Cuban Chocolate and Baracoa Cacao: The Caribbean's Best-Kept Secret

Baracoa Cacao: A Five-Century Heritage

At the eastern tip of Cuba, where the Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountains meet the Caribbean Sea, grows one of the world’s most distinctive cacaos. Baracoa, the first city founded in Cuba in 1511, produces nearly 80% of all Cuban cacao in a territory where cacao plantations have been part of the landscape since colonial times.

The predominant variety is Trinitario cacao, a natural hybrid of Criollo and Forastero that delivers a complex flavor profile: notes of rum, wood, caramel, and tropical fruits that chocolatiers worldwide have come to treasure.

A Brief History of Cuban Chocolate

Cuba’s chocolate tradition runs deep. The island’s first chocolate factory, La India, was founded in Santiago de Cuba in the early 20th century. Legendary names followed: La Española, Baguer, La Estrella, and Armada, supplying Cubans with tablets and bonbons for decades.

In the 19th century, Cuban cacao was the primary source for Spanish chocolatiers before being replaced by Guinean cacao. The Baracoa cacao processing factory, founded in honor of Ernesto Che Guevara, has served as the national processing center for decades.

Cuban Cacao Conquers the World

The quality of Baracoa cacao hasn’t gone unnoticed by master chocolatiers. Several prestigious brands produce bean-to-bar chocolate with Cuban cacao:

• Willie’s Cacao (England): a dedicated importer of Baracoa cacao, producing single-origin bars
• Sprüngli (Switzerland): the legendary Swiss house offers truffles, bars, and Neapolitans made with Baracoa cacao
• Pierre Marcolini (Belgium): produces 72% Baracoa cacao tablets described as having “an intense, powerful flavor”
• Exe Chocolate (England): artisanal 71% bars crafted in micro-batches
• Cauma (Spain, Valencia): chocolate with notes of rum, wood, and caramel

Crisis and Rebirth: Baracocoa S.A.

Cuban cacao production has suffered an alarming decline: from 1,100 tons in 2022 to just 380 tons in 2024, with projections of only 150 tons for 2025. Poor state management and modernization delays have hit the sector hard.

But there’s hope. In August 2025, Baracocoa S.A. was established — a joint venture between Cuba’s Alimcor S.A. and Slovakia’s Proxperia, with a $31 million investment. The plan includes:

• Processing 7,000 tons of cacao per year
• Two Italian production lines (Mazzetti brand)
• Production of cacao liquor, tablets, bonbons, and filled chocolates
• Headquarters in Baracoa, serving both domestic and export markets

Chorote and Rumbumba: Baracoa’s Cacao Drinks

Not all Baracoa cacao ends up in bars. Local tradition has its own gems:

• Chorote: a hot drink made from ground cacao paste and fresh coconut milk. It’s Baracoa’s hot chocolate — earthy, rich, and unmistakable.
• Rumbumba: the nighttime version of chorote, enriched with Cuban rum. Perfect for tropical evenings.

These drinks are prepared in Baracoa’s homes and farms, forming an inseparable part of eastern Cuba’s culinary culture.

Where to Try Cuban Chocolate in Baracoa

If you visit the region, these are the must-see stops:

1. Casa del Cacao: small museum and café in downtown Baracoa
2. Finca El Sendero del Cacao: a visitable plantation with complimentary chorote tasting
3. Rancho Toa: excursion that includes visits to local plantations
4. Private farms in Yumurí: guided tours where farmers show the full process, from tree to cup

A Future That Tastes Like Chocolate

Cuban cacao stands at a crossroads. Production has fallen, but international interest keeps growing. With the Baracocoa S.A. investment, demand from bean-to-bar chocolatiers, and the genetic richness of Baracoa’s Trinitario cacao, Cuba has all the ingredients to write a new chapter in the world history of chocolate.

As the Baracoa saying goes: “In Baracoa, even the air tastes like chocolate.”

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Related articles:

• Cuban Rum: Complete Guide to Brands, History, and Tasting
• Cuban Organic Honey: The Caribbean’s Golden Treasure
• Cuban Tropical Fruits: Mamey, Soursop, and More