Trinitario Chocolate
The hybrid where most real-world fine chocolate actually sits. 363 Trinitario bars on Chof, from 125 makers, at an average of 72% cocoa.
Chof's Trinitario bars come mostly from Tanzania, Dominican Republic and Madagascar, and every bar lists Trinitario the way its maker states it, not as a verified fact. Tasting notes that come up most often: honey, fruity, citrus, caramel, nuts and floral.
What is Trinitario chocolate?
Trinitario is not one cacao but a whole family of Criollo-and-Amazonian hybrids. It carries some of Criollo's finesse and most of the workhorse's vigour, which is why it grows almost everywhere and why its flavour is the widest of any group, from fresh fruit and berry to nutty, spiced and caramel.
Trinitario is what happens when delicate old Criollo crosses with hardy Amazonian cacao (Motamayor et al., 2008). The result is the most successful compromise in chocolate: enough of Criollo's aromatic finesse to be interesting, enough hybrid vigour to actually grow. That is why it is the most common variety in Chof and grows across the tropics. The name comes from Trinidad, where the cross is usually dated to the eighteenth century, after disease swept the island's Criollo and hardier cacao moved in; the exact date is told differently from source to source, so treat the story as well established in outline, not in detail.
Because Trinitario is a family rather than a single type, its flavour is the widest of any group. A Trinitario from Madagascar and one from the Philippines can taste like completely different fruits. Treat "Trinitario" on a label as a starting hint, not a promise: it tells you the bar probably has some fine-flavour parentage, but the specific cross, origin and maker decide the taste. Some cultivated Trinitario clones even carry more of their Amazonian than their Criollo parentage, another reason the word is a broad hint rather than a precise identity.
How to read a Trinitario claim
Every Trinitario bar on Chof shows the variety as its maker lists it, not as an independently verified fact. Of the 363 that name Trinitario, 102 list it as part of a blend rather than on its own; open any bar to see the full bean line its maker gave.
- Trinitario is an umbrella term, so the useful detail is usually the origin and the maker, not the word itself.
- Many bars labelled "Criollo" are genetically Trinitario, so a "Criollo, Trinitario" blend line is honest labelling worth trusting.
Best Trinitario bars
Ranked by the Chof Score
- Rank 325:
AmedeiToscano Black 70%
70%dark - Rank 326:
MalagosMilk 38%
38%milkPhilippines - Rank 327:
AskinosieDavao Orange
58%darkPhilippines - Rank 328:
François PralusRépublique Dominicaine 75%
75%darkDominican Republic - Rank 329:
François PralusTrinidad
75%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 330:
François PralusCuba 75%
75%darkCuba - Rank 331:
François PralusFortissima 80%
80%darkEcuador - Rank 332:
ChokaicoCafe Con Leche 40%
40%milkPeru - Rank 333:
AskinosieMababu Peppermint
58%darkTanzania - Rank 334:
MeurisseDark Orange
73%darkPapua New Guinea - Rank 335:
Beyond GoodSalted Caramel 73% Cocoa
73%darkUganda - Rank 336:
Gallette ChocolatesMilk 40%
40%milkBrazil - Rank 337:
arokoDelizia di Nocciola 55%
55%milkVenezuela - Rank 338:
chocoMeRugoso 70%
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 339:
MesjokkeStardust
57%milkMadagascar - Rank 340:
AmbrionaGrenada 65%
65%darkGrenada - Rank 341:
Steiner & KovarikAluna 77%
77%darkColombia - Rank 342:
The Belgian Chocolate MakersHaiti 44%
44%milkHaiti - Rank 343:
AskinosieMidnight Crunch Blend
68%darkTanzania, Ecuador & Philippines - Rank 344:
EthiquableCoco Passion 75%
75%darkNicaragua - Rank 345:
Trinitario70%
70%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 346:
The Belgian Chocolate MakersPhilippines 72%
72%darkPhilippines - Rank 347:
Marou ChocolatePhở Spice 65%
65%darkVietnam - Rank 348:
Green & Black'sIntense Dark 70%
70%dark - Rank 349:
Trinitario58%
58%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 350:
AskinosieFruit Punch
52%darkTanzania - Rank 351:
Alter EcoNoir Perou Sel Rose de l'Himalaya
56%darkPeru - Rank 352:
Beyond GoodHazelnut 73%
73%darkUganda - Rank 353:
Beyond GoodDark Chocolate and Rum Raisins
70%darkUganda - Rank 354:
Beskid ChocolateCappuccino
49%milkDominican Republic - Rank 355:
ValrhonaCaraïbe 66%
66%darkDominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica & Togo - Rank 356:
PipiltinBali 70%
70%darkIndonesia - Rank 357:
Gallette ChocolatesBrazilian Nuts 40%
40%milkBrazil - Rank 358:
Alter EcoNoir Pérou Quinoa Souffle
56%darkPeru - Rank 359:
TrinitarioScorpion Pepper 58%
58%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 360:
BlanxartNicaragua 85%
85%darkNicaragua
Where Trinitario grows
Makers working with Trinitario
Common cocoa percentages
Frequently asked about Trinitario chocolate
What is Trinitario chocolate?
Trinitario is a family of hybrids between Criollo and hardy Amazonian cacao. It inherits some of Criollo's aromatic finesse and much of the vigour Criollo lacks, so it grows widely and is where most real-world fine-flavour chocolate sits. Its flavour is highly variable and depends on origin and maker.
What does Trinitario chocolate taste like?
It varies more than any other group. Across Chof bars, Trinitario shows fresh fruit and berry, nutty and creamy notes, brown-sugar sweetness and a lift of citrus and spice. The specific cross and origin matter far more than the word Trinitario itself.
How many Trinitario chocolate bars are on Chof?
Chof lists 363 Trinitario chocolate bars, from 125 makers, at an average of 72% cocoa.
Which makers work with Trinitario cacao on Chof?
The most-represented makers using Trinitario on Chof are Standout Chocolate, Askinosie, Marou Chocolate, Friis Holm, Beskid Chocolate. Each bar links to the maker that made it.
Sources and further reading
- Motamayor et al. (2008). Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao L.). PLOS ONE.The DNA study that regrouped cacao into ten genetic clusters, retiring the old three-name folk model.
Related varieties
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