chocolate flavour. The seeds are then sun-dried on large trays or on the ground, losing much of their moisture and deepening to a reddish-brown colour. At this stage the beans are called raw cacao.

Peruvian cocoa butter is a delicious and healthier way to enjoy chocolate’s great taste without any unwanted sugars and additives. Largely made up of cholesterol-neutral fatty acids, it’s perfect eaten on its own or even mixed with our Peruvian powder and agave sweetener for homemade chocolate treats.