Arriba Nacional
Arriba Nacional – Ecuador’s Rebel Cocoa
Deep in the lush valleys of Ecuador, where the Amazon whispers and the Andes rise, a unique cocoa variety was born: CCN51. Developed in the 1960s by agronomist Homero Castro, its full name "Colección Castro Naranjal 51" tells of its origin: a bold hybrid crafted to combine resilience, high yield, and intense cocoa power. While traditional fine aroma cocoas struggled with diseases, CCN51 defied nature with strength, productivity, and a profile that surprised the world.
What Makes CCN51 So Special?
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High Yield & Resilience: Unlike many delicate fine aroma beans, CCN51 is a warrior. Resistant to many diseases and capable of thriving even under tough conditions, it's a farmer's reliable partner.
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Consistent Quality: Thanks to its genetic stability, CCN51 delivers reliable fermentation results, making it perfect for both bulk and specialty markets.
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Surprising Flavor Potential: Once misunderstood as a purely industrial bean, modern fermentation and post-harvest techniques have unlocked fruity, floral, and nutty notes in CCN51. Today, the best CCN51 lots from Ecuador surprise even the finest chocolatiers.
​Why CCN51 from Ecuador Stands Out vs. African Cocoa (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria):
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Flavor Complexity: African cocoa (mostly Forastero) often delivers classic, strong cocoa notes but lacks the depth of flavors CCN51 can achieve with proper processing.
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Single Origin Identity: Ecuador's terroir gives CCN51 a unique character. African cocoa is often blended, diluting origin-specific flavor identity.
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Post-Harvest Craftsmanship: Ecuadorian farmers and fermenters focus increasingly on fine-tuning fermentation & drying, elevating CCN51 to near fine-flavor standards. In many African regions, post-harvest quality control is still highly industrial.
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Sustainability & Traceability: Ecuador offers fully traceable CCN51 lots, often from smallholder farmers. In Africa, traceability is often challenging in mass production models.
Innovation Potential: The versatility of CCN51 allows specialty chocolate makers to experiment with fermentation profiles, while African cocoa remains fairly uniform.
Benefits Of CN51
A cacao pod is the fruit of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), from which chocolate is made. The inside of a cacao pod consists of several distinct parts:
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Outer Shell (Exocarp):
A thick, hard, and often ridged shell that protects the contents inside. It can be yellow, orange, red, or green, depending on the variety and ripeness. -
Pithy Lining (Mesocarp):
Just under the shell, there is a fibrous, spongy layer that helps cushion the seeds. -
Cacao Pulp (Mucilage):
A white, sweet, and sticky pulp that surrounds the seeds. This pulp is edible and slightly tangy. It plays a role in the fermentation process. -
Cacao Beans (Seeds):
These are the actual seeds of the pod, arranged in rows. There are usually 20–50 beans per pod. Each bean is about the size of an almond and is covered in the white pulp. These beans are fermented, dried, roasted, and processed to make cocoa and chocolate. -
Placenta (Central Core):
A central stringy structure to which all the beans are attached. It runs through the center of the pod.