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Above Fairtrade Standards

Are these chocolate bars sold or promoted here Fairtrade certified? Thankfully, no! They are better than Fairtrade certified chocolate. In today's world, you can't really have the best quality chocolate that is Fairtrade certified. Fairtrade is not synonymous with higher quality cacao, nor does it encourage preserving the biodiversity of cacao. Fairtrade also doesn't do enough - and is more of a marketing concept than putting the selling power in the hands of producers as it suggests.

These bars are made by chocolate makers who go beyond Fairtrade certification. They can be direct trade (the ideal situation), or very transparently traded through a broker who is very open about where the cacao is sourced. Some makers live where the cacao is grown, and some have strong connections and visit farmers. These are the people making a real difference in the world of chocolate.
Keep in mind that Fairtrade as well as other similar certifications are businesses themselves. It is far better to put that money going towards certification in the hands of those who actually grow/distribute the cacao and make the chocolate.

Using Fairtrade and similar certifications as your filter for purchasing cacao eliminates 99% of the world's best chocolate, the world's best cacao, and distracts you from those people in the industry making truly positive change and improvements in the cacao and chocolate industry.

Whether you purchase bars from here, elsewhere, or from any of the bean-to-bar makers on the bean-to-bar app, know that you are directly supporting the individuals making the greatest headway in the world of cacao and chocolate, and they need your support more than the Fairtrade middlemen who have proven to fall short of the message they preach.

The Natural Flavour Of Cacao

You think you know the flavour of chocolate, but you likely do not if you have not had fine craft chocolate made by bean-to-bar makers. That "cocoa" flavour you grew up with is the flavour of industrial chocolate, not fine chocolate. There is no signature flavour of chocolate. The flavour of "plain" dark single-origin chocolate is more varied than even fine coffee or fine wine combined.

The dark chocolate here is made by makers who choose fine cacao with very expressive flavours, and roast/grind the chocolate in a way to showcase the natural flavours found within the cocoa bean. The single-origin milk chocolate falls along these lines as well.

There are many flavoured bars as well. However, a good craftsman can balance the natural flavours of cacao with the ingredients they wish to combine with them.

Nutritionally Dense

Nearly all the health benefits you read about in regards to dark chocolate are also found in the chocolate sold here. Period. Chocolate doesn't have to taste bitter or medicinal in order to be healthful.

Many people think they need to visit a healthfood store or purchase brands that boast their chocolate is "highly nutritious" or a "superfood". ** This is simply a marketing tactic.** There is nothing nutritionally superior to the "health food" chocolate compared to simply well-crafted dark chocolate as the ones sold here.

Cacao itself is nutritionally dense with some of the highest levels of flavanols (anti-oxidants) than any other food, and packed with minerals as well. Dark chocolate tends to have more cacao, so carries on this nutritional aspect as well.

Much of the research which boasts the health benefits of dark chocolate were based on average dark chocolate you would find at the grocery store. Even though this chocolate is often made with cacao which is over-roasted and sometimes alkalized which reduces nutritional aspects. The chocolate here is roasted just enough to bring out the beautiful flavour of the cacao while maintaining high levels of flavanols (such as catechin, epicatechin). As well, it is never alkalized.

Also keep in mind that most of the healthfood chocolate is made with poor quality cacao which deters from preserving cacao biodiversity around the world and inhibits the growth of the fine cacao industry.

Showcasing quality Craftsmanship

The chocolate made here is made by very small-scale chocolate entrepreneurs. These are crafted in small batches when compared to the industrial chocolate you consume which is mass produced at volumes unimaginable. One cannot produce high quality food in this manner. The makers here represent businesses run by 1 person, a couple, a few people, or perhaps a couple dozen employees maximum. These are the people at the forefront of growing the craft of fine chocolate making.

Watch these interviews and learn about how precious these people are to the world of bean-to-bar chocolate.