Much like the different varieties of coffee, cacao beans come in varying types. Three kinds of beans dominate the world market, serving as the base for most fine chocolates.

Each of the three main beans grown from cacao trees serves as the prime base in chocolates. Without the bean there would be no chocolates and without the finer beans gourmet confections would be bland indeed.

Grown in different parts of the world, the three beans used in most chocolate production today are the Criollo, Forasteros and Trinitario. Each of these beans has its own properties that result in slightly different tastes in the chocolate end product.

The Criollo beans are the ones that started it all. Europeans first stumbled across them in 1502 when Christopher Columbus came in contact with them. Grown in South America, these beans are known for producing the finest in chocolates. They grow in South America