— From planting the trees to converting beans into paste: the essence of the bean-to-bar, or shall we call it tree-to-cup philosophy.
Cuyancùa is part of Vai’s Salvadoran cacao collection and holds a very special place in Elisa and Juan-Ra’s hearts and history. Read on and discover what makes it absolutely unique.
Discover its terroir below, and go through our tasting notes and effects feedback to learn more about this beautiful cacao!
"Laughter emerged from here, slowly bringing us back to a regular mood, although we could feel the positive effect of the journey long after our cups were empty."
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.
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Terroir
ORIGIN COUNTRY
EL SALVADOR
AREA / TOWN
ATECOZOL, IZALCO
FARM & POST-HARVEST HANDLER
FINCA CUYANCÙA
HARVEST YEAR
2021
BEANS VARIETY
[Mix] LOCAL TRINITARIO ACRIOLLADO
STORY & INFORMATION
Beans used in the making of Cuyancùa are very special as they come directly from la Finca Cuyancùa, Elisa and Juan-Ra’s family’s farm.
The farm is located in Izalco and has been actively growing cacao since the early 2000’s. Beforehand they were focused on coffee, although very old and large cacao trees were to be found by the surrounding water sprouts. This diversification was seen as an amazing ecological opportunity which would also transform into a wise investment in the land and communities.
In fact, JR’s dad, along with planting cacao trees, created a local cooperative of cacao producers and a post-harvest facility. This had a real local impact in terms of economy and biodiversity. It also allowed maintaining a sufficient production quantity and ensuring a controlled fermentation and drying process, which are real staples in order to produce fine flavor beans.
The site was pretty well chosen for such a venture as it is precisely located on a land that was occupied, at least for a while, by an indigenous settlement. It’s apparently frequent to stumble on some relics such as pottery pieces or carved obsidian, as a few traces left behind.
Cacao trees there are surrounded by other fruit trees such as mango, banana, star apple, avocados, oranges, as well as tropical flowers, vanilla and cinnamon, making this tropical rainforest canopy as lush as it gets.
In terms of varieties, fine flavor trinitario acriollado, growing amongst various DNA-tested criollo trees, are in to make a cacao that bears a sophisticated profile.
On-site, Cuyancùa’s beans are handled by the small farm’s team, from taking care of the seedlings, to planting, pruning and harvesting, all the way down to fermenting and drying. Beans are then exported directly to Vai’s Sardinian manufactory where they’ll follow a minimal and artisanal making process.
It’ll allow to turn them into pure cacao paste. The process 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 then solidifies at room temperature, forming blocks ready to be chopped and turned into cacao drinks.
That’s what you can call a proper tree-to-cup process!
Details
IN HANDS
COLOR – BrownSMELL – Light dairy note, pecan nut, minty, yellow fruit coulis SHAPE – Blocks
IN CUPS
COLOR – Light brown, orange shades
SMELL – Vanilla, creamy, hazelnut FOAM – Off white
Tasting notes
Aromas:
Unripe mango, earthy, orange peel
Remarks:
This cacao wears a distinct vegetal profile, with concentrated aromas that result in a full-bodied taste. A strong taste that should please coffee enthusiasts.
Effects experienced
→ Gentle | Varying | Positive
Cuyancùa embarked us on a gentle roller coaster.
Its effect was always light, yet it took us from a relaxed and grounded state to quite a cheerful place.
At first we could feel a slight soreness in our bodies, combined to a will to disconnect from our thoughts. But after a while, we felt a pulling from upwards and that soreness transformed into a slightly exhilarating energy.
Laughter emerged from here, slowly bringing us back to a regular mood, although we could feel the positive effect of the journey long after our cups were empty.
Reading or being creative were two scenarios we envisionned while drinking this cacao, as it created a focus bubble where we could enjoy being unplugged, yet present.
We hope you enjoyed this content! If you’d like to try Cuyancùa, feel free to use our 10% discount code: CACAOINSIGHTS, available on your first order.
Read more about Vai's cacaos
— Commited to shining a great light on its Mesoamerican roots, Vai is in for sharing the love of cacao!
It’s a story of patience, determination, true friendships and respect of the land and what it gives us.
Vai Cacao is an Italy-based brand, their office and facility are located in Olbia, Sardinia.
The founders, Elisa & Juan-Rafael, debuted their venture in 2016 in quite an interesting way.
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