Chocolarder – 100%

The fruity Peruvian rainforest cacao cultivated by the indigenous Ashaninka people is the perfect bean for showcasing in its purest form. Nothing else is added, leaving only natural flavours and sweetness that are coaxed and developed through the careful crafting of the chocolate maker. The holy grail for chocolate purists. A slow build to intense roasted brazil nuts, with accents of grapefruit and plantain. This bar is un-sweetened but still delivers a beautifully balanced flavour. Cocoa beans. 70g In our humble opinion, a 100% bar isn’t worth tasting unless it’s made from bean to bar by a skilled chocolate maker. The reason for this is that most chocolate “makers” are buying in commodity chocolate which they make palatable by adding sugar and flavourings. Without these additions the chocolate would be far too bitter to want to consume, with the possible exception of some hardcore sugar avoiders. A 100% bar from the right hands, however, is a labour of passion and patience. The discernible flavours and sweetness have to be carefully coaxed out of the bean and preserved at every stage of processing, through fermentation, drying, roasting, grinding, conching, ageing and tempering, a process that spans months and continents! There is nothing to hide behind. At first, the intensity of unadulterated cacao can be a shock, but approached with an attitude to savour rather than scoff, it may even prove a game-changer in your perception and appreciation of chocolate as a food.