Craft Chocolate is not only a trend — it’s a pure art of chocolate-making, “new age” of cocoa-enjoyment showing a difference between exclusive and serial, giving pure pleasure and benifits for health.
4 unique brands, each of which can easily delight true connoisseurs of chocolate.
Rrraw Chocolate — “raw” flavors from Paris
Located in the heart of Paris in the Montorgueil district, Rrraw Chocolate is one of the finest French brands of handmade raw chocolate from freshly refined semi-wild cocoa beans, being both a signature store and a tasting place.
In the summer of 2019, Rrraw Chocolate and Nutrivitalité (the brand that Rrraw Chocolate belongs to since 2007) joined the SFC (Société Français de Cacao) group, which is tasked with improving the ethics of cocoa beans.
Unlike classic chocolate, Rrraw Chocolate uses only raw cocoa beans, no added sugar, dairy, butter, flavors or lecithin.
“The idea for the brand was born in the Amazon after the discovery of shamanic cocoa medicinal products. I was amazed by the huge difference between the power of the original cocoa and what is made from it in Europe, producing sweetened chocolate, — says the founder and Head chocolatier of Rrraw Chocolate Frédéric Marr. — For me it is tantamount to turning the divine Jaguar into a simple cat. Two years after the trip, Rrraw Chocolate was born in Paris when I decided to share the flavor and virtues of the original raw cocoa by creating a chocolate in which the cocoa beans are not roasted. Rrraw = Raw, Rrr, roar — this sounds like a purr”.
Rrraw Chocolate’s philosophy is to combine the nutritional and ethical qualities of chocolate together. The eternal pleasure of newly invented chocolate, naturally handcrafted with great respect for raw materials and the ability to reveal its full depth, strength and subtlety.
Besides raw cocoa, only ingredients selected for their nutritional value are added: refined sugar replaced with whole fruits, dairy products with vegetable milk and cream, and the organic cocoa itself comes from Fair Trade.
According to Frédéric Marr, the taste and quality of chocolate is influenced by sound choices made in all stages of chocolate making: the best terroir (Amazon for cocoa), the best methods (fermentation and rinsing of the beans), respectful transformation of the raw materials (slow and cold grinding with a grindstone), recipes with a minimum of ingredients and even packaging (in France it is made by disabled adults).
All manufactured products are certified Organic (Bureau Véritas FRBIO10), Vegan (vegan society), Gluten free (Afdiag) and Solidarity (1% for the whole planet).
The Cacao + Fruit line in three main flavors has gained particular popularity: original, pineapple, banana. These are Truffles, Chocolate Tablets, Coated cocoa beans as well as selection of Pralines.
Frédéric Marr: “For many people chocolate is associated with moments of exchange and reward in childhood. Food unconsciously immerses us in this happiness. But there is also the magic of cocoa. It is known to some Latin American shamans who have used it since ancient times, and our scientists discovered its “visible” part only 150 years ago. Among the substances found in cocoa, two explain this happiness effect — theobromine and phenylethylamine. One gives energy, the other gives relaxation and well-being… You don’t need more to be happy!”
Country of origin: France
Instagram: @rrraw_cacao
DICK TAYLOR — Craft Chocolate from California
DICK TAYLOR is a chocolate brand created by Adam Dick & Dustin Taylor, entrepreneurs with extensive experience in the woodworking and shipbuilding industries — so the nautical images on chocolate wrappers have their own logical explanation.
“We’ve always loved to work with our hands and the concept of craft has been the guiding principle of our lives from the very beginning”, — say Adam and Dustin, “after hearing about what was going on in the young and growing American craft movement, we where drawn to the common threads we saw in working with wood and crafting chocolate from bean. We became fascinated with a new challenge and loved the idea of reinventing the chocolate experience”.
In 2010, Adam and Dustin purchased the equipment and opened their own chocolate production facility in EUREKA, California. According to founders, it takes approximately three weeks to transform the ingredients used into great chocolate.
Manufacturers have given up unnecessary raw materials in excess of the norm, so DICK TAYLOR chocolate does not even contain cocoa butter in addition to cocoa beans (cocoa beans themselves are already half cocoa butter) and cane sugar, as is the case with most other handicraft manufacturers.
The assortment of the brand includes Chocolate bars with a varied palette of natural tastes, as well as Drinking chocolate and Chocolate for baking, Chocolate coated almonds and caramels.
Adam Dick & Dustin Taylor: “We use organic cacao and organic cane sugar in our chocolate. by not cutting corners or taking shortcuts in our process we are able to leave out vanilla , additional cocoa butter or other emulsifiers, in hopes of capturing and highlighting the subtle flavor nuances in the cacao we source from around the world”.
In addition to a great love for their chocolate production, Adam Dick & Dustin Taylor are keen on music and play in the local music group HUCKLEBERRY FLINT.
Country of origin: USA, California
Instagram: @dicktaylorchocolate
Tony’s Chocolonely — 100% slave-free from Netherlands
Tony’s Chocolonely is a truly delicious and 100% “free from slavery” chocolate that sets an example to the whole world how chocolate can be produced without resorting to modern slavery. Tony’s Chocolonely is a B-Corp, Fairtrade certified impact company.
Investigating the supply of cocoa for Keuringsdienst van Waarde, a famous Dutch television program dedicated to critical investigative journalism, journalist Teun van de Keuken was shocked to find that most of the chocolate sold in supermarkets is produced using illegal child labor and modern slavery.
When he tried to discuss the situation with the chocolate makers, many refused. He considered this completely unacceptable and in 2005 registered the company Tony’s Chocolonely, which embarked on its mission to eradicate slavery in the chocolate industry.
The very first Tony’s milk bar was “dressed” in a red wrapper to convey the alarm that there is a huge problem in the chocolate industry. Since then, Tony’s Chocolonely has worked hard to make 100% slave freedom the norm in the chocolate industry. They set an example by building direct, long-term relationships with cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast, paying them a higher price and working together to eliminate the root causes of modern slavery.
Tony’s Chocolonely is one of the largest chocolate brands in the Netherlands and their bars are now available almost all over the world. And a variety of flavor combinations will help everyone find their favorite: Dark almond sea salt 51%, Extra dark chocolate 70%, Milk hazelnut 32%, Milk almond honey nougat 32%, White Raspberry Chocolate and others.
Tony’s Chocolonely bars are unevenly divided because the chocolate industry itself is divided irregularly. Each tile is not randomly sized — you will find six West African counties in it.
Tony’s Chocolonely’s core values are headstrong, outspoken, adventurous and smiley. Through its bars, Tony’s Chocolonely informs chocolate fans about what’s happening in the chocolate industry and also creates a global movement to spread awareness about the problems of the chocolate industry.
In 2018, Tony’s Chocolonely launched a petition in the Netherlands demanding legal liability for Dutch companies for illegal child labor in their supply chain. And thanks to thousands of signatures from chocolate fans, it worked — a law was passed in 2020 to hold companies accountable for child labor and modern slavery.
“The more people learn about the challenges of the chocolate industry, the more impact we can make and together make chocolate 100% free of slavery”, — says one of Tony’s Chocolonely co-founders.
Country of origin: Netherlands
Instagram: @tonyschocolonely
Bahen & Co — Australian bean-to-bar journey
Bahen & Co is a chocolate factory set up on a family farm in one of the most beautiful areas of Western Australia Margaret River with pristine natural beauty and a strong community that supports the efforts of its small producers.
Bahen & Co makes stone ground chocolate from bean to bar.
The founders of Bahen & Co, former winemakers Jacqui & Josh Bahen, found it difficult to make chocolate easy to make while still respecting the taste and quality of the product. The traditional approach to making chocolate is returning to a slower pace than it used to be.
Restored from a vintage age and lead by a 1930’s Barth Sirocco Ball Roaster and circa 1910 Guitard Melangeur, the chocolate machines operate slow and cool with the wisdom needed to preserve the taste of distant places.
Bahen & Co produces chocolate in different interpretations — from chocolate bars to drinking chocolate, which is famous not only in its native Australia, but also far beyond its borders.
Chocolate bars — chocolate with a high cocoa content from 70%: House Blend 70% Cacao, Guatemala 75% Cacao, House Blend 80% Cacao to 90%: House Blend 90% Cacao.
Chocolates with various fillings — Orange & Hazelnut, Raspberry & Rose, Cherry & Coconut, Chilli and Salt
Coated Products & Chocolate Covered Dried Fruits — Confit Orange Peel; Organic Salted Liquorice; Persian Wild Figs and Vanilla & Almond Nougat.
Baking chocolate for cooking meals and desserts — Bakers Couverture Bar 750G and Bakers Couverture Bar 4.5kg. Drinking chocolate is convenient and quick to use and has gained great popularity among customers.
Jacqui & Josh Bahen: “We are constantly looking for cocoa that tastes great. Building long-term relationships with farmers based on solid principles of mutual benefit, transparency and fairness. By eliminating intermediaries, we are going beyond fair trade and paying a price that respects the farmer’s efforts”.
Country of origin: Australia
Instagram: @bahenandco
Editor-in-chief: Patricia Kolari
Text Writer: Marina Timoshevskaya
Technical Director: Evgeny Fedorov Photos: EATWEEK
