Where does Daintree Estates cocoa grow?

The cocoa plantations from which Daintree Estates Australian Chocolate is made are in Tropical Far North Queensland mostly along the coast scattered between Cape Tribulation in the north, Innisfail in the south, and westwards towards the Atherton Tablelands. See the map

Can I visit a cocoa farm?

All of the cocoa plantations are on private property.  At the present time none of the farmers are willing or able to accept visitors.

Can I work as a farmhand or picker on an Australian cocoa plantation?

Probably not.  All of the cocoa plantations in Australia are on privately owned farms who each look after their own staff requirements.  We are unable to refer labour enquiries.

How is cocoa turned into chocolate?

It's actually quite a complex and lengthy process.  Read all about it here.

Does Daintree Estates have a shop I can visit?

No, we don't run our own retail shop.  We sell online only.  However many retailers around Australia stock our products, especially in Far North Queensland.  We're working on having a list of our retail stockists online soon. If you want to experience the amazing taste of Australia's first ever home-grown chocolate by Daintree Estates, buy right here on our webstore and we'll ship it to you.

Can I buy Daintree Estates products wholesale?

Trade accounts are available for government departments, registered charities, and ABN registered businesses related to food retailing, foodservice (restaurants and cafes), hospitality (hotels, motels), catering (events) and tourism. If this is you, register your interest here and we'll be in touch.  Discounts are automatically applied for higher volume retail orders on our webstore without needing a trade account.

What temperature does chocolate melt at?

Chocolate is ideally meant to only melt when it's in your mouth (around 36C/97F).  The temperature at which chocolate melts is influenced by the ingredients in the chocolate itself.  The main fat in good quality chocolate is cocoa butter which melts around 34C/93F, although it may sometimes melt at as low as 30C/86F.  Milk chocolate also contains milk fat which can melt as low as 28C/82F.  Other cheaper types of fats used in chocolate may include palm oil, shea butter, coconut oil or soybean oil, some of which can melt as low as 20C/68F. 

Isn't chocolate a junk food?

The heath impact of chocolate depends almost entirely on how much cocoa is in it.  Cocoa is naturally very nutritious, and all the studies that have been done demonstrating health benefits from chocolate have been with dark chocolate containing no less than 70% cocoa solids. Usually the lower the cocoa content, the higher the sugar.  Sugar isn't generally considered healthy, so keeping it below 30% in chocolate is preferable.  As a general rule, 70% dark chocolate consumed in moderation can boost many aspects of health.  Milk chocolate is certainly far less healthy (again influenced mostly by the sugar content), and white chocolate is downright nasty as it's essentially made of fat and sugar.  Read more about the health benefits of cocoa. 

Could I make chocolate myself at home?

Not without the right equipment.  Making chocolate from cocoa nibs requires a suitable melanger or conche, plus a chocolate temperer, both of which can be very expensive.  If you want to create your own moulded chocolate at home, or coat dried fruit or nuts in chocolate, it's easiest to just buy a chocolate you like and liquify it by melting in a saucepan over gentle heat (don't let if burn).  Daintree Estates chef's buttons are a very high quality couverture chocolate which is used by Australia's leading chefs and restaurants. 

Got another question?

Message us here or via our social channels and we'll be happy to answer you.