Atehuàn, El Salvador

— The existence of this cacao arised from the friendship and support between Vai’s founders and owners of la Finca San Fernando.

Atehuàn is part of Vai’s Salvadoran cacao collection and embodies what a local empowering dynamic can bring to fruition. We appreciate to feel the diversity between those cacaos even though they grow so close from one another.

Discover its terroir below, and go through our tasting notes and effects feedback to learn more about this beautiful cacao!

Cacao Guide

Vai Cacao

"It gave us time to notice small things and appreciate them. Far from being intense, we felt like laid down by a peaceful energy."

N.B. : This article contains an affiliate link and a 10% discount code available for a first purchase. These advantages are here to compensate the time and work we put in our project. Yet, we’re dedicated to staying objective in our analyses.
Enjoy them if you want to try new cacaos while supporting us 🙂

Terroir

ORIGIN COUNTRY

EL SALVADOR

AREA / DEPARTMENT

ATEOS, SACACOYO / LA LIBERTAD

FARM & POST-HARVEST HANDLER

FINCA SAN FERNANDO

HARVEST YEAR

2021

BEANS VARIETY

[Mix] LOCAL TRINITARIO ACRIOLLADO

STORY & INFORMATION

Beans used in the making of Atehùan all come from the Finca San Fernando, located in Ateos.

Only recently, this farm diversified its crops and opened up to cacao when it was formerly focused on coffee.

Vai’s co-founder, Juan-Ra, presented the environmental and economical benefits of planting cacao trees to the farm owners, who were then inspired to join the local cacao cooperative.

A team of six people are now taking care of the trees, as well as harvesting fresh trinitario acriollado beans, using modern and advanced techniques.

The farm is located on the outskirts of the Cordillera del Balsamo. Cacao trees grow amongst mahogany, cedar trees, as well as a local white cedar called volador.

Once harvested, post-harvest processes are performed directly on-site since the farmers took the time needed to master this craft.

Those beans are then born from a real will to bring to fruition local biodiversity and economy. They are the result of trust and friendship and were carefully handled, from planting seedlings to being imported by Vai, so far exclusively.

Once the beans are dried, they are packed and exported, directly to Vai’s manufactory. Here starts the minimal and artisanal making process that’ll allow to transform the beans into pure cacao paste. It is comprised of light roasting, winnowing, crunching and slow stone-grinding. Conching and tempering aren’t performed, as they would be in a classic process, in order, among other things, to preserve cacao’s compounds at best.

The paste solidifies into cubes, ready to be chopped and turned into a drink.

Details

IN HANDS

COLOR – Light Brown
SMELL – Tangy and spicy notes, cranberry, tiare flower, cinnamon
SHAPE – Blocks

IN CUPS

COLOR – Light brown
SMELL – Physalis, ghee, maple syrup
FOAM – Off white

Tasting notes

Aromas:

Full-bodied, black tea, toasted and vegetal notes, grapefruit, earthy

Remarks:

Atehuàn has quite a vegetal and full-bodied profile and it was hard for us to grasp specific notes among the global aromas we could taste. Tannins of a long-infused black tea were drying the back of our mouths while we could feel some bitterness in the aftertaste that reminded us of grapefruit. On the whole, an earthy taste from which we would reveal aromas with a hint of sweetener or a dash of plant-based milk.

Effects experienced

→ Calming | Focusing | Smooth

This cacao had a very gentle and calming effect on us.

It made us feel in our bubble, while still being present enough to be active. We could feel that it put us on a certain frequency and that it was very stable.

We felt relaxed in a somehow neutral place, from the start till the end.

When asking ourselves, we envisionned using this cacao for a smooth morning ritual, connecting with nature for example. Reading would also be a great option as it would support us in diving into a story or subject of study.

It gave us time to notice small things and appreciate them. Far from being intense, we felt like laid down by a peaceful energy.

We hope you enjoyed this content! If you’d like to try Atehuàn, feel free to use our 10% discount code: CACAOINSIGHTS, available on your first order.