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 253:
Lucid ChocolatierSakura 40% White
40%whitePeru - Rank 254:
AskinosieTanzania Coffee 72%
72%darkTanzania - Rank 255:
Friis HolmAnniversary Bar 70% Tobago Estate Chocolate
70%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 256:
KaitxoDark Milk 50%
50%milkPeru - Rank 257:
Duffy'sNicaragua Amarillo 100%
100%darkNicaragua - Rank 258:
Moka OriginsBlueberry 72%
72%darkGhana - Rank 259:
Pierre MarcoliniMadagascar 78%
78%darkMadagascar - Rank 260:
Nittedal SjøkoladefabrikkBejafo 67%
67%darkMadagascar - Rank 261:
Bahen & CoPapua New Guinea 70%
70%darkPapua New Guinea - Rank 262:
AskinosieMalted Milk 60%
60%milkTanzania - Rank 263:
Alter EcoNoir Pérou Intense Dégustation
96%darkPeru - Rank 264:
Cacao en BromaZeus 90%
90%darkNicaragua - Rank 265:
Beyond GoodDates & Sesame 100% Cocoa
100%darkUganda - Rank 266:
BlanxartBrasil 76%
76%darkBrazil - Rank 267:
Myzo ChocolateMatina Costa Rica 70%
70%darkCosta Rica - Rank 268:
Myzo ChocolateRaspberry 70%
70%darkCosta Rica - Rank 269:
Lucid ChocolatierPistachio
72%darkPeru - Rank 270:
La BrigaderieSaveur Feijoada 70%
70%darkBrazil - Rank 271:
Table01
62%milkDominican Republic - Rank 272:
Moka OriginsToffee Almond 72%
72%darkGhana - Rank 273:
Chocolaterie MorinQuetzal Noir 70%
70%darkCosta Rica - Rank 274:
SprüngliBaracoa 70%
70%darkCuba - Rank 275:
chocoMeChoroni 72% Candied Iyokan Peel
72%darkVenezuela - Rank 276:
Myzo ChocolateHazelnut 70%
70%darkCosta Rica - Rank 277:
Malagos65% Dark
65%darkPhilippines - Rank 278:
Malagos72% Dark
72%darkPhilippines - Rank 279:
Mayoy CacaoChuao 100%
100%darkVenezuela - Rank 280:
Casa BosquesDate Caramel 74%
74%darkMexico - Rank 281:
Casa BosquesTrinitario 70%
70%darkMexico - Rank 282:
Fu Wan ChocolateRed Jade Tea 62%
62%darkTaiwan - Rank 283:
Casa BosquesPure Dark Chocolate 74%
74%darkMexico - Rank 284:
Essenzo CacaoDark Milk 60%
60%milkPhilippines - Rank 285:
Essenzo Cacao05 Davao 80%
80%darkPhilippines - Rank 286:
Honest Chocolate70%
70%darkTanzania - Rank 287:
VivaniWhole Cocoa Fruit
100%darkDominican Republic & Ghana - Rank 288:
MINANG KAKAOSea Salt 70%
70%darkIndonesia
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
Learn more
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