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 217:
TableNo. 2 Vegan Milk 59%
59%milkDominican Republic - Rank 218:
Dick TaylorQuinoa Crunch Milk Chocolate
55%milkUganda - Rank 219:
Feliu ChocolateChontalpa 70%
70%darkMexico - Rank 220:
Willie's CacaoSambirano Gold 55%
55%darkMadagascar - Rank 221:
ChokaicoVRAE Co-op 80%
80%darkPeru - Rank 222:
Moka OriginsDark Milk 58%
58%milkGhana - Rank 223:
KarunaBelize 70%, Fast dried
70%darkBelize - Rank 224:
MINANG KAKAOWest Sumatra 70%
70%darkIndonesia - Rank 225:
Myzo ChocolateMatina Costa Rica Milk 48%
48%milkCosta Rica - Rank 226:
Åkesson'sTrinitario Cocoa & Pink Pepper 75%
75%darkMadagascar - Rank 227:
Nordic ChocolateNicaragua 75%
75%darkNicaragua - Rank 228:
ZotterLabooko Maya Cacao 100%
100%darkBelize & Guatemala - Rank 229:
Åkesson'sSukrama Farms Bali 75%
75%darkIndonesia - Rank 230:
Åkesson'sAmbolikapiky Plantation 75% & Wild Voatsiperifery Pepper
75%darkMadagascar - Rank 231:
MirzamPapua New Guinea 72%
72%darkPapua New Guinea - Rank 232:
OrfèveBejofo 75%
75%darkMadagascar - Rank 233:
Chocolate MakersAbsolute Dark
100%darkDominican Republic - Rank 234:
Superfood CocoaKilombero Valley 83%
83%darkTanzania - Rank 235:
Beskid ChocolateMleczna z Kawą
55%milkBelize - Rank 236:
Malagos85% Dark
85%darkPhilippines - Rank 237:
SOLKIKIKablon 70
70%darkPhilippines - Rank 238:
Trinitario100%
100%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 239:
Monsieur TxokolaPérou 70%
70%darkPeru - Rank 240:
Beyond GoodSea Salt 85% Cocoa
85%darkUganda - Rank 241:
AskinosieDavao Fleur de Sel
62%milkPhilippines - Rank 242:
MinimalNew Roasted Green Tea Chocolate
68%darkVietnam - Rank 243:
ZotterLabooko Tanzania 75%
75%darkTanzania - Rank 244:
TaucherliColombia Cacao Nibs 77%
77%darkColombia - Rank 245:
Moka OriginsGhana 72%
72%darkGhana - Rank 246:
ZotterLabooko Nicaragua 70%
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 247:
MesjokkeSwingin' Sunrise
72%darkTanzania - Rank 248:
VivaniFine Dark 92% Cacao
92%darkPanama - Rank 249:
BaianíSpecial Blend 88%
88%darkBrazil - Rank 250:
Vinte Vinte100% Dark Madagascar
100%darkMadagascar - Rank 251:
Fortnum & MasonIndonesia 80% Dark Chocolate Bar
80%darkIndonesia - Rank 252:
TaucherliCameroon Dark Choco Cake 70%
70%darkCameroon
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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