
Maker
Michel CluizelThe “Goldsmith of Chocolate” Michel Cluizel bars have wide appeal among chocolate lovers. Michel Cluizel and his family started as a chocolatier, dating back to the late 1940's. He started producing his own chocolate in 1997, creating a single origin and single estate bar from high quality ingredients. While Michel Cluizel is a much bigger enterprise than many of the craft chocolate makers we feature on this site, this classic European chocolate has its roots in pure craftsmanship. The company is now on its third generation of chocolate makers. They have maintained a quality line of single origin chocolate plain and inclusion bars that continue to win awards.


Cacao Region
Java, IndonesiaThe volcanic island of Java is home to over half the Indonesian population, and is in fact the world's most-populous island. It was the center of the Indonesian struggle for independence during the 1930’s and 1940’s, and the country’s capital city, Jakarta, is on its northwestern coast. Java was the first place where Indonesian coffee was grown, starting in the 17th century, and by the early 20th century, Javanese coffee had gained global popularity. Thus, the name "Java" has now become a synonym for coffee in popular culture. Unfortunately, most of the smallholder farmers tasked with growing Javanese cacao are limited to selling their crop to huge chocolate manufacturers, who pay low prices & don’t pay much attention to quality.
Cacao Strain
JavaJava is the most populous island of Indonesia, also lending its name to one of the country’s most well-known strains of cacao. The strain is characterized by its overt smokiness and light cocoa flavor, yet full and complex body. This is in part thanks to the island’s humid and often rainy climate, which forces most Javanese farmers to actually smoke-dry their beans. Such an approach has likely been done on the island for centuries, as long as cacao has had a place on Javanese plantations. Sometime in the late 1800’s, Mesoamerican criollo cacao made its way to Java. Over time, cacaos brought to the island from other parts of the world have cross-pollinated to form a light-colored, genetically criollo-heavy cacao strain unique to Java. Combined with the smoke-drying typical of the island, Java cacao has become a regional genetic blend prized around the world.
Attention CA Residents
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.p65warnings.ca.gov.
