Cocoa diversity and quality in Southern Mexico

Hugo F. Chavez Ayala*1, David Condori Cruz2, Julio Cesar Geronimo Castillo3, Said Toro
Uribe4
1

Division de Agronoma, Instituto Tecnolgico Superior de la Regin Sierra. Teapa, Tabasco.

Mexico. Hchavez14@hotmail.com.
2

Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Per.

URUSSE. Universidad Autnoma de Chapingo. Teapa, Tabasco. Mxico.

Universidad Industrial de Santander. Bucaramanga, Colombia.

Three regions in Southern Mexico (Soconusco, North Chiapas-South Tabasco and Chontalpa),
hold a cocoa cultural history that was found to be at least 3000 years old with the identification
of theobromine in Olmec vessels from the inferior preclassic (1800-1000 BC) in 2013. The
uninterrupted cacao and chocolate consumption in the area has endured the fall and rise of
several civilizations starting with the Olmec, continuing with the Maya, the Aztecs, the New
Spain finally arriving at modern day Mexico. This tradition reflects on present days great
diversity of ways for consuming cacao.
A prospective study was conducted to identify criollo varieties in the region that have maintained
their characteristics after the introduction of the forasteros in the 1930s. Much of the research
has been conducted in the North Chiapas-South Tabasco region because this area has more
isolated cocoa plots than the mainstream production regions of Chontalpa and Soconusco. Eight
criollo types where found in scattered plots. The pods vary in size, shape and rugosity; but they
share the characteristic of light pink or white cotyledons.
To assess the quality of local criollos three types were selected for further testing. They come
from established criollo plantations, two of them from the north of Chiapas and one of them from
Chontalpa. The fine flavor potential for fermented and dried beans was assessed by formal
academic tests and the beans got 4 and 5 out of 5 for overall preference. Different aromas were
found, among them Pecan Nut, Citric, Banana, Peach, White Flowers, Wood, Grapes and
Mango. The theobromine/caffeine ratio was generally low: 2.1, 2.3 and 4; in concordance to
other criollos. Cadmium content was around 800 mcg/kg, and although the European Union
legislation doesnt cover fermented and dried beans, the cadmium content of the final products
will surely be below the safety standard once the beans are transformed. Finally chocolate
quality was tested by a commercial Swiss chocolate maker giving one of the samples 100%
potential high end fine flavor market prospect and another one 83%. We conclude that the
quality and diversity is high in Southern Mexico and we advise the establishment of germplasm
banks and also the training of cacao and chocolate testers in the region for further studies.