Trinitario

A third variety of cacao called Trinitario is really just a natural cross between the Criollo and Forastero varietals and was created essentially by accident. In the early eighteenth century, vast numbers of the disease-prone Criollo trees were killed off by a blight that spread through most of Latin America. In order to bolster the dwindling supply of cacao in Trinidad, more cacao trees were brought to the island. When the new trees, which are thought to have been Forasteros from the Orinoco River Delta area of Venezuela, crossed with the remaining local Criollo trees, the Trinitario varietal was born.

Recognizable by their pinkish interiors, Trinitarios are heartier and more productive than pure Criollos. They also have the potential to combine in flavor some of the complexity of Criollos with the flavor intensity of Forasteros.