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Chuncho cacao: the native cacao of Cusco

Chuncho is the native cacao of the Urubamba valley in Cusco, southern Peru. It forms its own genetic group, and local tradition says it is the cacao the Incas drank.

Two colourful cacao pods — Photo: Oby Studio / Unsplash

Region: Cusco, Urubamba valley (La Convención)
Altitude: 400–1,200 m
Genetics: Native Chuncho, its own genetic group
Flavour: Floral and fruity, tropical and red fruit; very low bitterness and astringency

Where it grows

If one cacao is the heart of Peru, it is Chuncho. It grows in the south, where the Andes fall into the Amazon, along the Urubamba river in the province of La Convención, Cusco. Trees stand between 400 and 1,200 metres and get about 2,200 mm of rain a year.

Its story

Before the Spanish arrived, Cusco was Peru's leading cacao region. Chuncho stayed hidden in the remote Urubamba valley, so its genetics never mixed with other cacaos. The Incas travelled this valley to trade with Amazonian peoples, and local tradition says this is the cacao they drank. Farmers know many Chuncho types by name, among them Clásico, Señorita, Pamuco, Pamuco Rugoso, Cáscara de Huevo, Achoccha, Blanco and Emilia. The pods ripen yellow to rosy pink, and the beans are rich in cacao butter (about 56–58%), which gives a silky cup. Through the Alto Urubamba co-operative some farmers now even make their own chocolate, which is still rare in Peru. Chuncho ferments a little shorter than the other origins, 4–5 days.

Science now confirms what farmers always knew. A 2026 genetic study of traditional cacao in eight Peruvian regions found two new lineages named Chuncho 1 and Chuncho 2, among four groups never described before. Peru's agricultural institute INIA has also delivered 234,000 Chuncho seedlings to farmers in Echarate, Quellouno and Vilcabamba to keep this cacao alive and growing.

In your cup

Chuncho is floral, silky and rich in cacao butter, with almost no bitterness. It is a deeply grounding cacao for heart ceremonies and long circles.

How it is processed

Chuncho ferments for a shorter time than most Peruvian cacao, four to five days in wooden boxes, turned daily after the second day. It then dries in mounds for two to four days and on tarps or shelves for three to four more. The whole process takes about twelve days at the co-operative's centre.

Peruvian cacaos on our list

Sumaq Cacaosito · Chuncho
Moruga · Chuncho Chuncho
Pure Kakaw · Cusco Cusco

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More Peruvian cacao origins

Learn about cacao

Sources

Facts gathered from the sources above, including Cacao Life (a Peruvian cacao exporter), scientific studies and Peruvian news agencies; the text is our own. Photos from Unsplash. Last checked 2026-11-04.