Peru
CHUNCHO
Native Chuncho cacao from the VRAEM region of Peru, offering a warm, spiced, dessert-driven profile with a clean, approachable structure.
2025 Data- Product
Quality: Ultra Premium
Flavor: Graham cracker, Orange zest, Nutmeg
Fermentations Style: Box
Drying Style: Slow drying on patios and in solar dryers
Quality Practices: Temperature monitoring during fermentation & cut tests during fermentation
Hand Sorting: Yes
Certifications: Organic & Fair Trade
2025 Data - Planet
Crops that are used for intercropping: Citrus, plantain
Environmental practices: Organic production practices with traditional agroforestry farming systems, trainings on organic composting
Organic hectares cultivated: 116
Average percent of shade of cacao farms: 60%
Distance of producer to facility (km): 70
Distance to port (km): 752
Ocean freight CO2kgs per MT (US): 94
2025 Data - People
Trainings conducted: Productivity of farms, pest management, pruning, organic practices and EUDR preparedness
Producers purchased from: 19
Female producers: 4
Producers under 35 y/o: 0
Total # of producers trained: 33
Total # of female producers trained: 8
Total # of producers under 35y/o trained: 0
Full time employees: 7
Full time female employees: 3
Part time employees: 21
Part time female employees: 12
Average farm size (ha): 2.24
Average sales per producer (dry kg): 245
Average annual cacao revenue per producer: $1,948
These beans are sourced through the Cacao VRAE association, based in Kimbiri in Peru’s VRAEM region (Valle de los Ríos Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro).
“Chuncho” refers to a diverse group of native cacao genetics found in southern Peru, often characterized by smaller beans with highly expressive flavor profiles.
Cacao VRAE works with 301 smallholder producers across the region, including 33 producers focused on Chuncho cacao in the Chungui zone.
This cacao is grown between 400–900 meters above sea level across multiple river valleys, where tropical conditions and diverse microclimates support a wide range of native cacao types.
In recent years, producers participated in the “Transforming the VRAEM: The Land of Fine Flavor Cacao” program, supported by USAID and implemented by Lutheran World Relief, focused on improving post-harvest practices and market access.
Cacao VRAE continues this work through centralized fermentation and drying. As development programs have phased out, long-term commercial relationships have become essential. Uncommon Cacao partners directly with the association to support continued market access and a transparent supply chain.
Pictured: Sr. Maximo Medina Zaga, President of the Cooperativa Agraria Cacao VRAE
TERROIR
The VRAEM region is increasingly recognized for producing fine flavor cacao with strong structure and distinctive regional character.
While Chuncho cacao from southern Peru is often associated with bright fruit and floral notes, this lot reflects a more grounded and structured expression of the genetics, shaped by the specific conditions of the VRAEM.
Centralized post-harvest practices contribute to a clean and consistent profile, with low bitterness and low astringency allowing sweetness and spice to come forward.
The result is a warm, dessert-driven cacao with layered spice, soft fruit, and a smooth, rounded finish.
These beans are sourced through the Cacao VRAE association, based in Kimbiri in Peru’s VRAEM region (Valle de los Ríos Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro).
“Chuncho” refers to a diverse group of native cacao genetics found in southern Peru, often characterized by smaller beans with highly expressive flavor profiles.
Cacao VRAE works with 301 smallholder producers across the region, including 33 producers focused on Chuncho cacao in the Chungui zone.
This cacao is grown between 400–900 meters above sea level across multiple river valleys, where tropical conditions and diverse microclimates support a wide range of native cacao types.
In recent years, producers participated in the “Transforming the VRAEM: The Land of Fine Flavor Cacao” program, supported by USAID and implemented by Lutheran World Relief, focused on improving post-harvest practices and market access.
Cacao VRAE continues this work through centralized fermentation and drying. As development programs have phased out, long-term commercial relationships have become essential. Uncommon Cacao partners directly with the association to support continued market access and a transparent supply chain.
Pictured: Sr. Maximo Medina Zaga, President of the Cooperativa Agraria Cacao VRAE
TERROIR
The VRAEM region is increasingly recognized for producing fine flavor cacao with strong structure and distinctive regional character.
While Chuncho cacao from southern Peru is often associated with bright fruit and floral notes, this lot reflects a more grounded and structured expression of the genetics, shaped by the specific conditions of the VRAEM.
Centralized post-harvest practices contribute to a clean and consistent profile, with low bitterness and low astringency allowing sweetness and spice to come forward.
The result is a warm, dessert-driven cacao with layered spice, soft fruit, and a smooth, rounded finish.
Samples are only available from the USA
2025 Chuncho Farmgate price
$7.94 USD
This is the actual price paid to the cacao producer for their product (typically on a per kg or per lb basis) when they sell it to the first buyer.
Farmgate price is often paid for "wet" or fresh cacao, recently harvested and scooped out of cracked pods for sale. Wet cacao loses 60-70% of its weight during fermentation and drying, typically reaching 7-8% humidity before it is sold.
Uncommon calculates farmgate price for each cacao supplier based on the specific weight loss conversion percentage provided to us by the supplier, and we report farmgate price on a per kg dried equivalent basis for all cacao beans we source.
2025 Chuncho FOB price
$12.00 USD
This is the price paid by Uncommon to our partners for cacao transported and loaded onto a ship for export.
Uncommon then covers all of the costs of shipping, freight charges, insurance, import, domestic logistics, warehouse ingestion, customs and duties.
Free on board (FOB) is an international shipping term that represents the seller's responsibility for bringing the cacao over the rails of the export ship.
2025 Chuncho Average sales price
$14.51 USD
This is the weighted average price per kg for cacao sold to the premium & ultra premium chocolate makers who purchased it during this year from Uncommon Cacao.
Notable Awards
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Flavor Profile
Graham cracker, Orange zest,
Nutmeg
We believe that the difference between traceability and transparency is published and verifiable data for each and every step in our supply chain.
