Gourmands fight for native Peruvian cocoa
(NEWSER) - To cut down on production of the coca plants behind cocaine, the US has pushed an alternative crop to Peruvian farmers: a high-yielding cocoa hybrid. And while CCN-51 has had commercial benefits, there's one problem, chocolate experts say—it just doesn't taste that good. Instead, these connoisseurs say, Peru should focus on producing its delectable native cocoa, which yields smaller crops but sells for higher prices: Some European chocolatiers are willing to spend $4,000 per metric ton of native white cocoa, compared to $2,300 for CCN-51. More»
