Kaicao is a Madrid-based bean-to-bar chocolate maker known for its unique use of dates instead of refined sugar. This natural sweetener gives their chocolates a nuanced, healthier sweetness. Their artisanal process uses ethically sourced, single-origin cacao, and the factory doubles as an open lab where visitors can learn about chocolate making firsthand.

Kaicao is ideal for health-conscious consumers and adventurous gourmets who appreciate ethical sourcing and innovative flavors. Their workshops and tastings make it perfect for experiential gifts and culinary exploration.

Rooted in Madrid’s multicultural Lavapiés district, Kaicao reflects Spain’s evolving food culture by blending immigrant influences with local traditions. Their chocolate bars and seasonal creations, like hazelnut-date truffles and tea-infused tablets, showcase this creative spirit.

Kaicao emphasizes small-batch, hands-on production, using only cacao and dates for sweetness, eschewing refined sugar entirely.

Their process involves careful roasting, stone grinding, and crafting chocolate blocks inspired by ancient traditions.

The company’s educational workshops allow chocolate enthusiasts to engage directly in each stage of production, fostering a deeper appreciation for the craft.

The company sources single-origin beans directly from farms in Ecuador (Hacienda Limón), Tanzania (Kokoa Kamili), and Uganda (Semuliki forest). By building direct relationships, Kaicao ensures fair pricing and supports sustainable farming practices. Their focus on ceremonial cacao and fine-flavor beans helps preserve biodiversity and supports traditional farming cultures.

Kaicao’s technical approach preserves delicate flavor profiles through precise conching and tempering, leveraging Madrid’s climate for optimal results. Their unique flavor combinations and educational outreach have set them apart in Spain’s chocolate scene.

• 100% Ritual Ceremonial Cocoa (Ecuador): An intense, earthy, and floral bar designed for both culinary use and wellness rituals.
• 75% Dark Chocolate (Tanzania): Showcasing bright acidity and fruity complexity unique to Tanzanian terroir.
• 70% Dark Chocolate with Roasted Nibs (Uganda): Highlighting the robust flavors of Semuliki forest cacao.
• Experimental Bars: Including a 65% dark chocolate with Arabic coffee and cardamom, and Medjool dates filled with pistachios and cardamom, covered in 100% chocolate.

Qantu is a Montreal-based bean-to-bar chocolate maker founded by Elfi and Maxime, who are passionate about preserving native Peruvian cacao varieties. The company’s name, “Qantu,” is inspired by the national flower of Peru, reflecting its deep roots in Peruvian culture and biodiversity.

Qantu’s process is defined by meticulous attention to detail and a dedication to showcasing the unique flavors of native Peruvian cacao.

Their extended anaerobic fermentation and low-temperature roasting techniques are designed to amplify the natural fruity and floral notes of the beans, resulting in chocolate with remarkable complexity.

Qantu sources all its cacao directly from Peruvian cooperatives, paying up to three times Fairtrade prices. The founders maintain close relationships with farmers, conducting regular audits to ensure sustainable, zero-deforestation practices. This direct trade model supports both environmental stewardship and farmer prosperity.

Qantu has quickly gained international acclaim, winning multiple gold and silver awards from the Academy of Chocolate. Their technical innovations and focus on native beans have made them a standout in the global craft chocolate community.

• Peru Chuncho 70%: Renowned for jasmine and green apple notes, derived from wild-fermented beans.
• Marañón Canyon 80%: Features Brazil nut and tamarind nuances from shade-dried Criollo cacao.
• Other Single-Origin Bars: Each bar is crafted to highlight the biodiversity and terroir of Peru’s cacao regions.

Kasama Chocolate, located in Vancouver, Canada, is inspired by the city’s diverse culinary scene and Pacific Northwest innovation. The company is known for its experimental approach and deep commitment to ethical sourcing.

Kasama applies specialty coffee processing methods to cacao, experimenting with washed versus natural fermentation to create distinctive flavor profiles. Their technical innovations bring new dimensions to chocolate, such as clementine acidity and blueberry jam notes in their bars.

Kasama’s sourcing is centered on direct trade with Filipino farmers, supporting solar dryer projects and sharing royalties through their “Flavor Equity” program. This approach ensures both environmental sustainability and equitable compensation for farmers.

Kasama’s innovative processing and flavor development have earned them international awards, including recognition for their whisky barrel-aged chocolate. Their bars are celebrated for their complexity and unique Pacific influences.

• Philippines 68%: Features roasted coconut and tamarind notes from wild-yeast fermentation.
• Oaxaca Spice 55%: Incorporates mezcal barrel-aged nibs with chili-lime zest, offering a bold and memorable flavor.
• Single Malt 70%: Uses Costa Esmeraldas cacao aged in whisky barrels for a complex blend of cacao, whisky, and oak.

Bare Bones Chocolate is a multi-award-winning, bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by Cameron and Lara, the company is dedicated to crafting chocolate from scratch in micro-batches, using organically farmed cacao sourced directly from small co-operatives around the world. Their approach emphasizes ethical sourcing, sustainability, and the celebration of cacao’s natural flavors.

Bare Bones Chocolate is one of the few UK producers to handle every step of the chocolate-making process in-house-from sourcing raw cacao beans to producing the finished bar. This hands-on approach allows them to control quality at every stage, ensuring that only the best beans are selected, roasted, and processed. The company’s meticulous methods include hand-sorting beans, light and slow roasting in small batches, stone grinding for up to 72 hours, and aging the chocolate for several weeks to develop complex flavors.

The company pays premium prices for high-quality cacao, supporting sustainable farming practices and ensuring fair compensation for farmers. Their cacao is sourced from rare origins, including Honduras (Copan region, XOCO Cooperative) and the Dominican Republic, among others. Bare Bones is committed to environmental responsibility, using packaging made from recycled coffee cups and compostable materials, and ensuring all packaging is recyclable or compostable after use.

Bare Bones Chocolate is celebrated for its technical expertise and commitment to flavor. Their chocolate is roasted in a modified coffee roaster to preserve delicate flavors, and the finished bars are hand-wrapped in compostable packaging. The company’s dedication to quality and sustainability has earned praise from both customers and culinary figures, with chef Rick Stein calling it “the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted”.

Honduras Milk 55%: Made with beans from the Copan region, this bar features tasting notes of raisin, fudge, and double cream.

Dominican 68% Dark with Salt: A dark bar with notes of caramel and roasted hazelnuts, complemented by a touch of salt.

Hot Chocolate Flakes: Crafted for a rich, vegan-friendly drinking chocolate experience.

Other Single-Origin Bars: Each bar is crafted to showcase the distinct fruity, nutty, or floral notes of its cacao source.

Vigdis Rosenkilde is a Norwegian chocolate maker who crafts her bars in Peru, combining Scandinavian expertise with direct access to premium Peruvian cacao. Her unique cross-continental approach allows for exceptional quality control and flavor development.

Rosenkilde’s process involves precise fermentation monitoring and careful roasting to enhance the natural flavors of Peruvian Chuncho cocoa. Her technical skill is evident in the complexity and vibrancy of her award-winning bars.

She works directly with Peruvian farmers, ensuring fair wages and complete traceability. Her hands-on involvement at the source supports both quality and ethical standards throughout the supply chain.

Rosenkilde’s 70% Quellouno bar scored 91.7 at the 2024 World Finals, a testament to her expertise and the quality of her chocolate. Her approach highlights the best of Peruvian cacao, with a focus on complex, terroir-driven flavors.

• 70% Quellouno: Noted for its vibrant cherry, lemon peel, and coffee notes, crafted from beans grown at the Tupayachi family's agro-ecological plantation.

Friis-Holm Chokolade, based in Denmark, is the creation of chef Mikkel Friis-Holm, who set out to be “best in the world, best for the world” by combining Scandinavian craftsmanship with a deep commitment to ethical sourcing and flavor innovation. The company is recognized internationally for its meticulous approach and its award-winning bars made from Nicaraguan cacao.

Friis-Holm is driven by a philosophy of complete control over every aspect of chocolate making, from sourcing to finished bar.

Mikkel Friis-Holm’s process is highly experimental, with a focus on how small changes, such as the number of times beans are turned during fermentation, can dramatically alter flavor.

His “double-turning” and “triple-turning” techniques, for example, produce distinctively different bars from the same batch of beans, highlighting the impact of process on taste.

The company’s sourcing model is built on direct relationships with Nicaraguan farmers, a legacy of Friis-Holm’s involvement in a Danish development project to improve farmer incomes through high-quality cacao. Friis-Holm pays 10–20% above Fairtrade prices, ensuring both exceptional bean quality and meaningful support for farming communities. This direct trade approach fosters sustainable practices and farmer prosperity.

Friis-Holm Chokolade has earned global acclaim, winning numerous gold medals at the International Chocolate Awards for ten consecutive years. Their technical mastery and willingness to experiment have set new standards in the bean-to-bar world, while their direct farmer relationships ensure both quality and ethical integrity.

• Chuno 70% Double Turned: An award-winning bar with a full body, nutty and spicy complexity, and a smooth finish, created by turning the beans twice during fermentation.
• Chuno 70% Triple Turned: Offers a more straightforward, gentle chocolate flavor with pronounced acidity and notes of black olives and citrus peel-demonstrating how process variation alters taste.

Utopick, based in Valencia, Spain, is known for its creative approach to bean-to-bar chocolate, blending Mediterranean culinary traditions with innovative artistry.

Founded by Paco Llopís and Juana Rojas, Utopick is as celebrated for its striking origami-inspired packaging as for its commitment to ethical sourcing and flavor exploration.

Utopick’s philosophy centers on continual experimentation and delight-both for farmers and customers. Paco, coming from a family of patissiers, brings an artist’s eye and a chef’s palate to chocolate making, treating chocolate as a medium for both taste and visual expression.

The company uses custom-built equipment for precise roasting and partners with Uncommon Cacao to source exceptional beans.

Utopick builds direct relationships with farmers in Nicaragua, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, ensuring high-quality beans while supporting sustainable agriculture. Their sourcing model is rooted in long-term partnerships and transparency, reflecting a commitment to both ethical trade and flavor authenticity.

Utopick’s technical precision and artistic flair have earned it recognition for both flavor and design. The brand’s continual innovation in both chocolate and packaging sets it apart in the Spanish craft chocolate scene.

• Dominican Republic Oko Caribe 70%: Features bright red fruit notes and subtle spice, highlighting the terroir of Dominican cacao.
• Nicaragua Matagalpa 75%: An award-winning bar with complex nutty and caramel notes, showcasing the unique character of Nicaraguan beans.

Vinte Vinte, based in Lisbon, Portugal, draws on the country’s seafaring heritage to connect Europe with cacao-growing regions worldwide. The brand’s name-Portuguese for “twenty twenty”-reflects its vision of clarity and excellence in chocolate making.

Vinte Vinte emphasizes minimal processing to preserve the natural characteristics of cacao. The company has developed specialized fermentation monitoring systems, working closely with producers to enhance flavor development before beans even leave their origin country.

Their sourcing model is built on long-term relationships with farmers in countries with historical ties to Portugal, such as São Tomé and Brazil. By acknowledging chocolate’s complex colonial history, Vinte Vinte aims to build more equitable, modern trade relationships that benefit both producers and consumers.

Vinte Vinte’s technical expertise in fermentation and minimal processing results in chocolate that captures the essence of each origin. Their approach has positioned them as leaders in Portugal’s emerging bean-to-bar movement.

• São Tomé 72%: Showcases the island’s unique terroir with complex tropical fruit notes and a smooth finish.
• Brazil Amazon 65%: Features earthy undertones balanced by subtle berry notes, reflecting the distinctive profile of Amazonian cacao.

Vai Cacao, based in Milan, Italy, brings the country’s renowned culinary tradition and precision to the world of bean-to-bar chocolate. The company is known for its focus on quality ingredients and meticulous small-batch production.

Vai Cacao employs a unique low-temperature conching process, preserving volatile flavor compounds that are often lost in conventional chocolate making. Their small-batch approach allows for careful monitoring and exceptional clarity of flavor in every bar.

The company builds direct relationships with farmers in Ecuador, Madagascar, and Vietnam, ensuring ethical sourcing and access to distinctive cacao varieties. Vai Cacao’s commitment to transparency is reflected in detailed origin information provided on each package.

Vai Cacao’s technical mastery and focus on preserving delicate flavors have earned it recognition among Italy’s top craft chocolate makers. Their bars are celebrated for their clarity, balance, and expressive character.

• Madagascar Sambirano 74%: A vibrant bar with bright cherry and citrus notes, showcasing Madagascar’s famous red fruit acidity.
• Ecuador Los Rios 70%: Features floral complexity and subtle nutty undertones, characteristic of fine Ecuadorian cacao.

Cacaosuyo is a Lima-based chocolate maker dedicated to showcasing the diversity and heritage of Peruvian cacao. Founded by a team of passionate professionals, the company controls every stage of production, from bean selection to finished bar.

Cacaosuyo combines traditional methods with modern innovations, such as genetic selection and careful supervision of fermentation and roasting. Their approach highlights the unique characteristics of cacao from different Peruvian regions.

The company works directly with small farmers across Peru, ensuring traceability and fair compensation. Their commitment to preserving genetic diversity supports sustainable livelihoods and the future of Peruvian cacao.

Cacaosuyo’s technical expertise and focus on quality have earned them multiple international awards. Their bars are celebrated for their balanced, terroir-driven flavors and exceptional craftsmanship.

• Piura Milk: A multi-gold-winning bar known for its creamy richness and the unique character of northern Peruvian cacao.
• Regional Dark Collection: A series of bars that each highlight cacao from a different Peruvian region, showcasing the country’s diverse terroir.