FINE FLAVOUR COCOA MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
Rausch only processes selected fine cocoa from the best growing regions in the world. Origin, variety and careful processing give each chocolate its individual flavor profile. The result is fine cocoa chocolate with unimagined aromas, natural purity and the highest quality.
The term "fine flavoured cocoa" is not a marketing term, but a generic term and refers to cocoa that is very rare and precious and is characterized by its particularly fine and characteristic aroma. In Germany, cocoa only counts as fine flavoured cocoa if it comes from a country that is recognized as a producing country by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO).
A cocoa tree produces up to 70,000 flowers per year. 700 of these are fertilized - by the end of the year, 70 fruits have ripened.
The cocoa fruits come in different shapes. They are round, oval, melon-shaped, smooth or ribbed and weigh up to 1.5 kg.
From green to orange to yellow and from dark purple to reddish - the colors of the fine flavour cocoa fruits vary depending on the variety.
The cocoa seed contains up to 50 % fat (cocoa butter) and is rich in protein (approx. 10 %).
Depending on the variety, it is white, pink or dark purple.
The flesh - also known as "fruit pulp" - tastes sweet, like a mixture of lychee, cherry and guava.
One cocoa fruit contains 30-50 seeds. A single bar of milk chocolate can be made from 50 seeds.
What is the difference?
FINE COCOA & BULK COCOA
Chocolate can be made from bulk cocoa (“bulk cocoa”) or fine or flavor cocoa (“single-origin cocoa ”). However, the highest quality can only be achieved with pure fine or flavor cocoa. Its diverse, intense aromas are unique and define the taste of a pure, high-quality chocolate.
For our core line of chocolates, “,” we use exclusively single-origin fine cocoa.
Geringe Sortenvielfalt: Oft Mischungen aus verschiedenen Sorten wie
Forastero, die über 90 % des weltweiten Kakaoanbaus ausmachen.
Exklusive Sortenvielfalt: Edelkakaos mit fruchtigen, blumigen oder anderen speziellen Noten, früher auch Criollo, Trinitario und Nacional genannt. Sie machen weniger als 10 % des weltweiten Kakaoanbaus aus.
Anbau in Monokultur: Hauptsächlich in Westafrika, unter oft weniger nachhaltigen Bedingungen.
Anbau in Agroforstsystemen: überwiegend in Lateinamerika, der Karibik oder Asien, wo der Edelkakao traditionell zusammen mit vielen anderen Pflanzenarten kombiniert wird.
Standardisierte Qualität: Geschmack und Qualität variieren wenig – das Ziel ist eine konstante Massenproduktion.
Herausragende Qualität: Fokus auf höchsten Genuss und individuelle Aromenvielfalt.
Geringes Aromareichtum: flacher Geschmack mit wenigen Nuancen.
Komplexe Aromen: Zusammenspiel einer Vielzahl verschiedener Aromanoten mit fruchtigem, nussigem und floralem Charakter.
Simpler processing: Less care taken during harvesting and fermentation to reduce costs.
Elaborate fermentation and drying: Customized post-harvest processes designed to bring out the natural flavors to the fullest.
Weniger nachhaltige Anbaumethoden: Intensive Landwirtschaft mit hohem Pestizideinsatz, degradierten Böden und geringer Biodiversität.
Nachhaltiger Anbau: Umweltfreundlichen Projekte mit fairen Bedingungen für die Bauern und Respekt vor der Natur.
Massenproduktion: Typisch für Massenware von großen Schokoladen-Herstellern.
Nischen- und Premiumprodukte: Typisch für Gourmet-Schokoladen von Spezialisten.
Standardisierte industrielle Verarbeitung: Weniger Fokus auf handwerkliche Fertigung und schonende Röstverfahren.
Schonende Verarbeitung: Sanfte Röstung und minimalistische Verarbeitung, um die natürlichen Aromen zu bewahren.
Mengenmäßige Vermarktung: Die Schokolade ist auf den Geschmack einer möglichst breiten Masse ausgelegt.
Wertorientierte Vermarktung: Fokus auf bewusste Genießer, die Qualität über den Preis stellen.
OUR FINE FLAVOUR COCOA EXPERTS
Dr. Elsa Hegmann and Dr. Christina Rohsius not only regularly visit our long-standing partners, but are also always on the lookout for new plantations and "origins" with special varieties of fine flavour cocoa. They are also responsible for international research projects and quality controls.
HOW COCOA GROWS
Our Finca de Cacao
Rausch Tres Equis
Since 2014, we have operated our own single-origin cocoa plantation in Costa Rica, called “Tres Equis – Finca de Cacao.”
Here, we cultivate the finest fine-cocoa varieties, conduct research into new varieties, and continue to expand our intensive exchange and knowledge transfer with our partners.
With our first major harvests, we were able to put our post-harvest processing facility—focused on fermentation and drying—into operation. In addition, we are gradually expanding further areas using the agroforestry system. This diversity on our plantation ensures that many of Costa Rica’s wildlife species feel particularly at home here and are frequently spotted on the plantation.
Our Rausch chocolates with 100 % single origin cocoa
