Destination Cocoa

Cuvee Bali chocolate, launched in 2016 by Valrhona, has elevated the quality level of Balinese cocoa beans

Although Indonesia is the world's third-largest cocoa producer after the Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, its beans have not traditionally been known for their quality. Bali, which harvests some 5,000 tonnes a year (about 3 percent of Indonesia's total production), was no exception - that is, until recently, when the Cuvee Bali chocolate by French brand Valrhona helped raise the bar.

Far from the island's idyllic beaches and tattooed surfers, the Jembrana region produces 50 percent of Bali's cocoa. Until recently, the beans were sold raw, at low prices to middlemen working with agri-food and cosmetics industry giants.