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 217:
FossaKokoa Kamili 100%
100%darkTanzania - Rank 218:
Moka OriginsTanzania 85%
85%darkTanzania - Rank 219:
VivaniEdel Bitter Superior Dark
70%darkDominican Republic - Rank 220:
Casa BosquesDate Caramel 74%
74%darkMexico - Rank 221:
VivaniFine Dark 99% Cacao
99%darkPanama - Rank 222:
Casa BosquesTrinitario 70%
70%darkMexico - Rank 223:
Fu Wan ChocolateRed Jade Tea 62%
62%darkTaiwan - Rank 224:
Friis HolmO'Payo Milk Sansho 50% with Green Sansho Pepper
50%milkNicaragua - Rank 225:
VivaniDark Mallorca Fleur de Sel
75%darkPanama - Rank 226:
Casa BosquesPure Dark Chocolate 74%
74%darkMexico - Rank 227:
Essenzo CacaoDark Milk 60%
60%milkPhilippines - Rank 228:
Essenzo Cacao05 Davao 80%
80%darkPhilippines - Rank 229:
Standout ChocolateSwedish Fika
69%darkHaiti - Rank 230:
chocoMeChuao 100%
100%darkVenezuela - Rank 231:
Standout ChocolateBlack Currant 63%
63%darkBelize - Rank 232:
Åkesson'sAmbolikapiky Plantation 75% Trinitario & Black Pepper
75%darkMadagascar - Rank 233:
Chocolate MakersDominican Republic 75%, Cacao Nibs
75%darkDominican Republic - Rank 234:
Marou ChocolateVietnam 100% Dark Chocolate
100%darkVietnam - Rank 235:
Chocolaterie MorinQuetzal Noir 70%
70%darkCosta Rica - Rank 236:
Cacao DisidenteArcadia 100%
100%darkColombia - Rank 237:
MINANG KAKAOSea Salt 70%
70%darkIndonesia - Rank 238:
PARADAIDark Chocolate 77% Sugar-Free
77%darkThailand - Rank 239:
chocoMeChoroni 72% Candied Iyokan Peel
72%darkVenezuela - Rank 240:
SalahuddinMalawi Origins 55
55%milkMalawi - Rank 241:
AO Cacao60% Coffee, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt
60%milkPapua New Guinea - Rank 242:
Essenzo CacaoFlor de Sal Filipinas 72%
72%darkPhilippines - Rank 243:
Moka OriginsGhana 72%
72%darkGhana - Rank 244:
Moka OriginsBlueberry 72%
72%darkGhana - Rank 245:
Essenzo Cacao01 Madagascar 72%
72%darkMadagascar - Rank 246:
VivaniFine Dark 92% Cacao
92%darkPanama - Rank 247:
Moka OriginsDark Milk 58%
58%milkGhana - Rank 248:
Chocolate MakersSierra Leone Dark Milk 40% Sea Salt
40%milkSierra Leone - Rank 249:
Chocolate MakersDominican Republic 52% Coffee & cocoa nibs
52%milkDominican Republic - Rank 250:
Vinte Vinte100% Dark Madagascar
100%darkMadagascar - Rank 251:
MeurisseHIMALAYAN SALT
73%darkPapua New Guinea - Rank 252:
RaakaBananas Foster
66%darkDominican Republic & Uganda
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
Scan a Trinitario bar in Chof
Log your tasting, save the variety profile, and see how the claim on the wrapper compares with what you taste.
Android Coming Soon