The foundation of a great chocolate is an exceptional cocoa. This is why VALRHONA goes to where the chocolate tree grows, so that we can select our own beans right on the plantation, while verifying the quality of their production. The VALRHONA cocoa bean buyer is the person responsible for this mission. During the last two years, his search has taken him on prospecting trips to 80 plantations in 22 different countries, including Venezuela, Ecuador, the Caribbean islands, Sri Lanka, Papua-New Guinea, and Ghana. In the depths of these exotic places, he seeks out the exceptional; verifies exposure; controls growing conditions, fermentation, drying. He urges the planters to outdo themselves. He is in direct contact with the people who grow this precious substance. Thus, VALRHONA knows the characteristics of the plantation and how the beans were prepared. As opposed to manufacturers who buy from international brokers and have no information about the origin and treatment of their beans, VALRHONA knows the exact conditions, both technical and climatic, under which each cocoa bean was produced.