Understanding the Cacao Bean -with Aurelio Loret de Mola

Join us for an enlightening course on academic and sensory aspects of chocolate, led by Aurelio Loret de Mola. Coming from Peru, Aurelio brings knowledge and experience as an agro-industrial and agribusiness engineer with a specialty in finance, and a recognized expert in the cacao supply chain. He is also a Certified Cocoa and Chocolate Taster and an international tasting judge for the International Chocolate Awards.

Aurelio is the CEO of Amazon Specialties, a company founded in 2017 that has become the most diverse specialty cacao bean exporter in Peru. Under the Cacao Life brand, Amazon Specialties works closely with communities and cooperatives, focusing on cacao farming, fermentation, and drying. The company also exports a variety of cacao derivatives, superfoods, and finished products.

This course is theory based, and will include tasting sessions of the world’s premium chocolates. We will cover:

– Evolution, domestication, and classification of cacao from an anthropological, archaeological and genetic point of view

– Harvest, fermentation, and drying of cacao; and the origin of defects

– Bean tasting: defect detection and classification

– Roasting theory and technics based on tasting, pH, and moisture

– Chocolate formulation

– Tempering, molding, and packaging of chocolate

– Chocolate tasting: Premium chocolates and defected chocolates

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the industry’s top experts and deepen your understanding of the cacao bean and chocolate production.

28th of September from 9:00 to 17:30 & 29th of September from 9:00 to 13:00

Tuition: $449.00 plus 5% GST