Cocoa Liquor

The pressing of organic cocoa liquor produces two fractions in near equal parts - organic cocoa butter and organic cocoa cake (used to create cocoa powder). In the food industry, cocoa butter is an important ingredient used in the production of chocolate to create shelf-stable chocolates with optimum viscosity, mouthfeel and melt-point. In the personal care industry, organic cocoa butter helps create nourishing, luxurious lotions, face creams and lip balms that are solid on the shelf, but soften when applied to the skin. Ciranda offers both natural and deodorized CocoaRica® organic cocoa butter in blocks, disc wafers and kibbles. Natural cocoa butter has a mild cocoa flavor and aroma, while deodorized cocoa butter is aroma and flavor neutral with a paler color. Fair trade cocoa butter is available upon request.

Ciranda's CocoaRica® organic, vegan chocolate is produced from fully fermented cocoa beans grown by smallholder farmers along the foothills of the Andean Mountain region in Peru. The main ingredients — organic cocoa liquor, organic sugar and organic cocoa butter — are combined and refined in a state-of-the-art, dedicated non-allergen* facility. Before depositing, the chocolate is perfectly tempered to produce a smooth-textured chocolate with less bitterness and acidity. CocoaRica® chocolate has a rich flavor with subtle fruit and floral notes that is representative of the beans in this area. Choose from semisweet (56%) or bittersweet (70%) chocolate. Organic chocolate chips make excellent inclusions in cookies, nutritional bars, granola and frozen desserts. Organic chocolate kibbles are typically melted down to use as a chocolate drizzle for sweet and savory bakery goods and snacks, or for enrobing of truffles or nutritional bars. Fair trade certification through FLO and Fair Trade USA is available on all chocolate products upon request. When selecting a chocolate chip, the "M number" equates to mille (1000) and corresponds to the approximate number of chips per pound. For example, a 4M chocolate chip yields approximately 4000 chips per pound and will be smaller in size than a 1M chip with approximately 1000 chips per pound. Additional chip sizes and formats may be available for volume orders. Please inquire. *Produced in a facility that does not process the top 8 major U.S. allergens (wheat, peanuts, eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, nuts, soybeans).

Ciranda's CocoaRica® organic cocoa program includes GOLD and SILVER powders in natural or alkalized format with 10-12% or 20-22% cocoa butter content. Our SILVER cocoa powders are single origin, processed in Peru from Peruvian beans. The flavor has mild fruit and floral notes that are indicative of the cocoa beans grown in this region along the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Our GOLD cocoa powders are processed in Europe using beans predominantly from the Dominican Republic, and blended with beans from Peru and Ecuador. These powders have a full-bodied flavor and a greater solubility, making them ideal for dairy and beverage applications where texture and mouthfeel are critical. Natural cocoa powder is slightly acidic and offers the pure taste of natural cocoa. It is lighter in color than alkalized cocoa. Alkalized cocoa powder, also known as dutch-processed cocoa, is cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkali (potassium carbonate) to neutralize the pH. The alkalization process produces a darker cocoa powder with a richer cocoa flavor. Alkalized cocoa is usually more soluble in liquid suspensions. Black cocoa powder is further alkalized to produce a cocoa powder with an intense color. It is a key ingredient in the iconic creme-filled black wafer sandwich cookies. This powder is only available from our SILVER cocoa program. Both natural and alkalized cocoa powders are used across the food and beverage industry in many of the same applications. Contact us for help selecting the right cocoa powder for your application. Fair trade certification is available upon request.

Organic fermented cocoa beans are roasted, crushed, and sorted into small, irregular shaped pieces of cocoa beans or nibs. Organic cocoa nibs are most often used as inclusions in granola, bars or frozen desserts to add a crunchy, savory bite with typical cocoa flavor. Ciranda's CocoaRica® organic cocoa nibs are produced from cocoa beans grown in the Andean Mountain region of Peru. Fair trade certification is available upon request.