22 January 2017
I’ve recently discovered the pleasures of the Fortunato No. 4. Not quite the newest perfume from Chanel or a lost piano concerto from Mozart. Brought back from the brink of extinction, it’s touted to be the rarest on earth and a direct descendent of the original from a century ago.
The Fortunato No. 4 is Pure Nacional Cacao. Why the fascination and hype, you may ask? You may recall, in my post “Let’s Talk About: Cocoa Beans“, that I discussed the three key varieties of cocoa or cacao beans – Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario. Some consider the Nacional to be the stand-alone fourth variety, which has created much controversy but also excitement in the chocolate world.
Re-discovered in the Maranon Canyon in Peru less than 10 years ago, the Fortunato No. 4 derives its name from the owner of the property from which the “mother tree” was found – Don Fortunato and the number of the sample tested and verified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be genetically Pure Nacional cacao.
The Pure Nacional cacao yields a unique mixture of white and pale purple beans, generally in a 40:60 ratio. This is as opposed to the other varieties that typically produce either 100% of white or pale purple beans. This unique mixture is thought to contribute to the exquisite aromas and flavours of the resultant chocolate.
Only a select number of chocolate makers and chocolatiers worldwide have exclusive rights to the Fortunato No. 4 and to sell chocolates made from it. One such chocolate maker is Eclat Chocolate in the US, whom, in collaboration with celebrity chefs, food authors and TV personalities Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain, created and popularised the lavishly priced “Good and Evil Bar“, a 72% dark cocoa bar made with Fortunato No. 4 cacao.
D’Anvers Single Origin Fortunato No.4
Down Under, chocolatier Igor Ven Gerwen, of House of Anvers in Tasmania, is the holder of the exclusive rights to the Fortunato No. 4. Igor purchases couverture chocolate made from these highly prized beans and crafts them into just two varieties of single origin bars – the D’Anvers Fortunato No. 4 Peru 68% Organic Pure Nacional and the D’Anvers Fortunato No. 4 Peru 47% Cacao Milk Pure Nacional.
I recently purchased a bar of the D’Anvers Fortunato No. 4 Peru 68% Organic Pure Nacional, to experience and fully appreciate what all the hype and excitement is about.
The packaging has earthy tones, reflective of the habitat of the cacao, and colourful motifs resembling leaves of the cacao trees but also the pods. Simple but meaningful. There are two small bars per pack, vacuum sealed in a separate inner packaging.
As soon as I tear open the inner packaging, I am immediately greeted by the inviting aroma of fruits, reminiscent of ripe plums. I break off a piece; the chocolate has a good snap. The initial flavours are intensely fruity, like a medley of sweet stone fruits with hints of lychee. This is followed by lengthy notes of toastiness, think roasted cashews. There is an ever so slight bitterness on the tongue as the chocolate melts, which lingers after all the chocolate has disappeared. My palate is left fresh, despite this.
The Fortunato No. 4 is good. Actually, it’s really good. However, it’s not the most intense, exquisite chocolate that I have tasted. Nevetheless, throw in the intrigue, controversy and excitement surrounding the prized Fortunato No. 4 cacao and one can truly appreciate this rare bite of history.
