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 253:
Chocolate MakersAbsolute Dark
100%darkDominican Republic - Rank 254:
MeurisseCaramel & Puffed Quinoa
32%whitePeru - Rank 255:
Chocolate MakersSierra Leone 40%
40%milkSierra Leone - Rank 256:
SOMABrown Butter Rum
47%milkJamaica - Rank 257:
Vinte Vinte45% Dark Milk Colombia
45%milkColombia - Rank 258:
Moka OriginsToffee Almond 72%
72%darkGhana - Rank 259:
ZotterLabooko Maya Cacao 100%
100%darkBelize & Guatemala - Rank 260:
MesjokkeStardust
57%milkMadagascar - Rank 261:
AskinosieSuper Dark Blend
88%darkTanzania & Ecuador - Rank 262:
VivaniEspresso Pistacchio
75%darkPanama - Rank 263:
Steiner & KovarikAluna Organic Milk 44%
44%milkColombia - Rank 264:
François PralusPérou 75%
75%darkPeru - Rank 265:
Moka OriginsCherry 72%
72%darkTanzania - Rank 266:
AmedeiToscano Black 70%
70%dark - Rank 267:
VivaniWhole Cocoa Fruit
100%darkDominican Republic & Ghana - Rank 268:
Chocolate MakersSierra Leone 70% cacao with Salty Caramel
70%darkSierra Leone - Rank 269:
AskinosieDavao Orange
58%darkPhilippines - Rank 270:
François PralusRépublique Dominicaine 75%
75%darkDominican Republic - Rank 271:
François PralusTrinidad
75%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 272:
François PralusCuba 75%
75%darkCuba - Rank 273:
François PralusFortissima 80%
80%darkEcuador - Rank 274:
AskinosieMababu Peppermint
58%darkTanzania - Rank 275:
MeurisseDark Orange
73%darkPapua New Guinea - Rank 276:
Essenzo CacaoPerla 100%
100%darkEcuador - Rank 277:
Trinitario100%
100%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 278:
Beyond GoodSalted Caramel 73% Cocoa
73%darkUganda - Rank 279:
ChokaicoCafe Con Leche 40%
40%milkPeru - Rank 280:
AmbrionaGrenada 65%
65%darkGrenada - Rank 281:
AskinosieMidnight Crunch Blend
68%darkTanzania & Ecuador & Philippines - Rank 282:
Trinitario70%
70%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 283:
Steiner & KovarikAluna 77%
77%darkColombia - Rank 284:
Trinitario58%
58%darkTrinidad and Tobago - Rank 285:
Marou ChocolatePhở Spice 65%
65%darkVietnam - Rank 286:
AskinosieFruit Punch
52%darkTanzania - Rank 287:
Green & Black'sIntense Dark 70%
70%dark - Rank 288:
chocoMeRugoso 70%
70%darkNicaragua
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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