FAQs
Who can participate in the Cacao of Excellence Awards?
Individual producers, Associations of producers, Cooperatives, Private estates, National research centres
How can I participate in the Cacao of Excellence Awards competition?
For each Edition, participating cacao-producing origins establish a National Organisation Committee that oversees the participation of cacao producers. Cacao bean producers interested in participating should contact their National Organisation Committee to learn about the national submission and selection process. Contact information is published on the Cacao of Excellence website as soon as the National Organisation Committees are confirmed. .
What type of sample should I submit to my NOC?Samples should be at least 7 kg of well-prepared, fermented, and dried cacao beans.
Cacao bean samples submitted to Cacao of Excellence can be of 2 categories:
▪ Commercial Samples – prepared by cacao producers from commercial farms or a group of farms, possible to reproduce the same quality cacao at commercial scale (several tons per year) in subsequent years.
▪ Experimental Samples – derived from interesting new varieties (newly selected varieties or materials with special quality traits) or through new post-harvest processes (e.g. novel fermentation method, etc.). These samples may not be available yet at commercial scale, but may become so within a few years’ time. These samples may be prepared by cacao farmers or by research institutes.
Are there any minimal requirements as per the quality of cacao beans?
Selection is based on superior quality and consistency. Cacao beans must be carefully chosen for their exceptional quality and consistent characteristics. These can include the following:
- Harvested during the main harvesting season: Ideally, cacao beans should be harvested during the primary harvesting season to ensure optimal freshness and flavour.
- Processed to preserve and enhance flavour: The processing methods employed should aim to maintain and enhance the potential flavour development of the beans.
- Proper fermentation: Cacao beans should undergo proper fermentation, resulting in a balanced bitterness and astringency, with minimal presence of slaty beans.
- Optimal storage, packaging, and shipping conditions: From storage to packaging and transportation, every step should be executed under optimal conditions to preserve the quality of the beans.
- No additives during fermentation: It's crucial that no additional ingredients, such as flavour enhancers, fruit pulp, or juices, are introduced during the fermentation process, maintaining the purity of the cacao beans.
How do I send my beans / In what quantity?
- The selection and shipping of cacao bean samples to Cacao of Excellence is the responsibility of the National Organisation Committees. Once your NOC has approved your cacao sample to be submitted to Cacao of Excellencethey will be shipping the 7 Kg sample of well-prepared, fermented, and dried beans that you provided. Samples of less than 7 Kg sent to Cacao of Excellence will be rejected. Ensure that all bean samples are accompanied by the completed Excel Data Form, downloaded from www.cacaoofexcellence.org, with all information available on the sample and the producer. Ensure that a safety duplicate of 7 Kg of the same beans is in storage until the edition is completed. This is in case of damage, loss or any questions on bean quality.
Do I need to pay to participate to the Cacao of Excellence Awards?
- The registration fee is 100 USD per sample. The registration fee includes the evaluation process, a detailed Feedback Report and promotion among cacao buyers, traders and chocolate makers across Cacao of Excellence promotion materials and events.
When should I submit my cacao beans sample for the 2024 Edition?
Producers should contact their NOC to learn about deadlines for submission of samples at the national level. Selected samples in each origin should then be shipped by NOCs as soon as November 1st 2024 and by January 31st 2025 at the latest.
How does the bean selection process work?
- The samples are evaluated first as whole beans including the aroma. Then a cut test is carried out and the beans characteristics recorded. The cut test aroma is evaluated and used to determine the optimal roasting conditions to enhance the flavour potential of the particular cacao sample.
- All accepted cacao samples are processed into cacao mass and evaluated (blindly) by the Technical Committee, a panel of international experts in cacao sensory evaluation, following the standards and methodology outlined in the Guide for the Assessment of Cacao Quality and Flavour and using the Cacao of Excellence evaluation form, flavour wheel and glossary. The quantitative data is analysed statistically and the Best 50 samples representing the four cacao-producing regions (i) Africa and the Indian Ocean, (ii) Asia and the Pacific, (iii) Central America and the Caribbean, and (iv) South America, are selected. These Best 50 cacao mass samples are then processed into a dark chocolate by the Cacao of Excellence Laboratory staff, utilising a uniform recipe for all.
What happens once the Best 50 cacao mass samples are selected?
The selected Best 50 cacao mass samples are processed into a dark chocolate with the same recipe and evaluated blindly by a Jury Panel of approximately 35 professionals, including Cacao of Excellence Technical Committee members and chocolate makers, bean buyers and experts in sensory evaluation.
The resulting quantitative sensory evaluation data is analysed to select the 2025 Cacao of Excellence Gold, Silver or Bronze Awards (honourable distinction, without money value) representing the four cacao-producing regions.
Is the process anonymous?
All cacao bean samples submitted are assigned a random code by Cacao of Excellence ensuring that the entire process is carried out blindly and that no information about origins or regions is communicated to those involved in the evaluation and to anybody before the Awards are celebrated.
How long is the overall Award Process?
From the initial coordination with the NOC to the culminating Award ceremony, the process spans approximately 19 months.
Where can I find the Cacao of Excellence evaluation form, flavour wheel and glossary?
All forms can be found on the Cacao of Excellence “General Tools and Resources” webpage.
When will I get feedback on the bean sample my NOC sent?
Following the Awards celebrations, individual and confidential Feedback Reports are sent to all participating producers. The report includes the results of the evaluation of the physical bean qualities, the liquor sensory evaluation and in the case of the Best 50, the chocolate sensory evaluation. The detailed feedback can be useful to producers when interacting with potential bean buyers and chocolate makers. For samples with defects, recommendations may be provided when identified to a specific post-harvest process.
When can I find out the results of the 2025 Cacao of Excellence Best 50?
According to the 2025 Awards process, you should expect the Best 50 results to be posted on our website in June of 2025. This date may change, depending on cacao processing times and we will inform participants in email and via our communication channels on any changes to the date.
When can I find out results of the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners?
The Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will be revealed at the 2025 Awards Ceremony. The Ceremony is scheduled for late 2025 and is dependent on processing and evaluation duration. We will announce the precise date of the live and virtual ceremony with enough time to ensure that as many producers and their supporters as possible can attend the event in-person.