The bitter sweet chocolate is all too familiar, but not many people have the chance to see the pretty cocoa flowers and the colourful cocoa fruits, or try the sweet-and-sour smoothie made from fresh cacao pulp.

Đắk Lắk has the best cocoa in Vietnam since its endowed ideal soil and climatic conditions for growing cacao.

The experience of growing the bean has been passed down for many generations here, giving Đắk Lắk a great advantage in growing it. The province has 1,140 hectares under the crop, and grows 1,525 tonnes of it annually. The districts with large cacao-growing areas are Ea Kar, Ea Súp, Krông Ana, and Ea H’leo.

Cocoa is a good crop for growing fruit and forest trees since they do not compete much with the others, enabling farmers to earn extra incomes. When the fruit is ripe enough, it will be harvested and fermented. Then it will be dried, roasted, ground into powder and created into the finished product. A fine cocoa rated as 'unique' with a medium body and fruit-forward profile delivering notes of fresh prunes, red wine acidity and a nutty finish with hints of star fruit spices.

Famtrip delegation of Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism at the Cocoa Farm of Nam Truong Son Cacao Company Limited since 2007, located at No. 107, Tan Tien village, Ea Na commune, Krong Ana district, Dak Lak province (Photo: TITC)

“Another bean, same routine, the hybrid experience between specialty coffee & fine tea. Hand brew a selection of outstanding cocoa beans like a filter coffee alternative, for an award-winning low caffeine sensation that resonates round the clock.”

Nam Truong Son Cacao Company Limited is one of the many tourist attractions of Dak Lak province. Visitors can visit the cocoa garden, witness with their own eyes, touch with their own hands the green and ripe cocoa berries, learn how to harvest cocoa berries, process cocoa to attractive finished chocolate products, and enjoy “from the farm to the table” products directly … 

Cocoa garden with heavy cocoa berries (Photo: TITC)

Cocoa garden with heavy cocoa berries (Photo: TITC)

… the farmer will harvest and take the small beans inside the cocoa fruit…

…to process delicious cocoa products……or chocolates with a slightly bitter taste, suitable as gifts (Photo: TITC)