Trinitario beans while not as rare as criollo still only make up less than 10% of the total cacao production. This hybrid strain spread from the Caribbean islands to South America in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Trinitario being the least pure has the a wide range of tastes and profiles of any other variety. The ratios of criollo to forastero, and terroir greatly influence the complex flavors found in this bean. They are also found in the Caribbean islands, Venezuela and Colombia and also in some parts of South-East Asia.
Trinitario Cocoa Bean
a) moisture: 5.5% - 6.2% maximum
b) foreign matters: 1.29% maximum
c) beans count: 91 to 99 beans/kg
d) broken beans / defective: 0.7% - 0.8% maximum
Munch with or without the shell
Valuable nutrients: protein, fibre, magnesium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, copper, potassium and (unheated) essential omega-6 fatty acids
