Not many days go by that I don’t struggle with what I do and the obstacles that come with starting your own business. I enjoy working with chocolate because it keeps my creative juices flowing and because chocolate makes people happy. But I’m still conflicted; I feel strongly that I should be doing more good. That I am capable of helping others and that I have a responsibility to improve this world in which we live. I probably spend too much time pondering this and not enough time taking action. But I also spend quite a bit of time tasting other peoples chocolate, to help evolve my taste buds and to make sure my products are up to my own standards.
This journey led me to Askinosie Chocolate and only now do I feel like I have validated all those empty bar wrappers. Shawn Askinosie is an inspiration, and my new hero! It will only take one look at his simple, yet effective and easy to use website, to see how he stays connected and uses chocolate to not only bring people together but to make the world a better place.
I’ve spent the last few weeks eating this gift package, which includes four single origin chocolate bars. Slowly trying to pull out the different flavors and nuances of each one, trying to figure out which one is my favorite and it’s hard! This is chocolate in its purist form, made with organic cane juice and includes no added vanilla, because it doesn’t need it! Askinosie not only works with the farmers directly, to purchase beans at higher than fair trade prices but has implemented the “A Stake in the Outcome” program from which the farmers receive 10% of the net profit that is made from the chocolate using their beans.
Their rustic packaging is Eco friendly and also includes so much information about the bar and it’s sources! Such as place of origin, bean variety and the name and photo of the lead farmer from which the beans were purchased. You can learn even more specifications about each bar on their website, in a section called Choc-O-Lot. Upon entering a serial number found on your wrapper you may view their logs of this bars life, including dates of bean shipments and roasting. They also share with us the exact cocoa butter percentage per bar, a rare but if not unheard of practice! This helps us, as the consumer to further appreciate all of the steps that go into making good, fair chocolate.
I could go on about this company and the good work they do in their community and around the globe all day, but now it’s time to talk about the most important part- the chocolate! Don’t get me wrong, all this other stuff is just great but you have to have an amazing product to back it up and that they do. This ladies and gentlemen, is THE BEST CHOCOLATE I have ever tasted and I’ve tasted a lot. I will even go on to say that this is the best chocolate in the world right now.
In my gift set there were four bars; Tenende Tanzania, Cortes Honduras, Ecuadorian San Jose Del Tambo and the same Ecuadorian bar including cocoa nibs. I’m amazed at their branding effort, each bar being molded with their company name in block letters. I very much enjoy these break off portion sizes and how thin they are. While I thought the Ecuadorian bar was the most bitter of the group, no surprise because of it’s Arriba beans, it’s so interesting how the flavor seemed to change so much when the nibs were added. While the bar on it’s own had these sort of marshmallow undertones, the nibs add such an unexpected fruitiness. And while the bar from Honduras is of course as delicious as the others, I am in love with the Tenende Tanzania bar! I never knew African beans could be so complex with fruit, tartness and citrus. Maybe this is because I’ve never had a single origin bar from Africa made with Trinitario beans. This is the kind of chocolate that excites your taste buds so much that you can’t get enough of it! I highly suggest you try some for your self and help support cocoa growth and education around the world. I only hope that one day I can be a part of something this extraordinary.