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 217:
MesjokkeSwingin' Sunrise
72%darkTanzania - Rank 218:
BaianíSpecial Blend 88%
88%darkBrazil - Rank 219:
Fortnum & MasonIndonesia 80% Dark Chocolate Bar
80%darkIndonesia - Rank 220:
Monsieur TxokolaPérou 70%
70%darkPeru - Rank 221:
Beyond GoodSea Salt 85% Cocoa
85%darkUganda - Rank 222:
ZotterLabooko Tanzania 75%
75%darkTanzania - Rank 223:
TaucherliColombia Cacao Nibs 77%
77%darkColombia - Rank 224:
Moka OriginsGhana 72%
72%darkGhana - Rank 225:
ZotterLabooko Nicaragua 70%
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 226:
Lucid ChocolatierSakura 40% White
40%whitePeru - Rank 227:
Lucid ChocolatierPistachio
72%darkPeru - Rank 228:
TaucherliCameroon Dark Choco Cake 70%
70%darkCameroon - Rank 229:
VivaniFine Dark 92% Cacao
92%darkPanama - Rank 230:
Marou ChocolateVietnam 100% Dark Chocolate
100%darkVietnam - Rank 231:
AskinosieTanzania Coffee 72%
72%darkTanzania - Rank 232:
Friis HolmAnniversary Bar 70% Tobago Estate Chocolate
70%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 233:
Moka OriginsBlueberry 72%
72%darkGhana - Rank 234:
Bahen & CoPapua New Guinea 70%
70%darkPapua New Guinea - Rank 235:
Holy Cow100% Dark
100%darkIndia - Rank 236:
AskinosieMalted Milk 60%
60%milkTanzania - Rank 237:
Alter EcoNoir Pérou Intense Dégustation
96%darkPeru - Rank 238:
Nittedal SjøkoladefabrikkBejafo 67%
67%darkMadagascar - Rank 239:
AUROSaloy 100%
100%darkPhilippines - Rank 240:
La BrigaderieSaveur Feijoada 70%
70%darkBrazil - Rank 241:
Table01
62%milkDominican Republic - Rank 242:
PlaqKamili Praliné Pistaches
76%darkTanzania - Rank 243:
BlanxartBrasil 76%
76%darkBrazil - Rank 244:
Beyond GoodDates & Sesame 100% Cocoa
100%darkUganda - Rank 245:
Cacao en BromaZeus 90%
90%darkNicaragua - Rank 246:
Chocolaterie MorinQuetzal Noir 70%
70%darkCosta Rica - Rank 247:
Moka OriginsToffee Almond 72%
72%darkGhana - Rank 248:
Svenska KakaoDarkness 100%
100%darkTanzania - Rank 249:
chocoMeChoroni 72% Candied Iyokan Peel
72%darkVenezuela - Rank 250:
Standout ChocolateSemuliki Forest Uganda 100%
100%darkUganda - Rank 251:
Casa BosquesDate Caramel 74%
74%darkMexico - Rank 252:
Casa BosquesTrinitario 70%
70%darkMexico
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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