Soma’s Got Good Genes: Nature and Nurture in Cacao Farming

August 05, 2025

Humans started consuming and cultivating cacao 5300 years ago. Migration and commerce spread cacao through Central and Tropical South America, and into the Caribbean. From 1500, European influence carried cacao to tropical areas around the globe.

At present there are 10 recognised genetic groups of cacao. Almost all cacao is not pure-bred (you have to go deep into the Amazon to find any that is), and genetic purity is not an indicator of quality for chocolate-making. Grapes are endemic to West Asia, but Chilean, Californian, and Australian wines are very well-regarded; in the same way, good cacao can grow anywhere wet and tropical.

BIOLOGY

At the moment, Soma sells cacao from five origins.

Our Peruvian cacao, (back in stock this week!) grown by a cooperative of Ashaninka people in the Amazon basin, belongs to the Criollo Nacional varietal, which is genetically rich and endemic to that region.

Our Mexican cacao belongs to the Almendra Blanca varietal, famous for its spicy fruitiness and uniquely pale beans.

Our Karkar Island cacao (back in stock TOMORROW!) is Trinitario, although Farmer Paul is breeding in some local PNG hybrids to make his crop more resistant to local pests. Karkar Island is in Madang province, famed for earthy and robust cacaos.

Our Solomon Islands cacao comes from a collective of old farms that were recently reinvigorated by the collective we buy from. It’s hard to say exactly what varietal the cacao belongs to, since there were many separate plantings and a lot of interbreeding. It’s fair to say that the cacao we buy is mostly Amelonado, which accounts for its toasty mouth-feel and red-fruit zestiness.

Finally, our dear Daintree farm is a genetic hodgepodge that produces extremely good, organically grown Australian cacao. Farmer John worked closely with independent scientists and the Department of Agriculture to ensure his crop was high-quality and suited to Australian conditions. All his trees are brothers and sisters, but some have golden fruit, some sunset-red, some purple; some are tall, some short, some sparse, some dense. It is enough to call our Daintree cacao Australian and delicious.

ANTHROPOLOGY

Just as a Merlot can be delicious or average, and a Sauvignon Blanc can be the same, there is no genetic hierarchy in cacao tasting. A lot of flavour comes down to farming and processing practices, and the skill of the chocolatier that handles the beans.

We also think there’s another factor: the environment. Cacao is not inert - it affects the mind and nervous system in ways that other foods do not. For millenia, indigenous people have said that cacao trees have a spirit. We think that spirit is informed by the environment the trees grow in.

All our farmers are uniquely cautious about what goes on in the presence of their cacao trees.

Farmer Paul doesn’t let his workers smoke cigarettes near his processing facilities, Farmer John only lets his neighbours spray their crops when the wind is blowing away from his farm. The Ashaninka people perform planting and harvest rituals.

We think that each cup of Soma carries the spirit of the land it comes from.

You can sense the tremendous and ancient fertility of Karkar Island in the cacao she gives us; our Solomon Islands cacao feels like a paradise vacation. You can taste the fierce spirituality of Peru in our Peruvian cacao, and the feisty, sparkly cumbia rhythms of Mexico in our Mexican. If you close your eyes as you sip our Daintree cacao, and listen very carefully, you will hear the sound of sunbirds chirping in the FNQ morning, dreamy rain and whip birds, and Farmer John, bright and fresh in the morning, skipping out to potter among his trees.

With cayenne pepper for zip, ginger for health, and a pinch of black pepper for zip,

Rose, Alistair, and the team at Soma Cacao