OPPORTUNITIES

East Kalimantan's cacao has the potential to be among the best in the world; our genetics, climate and terroir provide the opportunity to produce high-quality beans. However, before Sultan Cacao™ became operational, most East Kalimantan cocoa was sold to commodity traders whose markets depend on volume, not quality. w Farmers therefore had no incentive to take the time and effort to ferment and dry their cacao beans properly, as they would not be rewarded for doing so. This has led to East Kalimantan's cacao not yet having a reputation.

We see this as a missed opportunity. We can raise the profile of East Kalimantan cocoa, and get a better price with quality, well-fermented beans. Smallholder farmers could have the opportunity to increase their income and improve their standard of living, and chocolate makers could have an exciting new source.

SOURCING

At Sultan Cacao™, we buy Fermented Dry Cacao, directly from farmers whom we coach with a procedure and equip with quality guards and checkers and teach or place agents to oversee this, and we buy it at a good price.

By doing this, we save the time, cost and effort it takes for farmers to access the market and we can ensure only the highest quality cacao beans come to us. Unlike many operations around the world, we only buy directly from farmers, without agents/middlemen. By offering one well-publicized price and using calibrated scales, we are unlike any other company in the local industry and completely transparent to farmers.

PROTOCOL

We require farmers to follow our protocols and procedures and train them to ferment our cacaco beans in boxes made of natural wood with no glue and no iron nails and covered with banana leaves and burlap sacks. We require a six-day fermentation process, with some dried overnight, although we continue to experiment with different settings to ensure we can capture the best flavors. During fermentation, we monitor the temperature so that we can ensure a uniform and high-quality process. All daily lots are evaluated, and cocoa beans that do not meet our standards are not approved for blending and sale.

After fermentation, the beans are taken out to dry in the drying house or under the sun. The average drying time is 10 - 12 days and cacao beans are subject to different humidity conditions in East Kalimantan. Once the cacao beans are dried, they are graded with a special water content meter, and checked for aroma and flavor so that only the best are bagged for export.

The majority of our customers are high-end chocolate makers and as such, they spend a lot of time, effort and money on recipe development. We understand the value of consistency in delivery, so before each export, all the cocoa beans to be exported are mixed so that the first bag in the container is exactly the same as the last.

At Sultan Cacao™, we pride ourselves on the level of sophistication and science we utilize in our operations; therefore, we collect tons of data on every fermentation for continuous improvement!