Castronovo Awajun Women Amazonas Peru 70%

Among the many cacao origins I’ve explored over the years, this bar stands out for its flavor profile and story. Castronovo’s Awajún Women Peru 70% is the first and only single origin chocolate I’ve tasted, handcrafted from bean to bar with cacao from the Awajún communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Based on its color and aromatic clarity, it appears to be made with native cacao with a notable percentage of white seeds, often associated with criollo varieties.

In 2019, Denise of Castronovo Chocolate was invited to Lima to represent U.S. chocolate makers at the Cacao and Chocolate Salon. During her visit, she learned about a cacao cooperative formed by Indigenous women from the Awajún and Huambisa communities: groups with deep cultural and spiritual ties to the land, and a long history of agricultural knowledge passed down orally through generations. While these communities had traditionally lived in isolation from Western society, cacao cultivation opened a new chapter.

Traditionally, men hunted and fished while women farmed, cooked, and raised children. As fine cacao began to gain value in national and international markets, women stepped into a new role. Thanks to government-supported programs focused on regenerative farming, they’re now leading the cultivation and post-harvest process, running cooperatives, training others, and bringing income into their communities.  Some cooperatives are fully women-led, and their work is beginning to receive the recognition it deserves. The result is more than just quality cacao. It’s long-term change: access to education, new health centers, and a stronger position for women in their families and the broader economy.

Awajún cacao is slowly becoming recognized globally, and this dark chocolate is the result of long-standing knowledge finally finding its way into a wider conversation.

Castronovo Awajun Women Amazonas Peru 70% Dark Chocolate

Organic Ingredients: cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter

Batch Number: 1523

The aroma reveals the berry-like sweetness and smokiness of Aji Panca.

Tasting Notes

• Passion Fruit: tangy sharpness

• Aji Limo (amarillo): fruity-floral taste with lively heat

• Huacapurana wood: earthy undertones

• Peruvian ginseng (maca): butterscotch-like sweetness

• Spearmint: refreshing, herbal notes

• Linden Honey: pleasing, gentle sweetness

Appearance (4/4): Homogeneous, glossy, and uniform.

Snap (1/1): Clean and sharp, indicating excellent tempering.

Tactile Attributes

Fineness (4/5): Minimal detectable particles, resulting in a smooth and refined mouthfeel.

Texture (7/8): Smooth but slightly dry.

Astringency (4/5)

Roundness (6/7): engaging and balanced tasting experience.

Melting Point (4/5): Rapid.

Flavor Profile and Aftertaste

Primary Cacao Flavor (7/10): Moderate intensity.

Secondary Pleasant Flavors (12/12): Well-defined, intense, and perceptible.

Secondary Unpleasant Flavors (0/5): None detected.

Overall Aromatic Quality (5/5): Rich, complex, and full of intense aromas and flavors.

Aftertaste (5/5): Long-lasting and satisfying.

Taste

Sweetness (6/6): Balanced and well-integrated.

Bitterness (5/6): Subtle.

Acidity (4/6): Moderate.

Harmony and Gustatory Pleasure (10/10): Excellent.

Final Sensation (5/5): Outstanding and complex.

Total Score: 89

This score places Castronovo Awajun Women Peru 70% in the “Excellent” category.

Personal Reflection

This chocolate bar offers a vibrant and unmistakable expression of Peruvian cacao, one that feels deeply rooted in the local flavor identity of its birthplace. It perfectly balances sour, spicy, smoky, and woody elements.

The aroma opens with berry-like sweetness and smokiness reminiscent of Aji Panca, setting the stage for a dynamic flavor progression. On the palate, a tangy sharpness, similar to passion fruit or, in some cases, tamarind, leads into the lively heat of Aji Limo. These intense flavors are grounded by earthy, woody undertones evocative of Huacapurana, adding a solid, earthy background.

In the mid-palate, a gentle butterscotch-like sweetness emerges, reminiscent of maca (Peruvian ginseng), which rounds out the intensity of the spices. This is lifted by fresh herbal notes of spearmint, bringing a cool, aromatic balance that refreshes without overwhelming.

The finish is long and expressive with persistent warmth of Aji Limo slowly fading into delicate hints of Linden honey, creating a smooth and slightly floral aftertaste that lingers pleasantly.

Having tasted several batches of this bar, I’ve noticed natural variations in the balance of these flavor elements. Sometimes, it leans more intensely toward the spicy, smoky, and woody character, while others allow the fruitier notes to come through more clearly. Also, the profile might feel sharply defined, or simply in perfect harmony.

What remains constant, however, is the distinctiveness of this chocolate. Among the many Peruvian origins I’ve tasted, this bar stands out as one of the most faithful and nuanced representations of Peru’s rich and layered flavor landscape. It doesn’t generalize or smooth things over. It communicates place, culture, and intensity with clarity.

Thank you, Denise of Castronovo Chocolate, for sharing this sample with me.