This cacao is grown in the province of Esmeraldas, an area not typically known as a cacao producing region of Ecuador. Costa Esmeraldas is a family business, entirely owned and managed by the Salazar family. This single estate farm was established on reclaimed cattle pasture and is currently planted with approximately 100 hectares of 5-year old Nacional hybrid cacao (clones EET-95, EET-96, and EET-103). The farm is currently expanding, and will include 10 hectares of a traditional Esmeraldas cacao varietal that was cultivated in isolation for over 100 years from the typical Nacional cacao grown in the rest of the country. The original farms planted with this cacao are currently being cut down and replaced with oil palm and CCN-51. The farm is located less than 10 miles inland of the coastal town of Muisne. A brand new, high efficiency fermentation and drying facility was designed by Cacao Services and constructed in a dry microclimate about 15 miles from the farm near the town of Tonchigue. The facility design allows production of unusually consistent and clean cacao with an efficient movement of material that reduces worker injury and fatigue.
The color is strikingly dark for a 70% dark chocolate, but belies its mild flavor. Enjoy. Tasting notes: nutty and floral
Ingredients: Cacao, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter
Certified Parve
Kosher Parve
Manufactured in a facility which also processes dairy"
Trace Dairy
Manufactured in a facility which also processes peanuts
Trace Peanuts
Soy Free
Soy Free
Manufactured in a facility which also processes treenuts
Trace Treenut
Organic refined sugar or alternative sweetener, and no animal products (ie defacto vegan)
Vegan+
Gluten Free
Gluten Free
Maker
LetterPress ChocolateCountry
United StatesCacao Origin
EcuadorFree Shipping for US orders over $100.
Reasons to Love:
Bean to Bar
Bean to Bar
Direct-Source Cacao
Direct Sourced
Woman Owned
Woman Owned
This cacao is grown in the province of Esmeraldas, an area not typically known as a cacao producing region of Ecuador. Costa Esmeraldas is a family business, entirely owned and managed by the Salazar family. This single estate farm was established on reclaimed cattle pasture and is currently planted with approximately 100 hectares of 5-year old Nacional hybrid cacao (clones EET-95, EET-96, and EET-103). The farm is currently expanding, and will include 10 hectares of a traditional Esmeraldas cacao varietal that was cultivated in isolation for over 100 years from the typical Nacional cacao grown in the rest of the country. The original farms planted with this cacao are currently being cut down and replaced with oil palm and CCN-51. The farm is located less than 10 miles inland of the coastal town of Muisne. A brand new, high efficiency fermentation and drying facility was designed by Cacao Services and constructed in a dry microclimate about 15 miles from the farm near the town of Tonchigue. The facility design allows production of unusually consistent and clean cacao with an efficient movement of material that reduces worker injury and fatigue.
The color is strikingly dark for a 70% dark chocolate, but belies its mild flavor. Enjoy. Tasting notes: nutty and floral
Ingredients: Cacao, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter
Certified Parve
Kosher Parve
Manufactured in a facility which also processes dairy"
Trace Dairy
Manufactured in a facility which also processes peanuts
Trace Peanuts
Soy Free
Soy Free
Manufactured in a facility which also processes treenuts
Trace Treenut
Organic refined sugar or alternative sweetener, and no animal products (ie defacto vegan)
Vegan+
Gluten Free
Gluten Free
Maker
LetterPress ChocolateCountry
United StatesCacao Origin
EcuadorAdd a Gift Note (Free) Add a Gift Box ($6) Need Help? Find the perfect gift.
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Maker
LetterPress ChocolateLetterPress Chocolate was cofounded by David and Corey Menkes in Los Angeles, CA. They founded LetterPress with the purpose of paying cocoa farmers a a premium for quality, sourcing their cacao through direct trade, and working with partners such as Uncommon Cacao, Meridian Cacao. Quality above quantity with as few ingredients as possible to make the best chocolate possible is their mission. On the inside flap of every bar is their favorite quote from Benjamin Franklin: “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
Collection title: All Chocolate Bars
Collection description:
Collection title: Cacao Origin: Ecuador
Collection description:
Collection title: Dark Chocolate
Collection description:
Collection title: Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Collection description: Esmeraldas is the northernmost province of Ecuador, bordering both the Pacific Ocean and western Colombia. The province is notable for its strong Afro-Ecuadorian culture & seafood-based cuisine, as well as the beautiful beaches. Much of Esmeraldas’ population relies upon agriculture to make a living, with the most important crops being banana, tobacco, coffee, and cacao.
Collection title: Good Food Award Winning Chocolate
Collection description:
Collection title: Homepage Collection
Collection description:
Collection title: Kosher Chocolate
Collection description: These fine chocolates are Kosher and certified either by OU Kosher Parve, Kosher LBD, or Kosher Dairy.
Collection title: LetterPress Chocolate
Collection description: LetterPress Chocolate was cofounded by David and Corey Menkes in Los Angeles, CA. They founded LetterPress with the purpose of paying cocoa farmers a a premium for quality, sourcing their cacao through direct trade, and working with partners such as Uncommon Cacao, Meridian Cacao. Quality above quantity with as few ingredients as possible to make the best chocolate possible is their mission. On the inside flap of every bar is their favorite quote from Benjamin Franklin: “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
Collection title: Nacional
Collection description: Nacional is one of those ten evolutionarily unique types identified in 2008, using samples collected throughout the Americas over the previous century. Samples proven to be of the nacional cluster were taken from Ecuador and northern Peru, where it’s considered one of the traditional cacao cultivars; it was domesticated by indigenous Ecuadorians over 5000 years ago, reaching far beyond its small native growing region. Many years ago, however, the cultivar neared extinction as more productive clones replaced the region’s native trees. Nacional is known to be fruity & floral, with some astringency and almost no bitterness.
Collection title: New Arrivals
Collection description:
Collection title: Nut Free Chocolate
Collection description:
Collection title: Plain Chocolate
Collection description:
Collection title: Shop Bar & Cocoa
Collection description:
Collection title: Soy Free Chocolate
Collection description: These chocolates do not list soy products as a main ingredient. Some of the chocolates say: "may contain traces of soy" where perhaps a very small amount may have come in contact with the food due to shared equipment or facility usage. Each product has icons that indicate whether a product is completely soy free or may contain traces.
Collection title: United States Chocolate Makers
Collection description: We've curated the best chocolate from American chocolate makers. Any of these award winning chocolate makers and upcoming craft artisanal chocolates are sure to please!
Collection title: Vegan Chocolate
Collection description:
Collection title: Women In Chocolate
Collection description: This collection highlights craft chocolate bars from women chocolate makers or women owned chocolate companies.
award-AOC-gold-2020
award-AOC-silver-2017
award-AOC-silver-2018
award-AOC-silver-2019
award-Good Food
award-Good Food-2017
cacaonum-70
cert-Kosher Parve
dairy2
Dark
farm1
farm2
Kosher
mcountry-United States
mstate-California
organic1
peanuts2
Plain
region-Esmeraldas
source-Ecuador
soy3
strain-Nacional
treenuts2
vegan2
wheat3
wown