Trinitario Chocolate
The hybrid where most real-world fine chocolate actually sits. 335 Trinitario bars on Chof, from 110 makers, at an average of 72% cocoa.
Chof's Trinitario bars come mostly from Tanzania, Dominican Republic and Philippines, 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, caramel, citrus, 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 335 that name Trinitario, 92 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 73:
Barre ClandestineKilombero & Crème de Cajou 60%
60%milkTanzania - Rank 74:
KrakVietnam Anh Em B10 2021
70%darkVietnam - Rank 75:
AUROReserve 2017 Saloy Origin
70%darkPhilippines - Rank 76:
FoundrySemuliki Forest 70%
70%darkUganda - Rank 77:
Friis HolmTobago 58%
58%milkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 78:
TaucherliBali Honey Bean 70%
70%darkIndonesia - Rank 79:
mānoa chocolateKo'olaupoko 70%
70%darkUnited States - Rank 80:
Marou ChocolateCoconut Milk & Ben Tre 55%
55%darkVietnam - Rank 81:
FoundryPinalum, Malekula Is.
70%darkVanuatu - Rank 82:
ruvidoPassatempo
75%darkMexico - Rank 83:
SOMABến Tre, Vietnam 70%
70%darkVietnam - Rank 84:
TableDark 84%
84%darkMadagascar - Rank 85:
Bare Bones68% Dominican Salted Chocolate
68%darkDominican Republic - Rank 86:
Beau CacaoSingle Estate Chocolate
73%darkMalaysia - Rank 87:
ChocolatoaCosta Rica Nahua Plantations Maleku 75%
75%darkCosta Rica - Rank 88:
KrakTanzania Kokoa Kamili 2021
70%darkTanzania - Rank 89:
TamanIndonesia West Papua Ransiki 72%
72%darkIndonesia - Rank 90:
TamanPhilippines Davao Mana 74%
74%darkPhilippines - Rank 91:
AO CacaoMilne Bay 70%
70%darkPapua New Guinea - Rank 92:
BelvasGrand Cru Armayari 85%
85%darkPeru - Rank 93:
ShoukaChocolat Lait 52% Cacao
52%milkVenezuela - Rank 94:
ruvidoZenith
75%darkTanzania - Rank 95:
AURODon Papa Rum Infused 70%
70%darkPhilippines - Rank 96:
Chocolaterie MorinPablino Noir 70%
70%darkPeru - Rank 97:
CHOCOLATE TREEBelize Black
100%darkBelize - Rank 98:
ruvidoAfterhours
75%darkCosta Rica - Rank 99:
ZOTOEl Castillero Trinitario Blend
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 100:
Coco CaravanBaracoa 72% Cuba
72%darkCuba - Rank 101:
Standout ChocolateUrubamba 70%
70%darkPeru - Rank 102:
Coco CaravanKokoa Kamili 75%
75%darkTanzania - Rank 103:
HerufekDominican Republic 72%
72%darkDominican Republic - Rank 104:
ZotterLabooko Guatemala 75%
75%darkGuatemala - Rank 105:
SOMAGreen Tangerine
70%darkMadagascar - Rank 106:
TamanTanzania Kilombero Valley Kokoa Kamili 72%
72%darkTanzania - Rank 107:
KAICAO75% Rep. Dominicana
75%darkDominican Republic - Rank 108:
JULAID70% India
70%darkIndia
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 335 Trinitario chocolate bars, from 110 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, Friis Holm, Marou Chocolate, 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
Learn more
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