Dreketi, Fiji Islands — Cocoa of Excellence Programme is pleased to inform you that the Cacao Fiji sample submission by Arif Khan has been selected as part of the best 50 samples from a total of 146 received from 35 countries for the 2015 Edition. The varietal is Forestero Amelonado from the Matasawlevu, Dreketi Cocoa Project.
The sensory evaluation of all 146 samples (as liquor and untempered chocolate) was done during June and July by the panel of international experts. And the selection of the 50 best samples was the result of the statistical analysis of the data.
The 50 bean samples are being processed into chocolate and the next step will be the sensory evaluation by a large panel of 35 experts during the month of September. The selection of the 12-15 International Cocoa Awards (ICA) will therefore be made by mid-October.
All 50 chocolate samples will be celebrated at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris (28 October to 1 November) where the Cocoa of Excellence Programme will have a stand. The International Cocoa Awards (ICA) ceremony will take place on Wednesday 28 October in the evening The chocolate will be available for tasting and will also be distributed to all the chocolate makers on the salon as well as to many others after the event.
"We are excited at the recognition after a year of operation in Fiji. The awards will place Fiji cocoa on the global map and alleviate the market issues. We look forward to working closely with our partners and their support to revive this industry,” said Arif Khan, Managing Director and Founder at Cacao Fiji.
About Cacao Fiji
Cacao Fiji was started in 2014 to process high quality cocoa beans for export. The company is currently operating at its model farm in Dreketi where the cacao is processed and is currently working on establishing a network of cocoa farmers with the MPI. After harvest, the cacao beans are fermented for 6 days and sun dried for 7 days.
For more information,:
Arif Khan
679-997-3312
arif@cacaofiji.com
For more information on Product: www.cacaofiji.com
