Tsalantum
Trinitario cocoa from Guatemala

This high-quality Trinitario cocoa is an excellent choice for those very special moments. Its external appearance alone indicates that this is a very fine variety of first-class quality. Its flavour carries you gently into full-bodied, creamy worlds of experience with the subtleties of citrus fruits, bananas and fine spices found in mixed cultivation. Our Guatemala cocoa has a rather gentle, yet exquisite character with a natural sweet and sour note and comparatively less dominant bitter substances.

This variety brings you into a pleasantly upbeat and inspiring flow state full of clarity, focus and energy. This cocoa is native to the highlands of the Alta Vera Paz region, where it is harvested and processed by hand by local family businesses that are committed to sustainable, high-quality cocoa cultivation and the reforestation of the local region.

At home in the land of the Maya: traditional craftsmanship and authentic hospitality 

Guatemala - an amazingly diverse country with an immense cultural heritage. The country may not be one of Central America's best-known travel destinations, but its scenic diversity and cultural heritage are absolutely unique and endearingly authentic. To the north, Guatemala borders Mexico and Belize, and to the south-east are the neighbouring countries El Salvador and Honduras.

The country's unique idyll is characterised by an immense diversity of special landscapes. Numerous volcanoes tower up into the sky and carve crowns into the horizon. On closer inspection, you can see that some of them billow clouds of smoke into the air. In fact, there are various active volcanoes in Guatemala, some of which are even still breathing fire. 'El Fuego' may be the most famous of them, whose fiery red glow can be marvelled at up close by adventure-seekers after a day's hike up to a neighbouring volcano, directly under the starry dress of the blissfully calm night sky. 

In the south of the country lies one of the most beautiful lakes in Central America, surrounded by colourful, lively villages. Elsewhere, magical crater locations and beaches of volcanic sand offer majestic views. The north of the country is less hot, but is characterised by immeasurable cultural value. Hidden deep in the tropical rainforest is an ancient Mayan ruin - a mystical place and a magnet for many spiritually interested hearts from all over the world. To this day, there are 23 different indigenous population groups in Guatemala, who have passed on their individual traditions and languages from generation to generation over the centuries. Indigenous tribes, most of whom are Mayan, still make up almost 40% of the rural population.

The country's cities are characterised by streets and houses in all kinds of colours as well as lively markets, where you can not only find all kinds of typical local cuisine, but also all kinds of traditional handicrafts made by the remarkably warm-hearted population. With a bit of luck, you can find true cultural treasures in this colourful hustle and bustle, such as the traditional masks that the Maya used to adorn themselves with during their ceremonies.

In addition to the rich flora, Guatemala's diversity is also reflected in the country's typical fauna. From exotic underwater animals to pumas and jaguars to the beautiful national bird, the quetzal, with its light blue-green plumage and reddish belly, the country's wildlife is enormously diverse and reflects the splendour of the country at all levels.

Symbiotic mixed crop cultivation in the highlands of the Santa Maria de Cahabon region

Our Guatemala cocoa belongs to the family 'Trinitarios Acriollados' and thus belongs to the variety 'Trinitario'; an excellent combination of the delicious Criollo flavour and the 'Forastero' variety, which is considered to be particularly robust. This cocoa is grown by family farms in the highlands of the Alta Vera Paz region near the Rio Dulce. Here, the cocoa can be grown in a mixed culture with various other crops such as Bananas, citrus fruits, pepper, cinnamon and vanilla which give it an exclusive character in terms of both genetics and flavour. Furthermore, this cultivation method, which favours diversity, not only provides additional crop yields for the family farms, but is also particularly natural and sustainable for the environment. One added value for the cocoa plants is that the crops provide an excellent soil structure so that the cocoa plants have sufficient support. Furthermore, the crops are selectively fertilised with teak, mahogany, cedar and pine trees, which complement the plants. shade so that they can thrive at full strength. Furthermore Legumes (ground cover) are integrated into the crops, which provide large amounts of nitrogen to the soil after their natural death.

A special feature of the cultivation method for this cocoa is that the soil is not fertilised at all, as it already provides the plants with sufficient essential nutrients due to its naturally high nutrient content.

After the cocoa fruits have been carefully harvested, they are not opened with a machete, as is usually the case, but with a cudgel. This method ensures that the beans are not damaged and that their high quality is fully preserved. The beans are traditionally fermented in wooden boxes lined with banana leaves. After the fermentation period, which lasts around seven days, the beans are placed in tunnels where they can dry gently in indirect sunlight. After drying, all the beans are carefully sorted by hand to remove any bad specimens, stones and any other foreign bodies. Unlike in some other countries, cadmium residues in the soil are generally not a problem in Guatemala. Nevertheless, laboratory tests are carried out every two to three years to confirm this. Strict attention is paid to the avoidance of chemical agents throughout the entire production process, from cultivation to the cleaning of the tools used.

An elementary basic principle in the selection of cooperation partners for our Guatemala cocoa is that their cultivation is in harmony with nature, so that, for example, no forest areas have been cleared for their cultivation areas. Another area of our cooperation partners' commitment is the renaturalisation of former cow pastures, in whose place a well-tended primeval forest is cultivated.

Another special feature of this cocoa is the production process, or more precisely, the way the beans are fermented. Instead of mixing the beans from all 25 or so family farms and then fermenting them together, they are processed separately. This allows customers to receive the beans from a selected family, which means that the individuality of the yields of individual partners is particularly valued. Another advantage is that the quality of the cocoa is guaranteed, as specific potential improvements in the quality of the cocoa beans can be addressed quickly.

A fruitful collaboration based on appreciation and trust

The farmers in our partner cooperative particularly appreciate the reliability and trust that is offered to them in their cooperation. In contrast to other traders, who occasionally use tricks in weighing, the farmers in this cooperative are paid according to their exact yields. Furthermore, our partner co-operative finances organic certification for the family farms, which significantly increases the market value of their cocoa. Stable and annually increasing purchase prices provide the farmers with financial planning security.

We are particularly pleased with the very personal contact between our partner cooperative and the local family businesses. The local people enjoy this connection, which goes beyond business, and are proud that their beans bring joy to the European market. Thanks to the personal contact, the local family businesses are not only interested in the price of their cocoa, but are now also increasingly focussing on the quality that the European market demands. 

Our partners are committed to investing in infrastructural development such as the construction of schools and local medical care. Through this initiative, people realise that our partners are not only concerned with business, but also with a sincere connection to the local community and its culture. One day, when the managing director of our partner cooperative asked the local family businesses why they had so much faith in him, they replied: ''You have never let us down. And we see your good heart'. The way in which our partner cooperative works together with the local Guatemalans shows that a co-operative relationship with a long-term perspective offers meaningful added value and produces sustainable fruit for all those involved.

A loyal companion on your personal development journey

The future-orientated values of all those involved in the cultivation and production process of this cocoa are of course also reflected in the way it works.

Tsalantum gives you the gift of vital energy to create your personal visions in reality. With ease, it supports you in recognising your diverse potential and new paths with clarity. It co-operates with you in a way that allows you to think big - giving you the self-confidence and basic trust to follow your individual path as a matter of course. This cocoa serves as a stable framework that also provides you with creative impulses to unfold colourfully. It is a wonderful symbiosis of flowing and fiery qualities - which brings you into an agreeable energetic flow in harmony with your personal rhythm.