Daabon Group has acquired the beautiful 4000ha. Shangri-La Farm located on the northern slopes of the Santa Marta Mountain, facing the Caribbean Ocean for the development of a strategic organic cocoa, avocado and banana project. The climate conditions, abundant water resources, rich soils and Caribbean winds provide the ideal conditions to develop the highest quality organic cocoa plants in South America.

In addition to developing our Shangri-La farm, Daabon is sponsoring the development of an additional 2000 ha. cocoa plantations in alliance with small farmer associations of the Magdalena, Cesar and Guajira provinces in northern Colombia. Daabon Group aids Fundalianzas in obtaining 80% of the required financing for the development of their parcels from Government sponsored financial institutions. In addition, Daabon Group backs up the small farmers’ associations in the remaining 20% of the required financing in order to enable them to fully fund their own micro projects.

Native Porcelana cacao species are still found in the Santa Marta Mountain, which are bred with more productive and predominant species in this region to produce an unmistakably almond flavored unique Organic Mountain cocoa.

About harvesting:

The cacao tree produces flowers and fruit all year-round. The cacao fruit or pod is egg shaped and measures on average 15 to 30 cm long by 7 to 12 cm wide. The cacao fruit contains an average 40 seeds. When the tree reaches maturity, the fruit will sprout from its trunk and branches. Once harvested, the fruit is opened and the seeds are taken out. Each fruit generally produces an average 40 almond-shaped cacao beans.

After the cacao beans are removed from the fruit, they undergo fermentation, a process that reduces their bitterness and helps develop their distinctive aroma and flavors. During fermentation, their sugar content, low pH and anaerobic conditions promote the activity of over 16 different types of yeast which turn sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The acid produced by bacterial activity raises temperature to over 50°C.. Fermentation takes 5 days and then the beans are sun dried at our own patios. After they are dried, the beans are ready to be cleaned, graded, packed, and shipped for processing.

Once the beans are classified, they are roasted and shelled to obtain the center cacao kernel or nib. To transform the cacao kernels into cocoa liquor, the nibs are ground between large heated rollers in high-speed mills.

Chocolate Liquor dark brown thick cocoa paste made from the ground up nibs of the cacao seed. Chocolate liquor contains 53% cocoa butter and 47% cocoa solids. Despite the name, cocoa liquor contains no alcohol.

Cocoa Butter is the vegetable fat in the cacao seed. Cocoa liquor is pressed to obtain cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is solid at room temperature but melts easily in your mouth.

Cocoa Powder is the solid portion that remains after the cocoa butter has been pressed from the cocoa liquor. Cocoa powder is classified by the amount of cocoa butter that remains after pressing.