Trinitario Chocolate
The hybrid where most real-world fine chocolate actually sits. 299 Trinitario bars on Chof, from 93 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, caramel, citrus, floral and nuts.
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 299 that name Trinitario, 85 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 181:
KAICAO60% Tahini y sésamo
60%darkDominican Republic - Rank 182:
ChokaicoVRAE Co-op 80%
80%darkPeru - Rank 183:
Åkesson'sSukrama Farms Bali 75%
75%darkIndonesia - Rank 184:
Åkesson'sAmbolikapiky Plantation 75% & Wild Voatsiperifery Pepper
75%darkMadagascar - Rank 185:
SOLKIKIKablon 70
70%darkPhilippines - Rank 186:
Nordic ChocolateNicaragua 75%
75%darkNicaragua - Rank 187:
Standout ChocolateCoffee & Cinnamon Bun
69%darkDominican Republic - Rank 188:
Original BeansUdzungwa 70% Crunchy Nibs
70%darkTanzania - Rank 189:
MINANG KAKAOWest Sumatra 70%
70%darkIndonesia - Rank 190:
Steiner & KovarikAluna 100%
100%darkColombia - Rank 191:
FjåkLingonberry & Reindeer Lichen, Nordic Collection
70%darkMadagascar - Rank 192:
Chocolaterie MorinYamasá Noir 63%
63%darkDominican Republic - Rank 193:
Chocolaterie MorinSambirano Noir 70%
70%darkMadagascar - Rank 194:
BaianíSpecial Blend 88%
88%darkBrazil - Rank 195:
Friis HolmTobago 58%
58%milkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 196:
Fortnum & MasonIndonesia 80% Dark Chocolate Bar
80%darkIndonesia - Rank 197:
Monsieur TxokolaPérou 70%
70%darkPeru - Rank 198:
Lucid ChocolatierSakura 40% White
40%whitePeru - Rank 199:
Lucid ChocolatierPistachio
72%darkPeru - Rank 200:
Beyond GoodSea Salt 85% Cocoa
85%darkUganda - Rank 201:
AskinosieTanzania Coffee 72%
72%darkTanzania - Rank 202:
MirzamPapua New Guinea 72%
72%darkPapua New Guinea - Rank 203:
MinimalNew Roasted Green Tea Chocolate
68%darkVietnam - Rank 204:
AskinosieMalted Milk 60%
60%milkTanzania - Rank 205:
Alter EcoNoir Pérou Intense Dégustation
96%darkPeru - Rank 206:
AskinosieDavao Fleur de Sel
62%milkPhilippines - Rank 207:
AUROSaloy 100%
100%darkPhilippines - Rank 208:
La BrigaderieSaveur Feijoada 70%
70%darkBrazil - Rank 209:
Table01
62%milkDominican Republic - Rank 210:
BlanxartBrasil 76%
76%darkBrazil - Rank 211:
Cacao en BromaZeus 90%
90%darkNicaragua - Rank 212:
Holy Cow100% Dark
100%darkIndia - Rank 213:
Beyond GoodDates & Sesame 100% Cocoa
100%darkUganda - Rank 214:
Svenska KakaoDarkness 100%
100%darkTanzania - Rank 215:
PlaqKamili Praliné Pistaches
76%darkTanzania - Rank 216:
Standout ChocolateSemuliki Forest Uganda 100%
100%darkUganda
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 299 Trinitario chocolate bars, from 93 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, SOMA. 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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