The Central American, tropical paradise of Belize is bordered on the north by Mexico, on the south and west by Guatemala, and on the east by the Caribbean Sea and the second-longest barrier reef in the world. In the south of the country, the landscape of the Maya Mountains lowlands has been perfect for growing cacao since the days of the Maya.
Modern descendants from that great civilization still farm cacao, and Maya Mountain Cacao was founded in 2010 to help bring this uniquely delicious and sweet cacao to chocolate makers. They buy wet cacao directly from farmers and then fermenting and drying in a central location. For farmers, this model ensures a fair and stable price for their product, provides convenience, and allows them to focus on farming and family. For chocolate makers, this model provides cocoa beans of the highest quality, consistent in flavor profile and size.
MMC’s team is entirely Belizean Maya, and do they know how to prepare cocoa beans! They carefully analyze the sugars of incoming cacao and monitor the fermentation temperature and protocols for flavor development based on the harvest and time of year. After fermentation, the beans are carefully dried through a multi-stage process including both shade and direct sun. Once they are at the ideal moisture content, each batch is hand-sorted, and samples are lab-tested for proper fermentation and sensory evaluation before any cocoa is shipped.
With special cacao and careful preparation, Maya Mountain Cacao produces award-winning cocoa beans with world-class flavor. This is why they are one of the few cocoa bean suppliers we can trust in making our small batch chocolate bars.