Single Origin - Belize 80% - Mycelium Innoculated

Belize — Mycelium-Fermented Cacao

Limited Micro-Batch

In the early days of Cacaoworks, a visit to Floreo Farm in Stann Creek, Belize introduced us to an unconventional cacao lot, fermented not with ambient, indigenous yeasts, but with a controlled mycelium inoculation. The objective was precise — to explore whether a non-traditional approach to processing beans could articulate flavours not typically expressed in modern craft chocolate.

The first small parcel I carried home — ten kilograms in a suitcase — was processed by a fellow chocolate maker, due to Cacaoworks only being in the 'research' phase and not a full production factory. The result: "It's good, but nothing amazing', said the other maker.

A year later, with our own roasting and refining protocols in place, we revisited the same experimental fermentation. This time, the character was unmistakable.

What emerged was aromatically unusual and unexpected:

• Fresh, bready notes reminiscent of warm grain

• Sunflower seed and light toasted cereal

• A subtle, clean earthiness suggestive of cultivated mushroom

• Very low perceived acidity

• Minimal tannin, virtually no sharpness

The result is composed and savory-leaning rather than fruity — a profile that invites slower evaluation.

The texture is smooth and gentle enough that it could work beautifully as a 100% bar without becoming harsh. For this release, we’ve chosen to present it in our standard dark format so the character of the fermentation can be experienced clearly and in balance.

This is an exceptionally small lot but are presenting it to the Southern Albertan aficionados to test their palate, if this could become a resident bar for us! It wasn’t created as a gimmick, but as a sincere exploration of what careful fermentation can reveal in cacao.

For those who seek out single-origin bars out of curiosity and appreciation for nuance, this is a quiet but meaningful departure from the familiar.