An origin guide to Papua New Guinea cacao — wood-fire drying as defining character, how quality correlates with smoke integration, dark raisin-like profiles, and how to roast and conch PNG beans to work with the smoke.
An origin guide to Peruvian cacao — Piura's grape and tangerine, Maranon's citrus, Amazonian fig and anise. The Pure Nacional rediscovery, white-bean fermentation, and Peru's transformation from zero fermentation infrastructure to genetic jewel.
An origin guide to Tanzanian cacao — the uniquely Tanzanian melon note, honey and dairy characteristics, consistently above-average scores, and how Kokoa Kamili's wet-bean purchasing model transformed quality.
An origin guide to Venezuelan cacao — four centuries of Chuao, the creamy Porcelana, Ocumare's consistency, and why Venezuela produces less than 1% of world cacao at extreme premiums.
The major craft-scale cacao suppliers, what to look for in bean quality, pricing norms, minimum orders, and how to evaluate a new origin before committing to a full batch.
A complete guide to making white chocolate at home using cocoa butter, milk powder, and sugar. Covers formulation, the bean-to-bar case for pressing your own butter, tempering at lower temperatures, and why white chocolate is the hardest to make well.