Frequently asked questions

Here you'll find answers to some great questions that we here often. Have a question we didn't answer?

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What is "specialty" cacao?

There is no formal definition for what makes cacao “fine” or “speciality.” For us, “speciality” cacao requires two things: 1) it comes from trees with genetics that have a reputation for producing great flavor and 2) the beans have gone through a quality fermentation and drying process to develop that flavor.

This in contrast to bulk or commodity cacao that trades on global financial markets and is used in mass-produced chocolate. In commodity cacao, the priority is the cacao’s yield-per-acre rather than the the cacao’s flavor potential.

We seek out speciality cacao where flavor development is the priority, and we work with talented farmers and fermenters who take great pride in the cacao they grow and how they handle it during the post-harvest process.

What is the difference between cacao, cocoa, and coco?

“Cacao” and “cocoa” can be used interchangeably, and they both describe the fruit and seeds (called “beans”) of the theobroma cacao tree. The word “cacao” is more common in Latin America while “cocoa” tends to be more common in Africa and Europe. We use “cacao roasters” in our name because our focus is roasting fine cacao beans (some would say, cocoa beans) from Latin America.

Some folks also make a distinction that “cacao” is best used to describe the tree itself and the wet beans before they have been fermented and dried, and that fermented and dried beans should be called “cocoa.”

We always start our work with fermented and dried beans from the theobroma cacao tree, so if that’s what you call cocoa, then you can call us cocoa roasters :)

Things labeled ”coco” are typically made from the pulp or water of the coconut, and that’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax.

Why do you focus on cacao grown in Latin America?

Cacao was first cultivated in what is now southern Ecuador roughly 5,500 years ago. Then, starting 3,500 years ago, cacao was used extensively by the Maya, Aztec, Olmecs, and other indigenous groups in what is now Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and the northern part of Costa Rica.

Today, you can find awesome cacao growing all around the world between 20 degrees North and 20 degrees South of the equator, and there is great chocolate made from cacao grown in many different regions of the world: Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands, to name a few places.

We focus on cacao grown in Latin America because of the region’s deep history and relationship with cacao, along with our personal interest in connecting with the people and places of Latin America.

What does "direct trade" and "transparent trade" mean?

When a chocolate maker practices direct trade, they buy their cacao beans directly from an individual farm, farming cooperative, or fermentaria (the place where the beans are fermented).

This model of trade removes middlemen from the supply chain and means there is more “juice” in the proverbial “orange” for the farmer and fermenters. And because of this, farmers and fermenters who sell their cacao within the direct-trade model typically receive a price per kilogram well above “fair trade” standards.

This is really important for chocolate, because layer-upon-layer of middlemen is the primary driver of farmer exploitation, child labor, and slave labor happening today in the “chocolate industrial complex.”

Today, we buy all of our cacao from three importers. Each of these importers bought the cacao directly from individual farms, cooperatives, or fermentarias, and each of them take pride in practicing direct trade for the reasons listed above.

You may wonder why we use importers rather than buying directly ourselves. To buy direct, you need to order at least a 20-foot shipping container at a time, which is about 18 metric tonnes of cacao. As soon as we buy cacao in those quantities, we will buy directly. With your help, we can get there :)

So to answer this question directly, direct trade is the concept of removing middle-men between cacao growers and chocolate makers, and this is only possible when the supply chain is transparent and chocolate makers know each party involved.

What does "bean-to-bar" mean?

It means that we do ALL the steps required to take raw cacao beans and turn them into fine chocolate.

Our process starts by hand-sorting the raw cacao to remove any beans that won’t make great chocolate. We then roast the beans, five kilograms at a time in a coffee roaster. After that we crack them, winnow them, and stone grind them for two-to-four straight days until it’s chocolate. We then temper the chocolate, pour it, and package it up for you — and this all happens at our roasting room in Bozeman, Montana! We certainly have some cool machines, but what we do comes down to making fine chocolate in a very hands-on and intentional way.

Do you make ceremonial cacao?

From a product stand point, ceremonial cacao is simply 100% cacao paste. We make 100% cacao paste almost daily, but there is much more to ceremonial cacao than “the product,” and our view is that we don’t have the deep knowledge that is required to make legit ceremonial cacao.

Cacao has been used in religious ceremonies since at least 1,500 B.C. in Guatemala and 3,500 B.C. in Ecuador. And for many communities and shamans in Latin America, cacao is viewed as a sacred plant medicine. Because of this, we feel it’s really important to buy ceremonial cacao directly from these communities.

So, while we don’t make ceremonial cacao, we do carry brands of ceremonial cacao that we love in our shop. Everything we carry is made by companies that are 100% owned by folks in Guatemala, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, or other places with a long history of using cacao as a plant medicine in ceremony.

If you have questions about ceremonial cacao in general or want help evaluating a source that you are using, feel free to reach out. We enjoy working with ceremonial cacao and have appreciation for the process of making and using it.

Why "Caldera" in your name?

Our chocolate factory is in Bozeman, Montana which is on the edge of the Yellowstone Caldera. This supervolcano first erupted 2.1 million years ago, then again 1.2 million years, and most recently 640,000 years ago ... leading some geologists to believe we are due for the next one. This supervolcano created and still defines the landscape around Bozeman and Yellowstone Park, known as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Why is your chocolate more expensive than the chocolate at the grocery store?

It comes down to three reasons.

1) Our chocolate contains more cacao and zero fillers or binding agents

2) 100% of our cacao is fairly traded, and we pay a premium for exceptional cacao

3) We are a bean-to-bar chocolate maker, which means we start with raw cacao beans and do all the steps needed to make fine chocolate at our roasting room in Bozeman, MT

That’s the short story. If you want the full story, you should check out the blog post that we wrote on the topic and reach out if you have any questions!

What does "70% cacao" mean?

The percentage on a chocolate bar shows you the proportion of the bar's weight that comes from cacao beans. This percentage includes all ingredients derived from the cacao bean: cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder.

This means that the following two chocolate bars would BOTH be labeled 70%:

1) A bar that is 70% cocoa mass and 30% sugar

2) A bar that is 30% cocoa mass, 30% added cocoa butter, 10% added cocoa powder, 29% can sugar, and 1% soy lecithin

Our 70% dark chocolate is made 70% cocoa nibs and 30% cane sugar, and we take a lot of pride in making two-ingredient chocolate.

Cocoa Mass: This is a pure, ground form of cacao beans that includes both cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Cocoa Butter: The fat extracted from cocoa beans.

Cocoa Powder: The non-fat part of the cocoa bean, which is obtained after removing most of the cocoa butter from the cocoa mass.

What ingredients do you use?

Our dark chocolate is made from just two ingredients: speciality cacao and organic cane sugar.

We do not use any fillers, emulsifiers, or binding agents, such as soy lecithin or vegetable oil.

Are your ingredients organic?

We seek out and use organic ingredients when it is possible and many of our inclusions are certified organic.

About half of our cacao origins are certified organic and half are grown without the use of harsh pesticides or herbicides but are not certified organic. The process of becoming certified organic can be prohibitively expensive for farmers in Latin America, and for that reason we are more concerned with how the cacao is grown and less concerned with if has specific certifications.

If you see “organic cacao” on our label that means the product only contains certified organic cacao. If the label just says “cacao,” it means the product uses cacao grown without the use of harsh herbicides or pesticides but is not certified organic.

Why is chocolate so bad for dogs?

Cacao contains theobromine, which is a cardiovascular stimulant. This is one of the reasons why you may feel up-beat or energized after enjoying chocolate or cacao. Humans can easily metabolize theobromine, but dogs, cats, and other animals can not.

The higher the cacao percentage in a bar of chocolate, the more theobromine is in the chocolate. For example, you would expect a 70% dark chocolate bar to have twice the theobromine as a 35% milk chocolate bar, all else being equal in the recipe. For this reason, the darker the chocolate, the more danger it presents to our furry friends.

We encourage everyone with pets to be mindful of where they store chocolate or cacao nibs. If you find that an animal has eaten any chocolate or nibs, regardless of the percentage, it is best to get them to a vet as soon as possible.