Is Costa Rica Known for Chocolate? A Short Cacao Guide

Yes, more and more. Cacao grows in several parts of Costa Rica, and the country has its own craft chocolate makers and a chocolate and cacao association, ICACAO.

Where cacao grows in Costa Rica

Here are a few cacao areas that chocolate makers name on their labels and websites:

• Talamanca and the Matina River Valley, on the Caribbean side. MYZO says its cacao comes from the Gaitán family farm there.
• Turrialba, east of the Central Valley. Nortico Cacao Farm is a family farm in Turrialba that started in 2016. Dandelion Chocolate's Costa Rica bar uses beans from Hacienda Azul, near Turrialba, its listing says.
• The Brunca region, in the south. A Sibö bar listing names Brunca region cacao.
• Osa, in the south. Bruno's Chocolate uses organic Trinitario cacao from Osa.

Costa Rican chocolate makers

• Sibú (now also branded Sibö) was founded in 2007 by historian Julio Fernández Amón and journalist George Soriano. The goal was chocolate made start to finish in Costa Rica with Costa Rican cacao. Sibú helped found ICACAO.
• Nahua makes chocolate in Costa Rica with single-origin Trinitario cacao, its website says.
• Nortico Cacao Farm makes farm-to-bar chocolate in Turrialba.
• Gourmet Fields makes bean-to-bar chocolate in Costa Rica with Trinitario cacao.
• French Broad Chocolate started with a café in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. It now makes bean-to-bar chocolate in Asheville, North Carolina, and its Costa Rica bar uses Costa Rican cacao.

Sibú, Nahua, Nortico, Dandelion, Bruno's and French Broad bars aren't available on Amazon right now, so there are no links to them here.

What "single-origin" means

Single-origin means all the cacao in the bar comes from one place, such as one country, one region or even one farm. The label tells you where. It helps you know where your chocolate's beans grew.

What "bean-to-bar" means

Bean-to-bar means the same maker does every step, from roasting the cacao beans to making the finished bar. Farm-to-bar goes one step further: the maker grows the cacao too, like Nortico.

How to read a chocolate label

• Cacao %: how much of the bar comes from cacao. A higher number usually means less sugar and a more intense taste.
• Ingredients: look for added flavors, nuts, milk or other items you want or need to avoid.
• Origin or "made in": some bars are made in Costa Rica. Others are made in another country with Costa Rican cacao.
• Certifications: count them only if they're printed on the label or listing.

Ready to choose?

Shop Costa Rican chocolate picks, see single-origin dark bars, or find cacao and cocoa powder.

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