Name: Tanzania Kokoa Kamili Direct Trade Organic 2026
Brand: Chocolate Alchemy
SKU: 42232288378983
Price: 158.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Tanzania Kokoa Kamili Direct Trade Organic 2026

Origin: Tanzania
Region: Udzungwa
Co-op: Kokoa Kamili Cooperative
Type: Trinatario
Certifications: Organic
Sourcing: Direct Trade
Crop Year: 2026

The aroma is bright and lively, full of fresh cherries, currants and cherry blossoms with just the barest hint of understated chocolate. Chocolate isn't dominant in the aroma but the aroma is full. This is a case that showcases that a strong hand in the roast will not drive away aroma, even floral aromas, but instead creates them. Chocolate fudge comes charging out of the gate. It is thick and fudgy with a solid but soft acidity. The bitterness and astringency are so restrained as to be virtually below notice if you are not looking for it. There is bitterness in the form of that of burnt sugar. It lends a wonderful satisfying heaviness to the whole profile. I find nondescript dense fruit flavors, not unlike purple Italian plums. The low earthy tones contribute to the fudge character.

Borrowing from coffee terminology, I find the flavor profile is the opposite of clear, being opaque and complex. The preparation of these reddish beans continues to be spectacular.

You and I both know that a great appearance does not necessitate a great flavor, but it does lend credence to an eye toward quality and makes the beans a joy to roast and winnow.

Profile Drum Roasting: I love the freedom of roasting this bean as it benefits from a strong firm hand. There is so much depth of flavor here that you can and should roast fast. I've found slower roasts fail to develop the flavor and you end up with astringency that otherwise would not be there. This is a case that showcases that a strong hand in the roast will not drive away aroma, even floral aromas but instead creates them. Really, words are not the best medium for conveying how to roast. The profile I used for this is 13:45/15:40/21:00 @ 262 F.

You can certainly roast this to a lower temperature but you want to keep the Finishing phase around 5 minutes for full, deep heat penetration and astringency mitigation.

Behmor: Due to the cold start of the the Behmor, you can just set it on the 1 lb setting with 2.0 lb of cocoa and go. When you begin getting aromatic notes, somewhere around 4 minutes left (14 minutes elapsed of the 18 minute start) drop the power to P4 (75% power) and continue roasting for about another 6-8 minutes, waiting for the aroma to either decrease or get sharp. This is all of course if you don't have a thermocouple in the beans (Modifying your Behmor) If you have that you can follow the profiles above.

Oven Roasting: You will need an IR thermometer. Roast 2 lb of beans. Preheat your over to 325 F. Place your cocoa beans in a single layer on a baking sheet and into the oven. Stir the beans at 5 minutes and check the temperature. Continue roasting until the surface temperature reads 205-215 F (it may well vary across the beans). At that point, turn your oven down 15-25 F above your target EOR, in this case 260 + ~20 = 280 and continue to roast, stirring every 5 minutes until approximately 260-265 F. Again, there will be variation but the beauty of this method is having turned the oven down it is difficult to over roast. The important part here is to get good momentum going in a hot oven and then basically coasting to finish. You may not get much chocolate or brownie aroma with this one.

Kokoa Kamili

About Kokoa Kamili

Founded in 2013 by Brian LoBue and Simran Bindra — both with backgrounds in international development — Kokoa Kamili was built around a simple mission: get more money into Tanzanian farmers' hands. Operating in the Kilombero Valley of Tanzania's Morogoro Region, they work with nearly 3,000 smallholder farmers, most farming between 0.5–2 acres of cocoa.

Kokoa Kamili pays a significant premium above market rate for wet cacao, taking over the fermentation and drying process entirely. This gives farmers a reduced workload, immediate payment on delivery, and consistently better compensation. The impact has been measurable: in their first year alone, Kilombero Valley farmers received the highest cacao prices in Tanzania — and competing buyers were forced to raise their prices across the entire region just to keep up.

The Area

The catchment area borders Udzungwa Mountains National Park, one of Tanzania's most biodiverse regions. It is home to eleven different primate species and rich birdlife, and is one of only three remaining sites that support savannah elephants in a mountainous environment — with an estimated 2,000 elephants residing in and around the area.

Post-Harvest Details

Fermentation: Full box fermentation in locally sourced eucalyptus three-tier cascade boxes; 6 days with turns on days three and five
Drying: 100% sun-dried on raised drying tables
Sorting: Manual screening prior to packing