Single Origin Cocoa Beans
When you choose single origin hot chocolate, you know you’re getting beans grown on different farms but all from one particular region – producing hot chocolate with a distinct, individual character.
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast is the largest producer of cocoa beans, growing over 30% of the cocoa beans for the world’s chocolate market and producing two million tonnes of cocoa each year. The cocoa butter from these Ivory Coast beans is used to create our sumptuously-sweet white chocolate with its creamy texture.
Venezuela
The ancestral lands and lovingly-curated farms in North West Venezuela, south of Lake Maracaibo, produce a chocolate full of caramel and fruity hints from “Sur de Lago.” Venezuela was the first country in the world where the seeds that resulted in “superfine cocoa” were grown.
Tanzania
Tanzania is an East African country that borders the Indian Ocean. For our silky Organic and Vegan 58% we use cocoa from traditional farmers in the Kilombero Valley who ferment the beans locally in banana leaves and dry them in the sun.
São Tomé
The volcanic islands of São Tomé and Principe were nicknamed “the chocolate islands” – in the early 20th century, they were the world’s leading producer in terms of volume and quality. Our São Tomé chocolate has a gently fruity taste, thanks to banana leaves wrapped around the beans.
Ecuador
Ecuador has a long cocoa-growing history: microscopic cocoa remnants were found in ceramic pottery dating back to 3,300 BC. These days, in the lush provinces of Ecuador, top-quality beans are grown to create chocolate with floral hints from its famous arriba nacional cocoa.
Peru
Rich chocolate and a rich history – Peru has been cited as the historical root of cocoa trees. The cacao production is predominantly carried out by smallholding farmers who belong to different cooperatives that support them. Our Peruvian chocolate contains hints of fresh fruit and cherry jam.
Dominican Republic
Our delicious flakes and powder come from the Dominican Republic, an ideal territory in the Caribbean Islands with natural climate, soil and cocoa growing history to produce high quality speciality cocoa beans. The farms here have an emphasis on social welfare and environment.
Haiti
Haiti’s lush tropical climates help to create vibrant and bold flavours. Despite the challenges smallholding farmers faced from natural disasters, the local cooperative’s support still produced award-winning chocolate.
Madagascar
Madagascan cocoa is mainly grown in the Sambirano region, often coming from family-owned farms that have been nurtured for generations. Our Organic Madagascan chocolate results in a finished drink full of fruity flavours and a low-sugar content.
West Africa
West Africa is the heart of the world’s cocoa production. Mostly grown by smallholders in shaded forests, forastero beans give the typical ‘chocolate’ flavour that we are so used to. At Kokoa Collection we use this in pure cocoa form so it is 100%.
The cocoa bean farmers
Our beans are primarily sourced from smallholder farmers in these specialist growing regions. The farmers we choose to work with receive a better deal for their beans from their local cooperatives so they can earn a viable living and care for their local environment. Our personal connection with each region is a precious part of our identity and vision.
At Kokoa Collection we love using single origin cocoa beans because it gives us a connection with the farmers, their land, culture and stories. It’s always an honour to meet them and appreciate their expertise and hard work in tropical climates.
We operate on a small scale with specialist cocoa growers and cooperatives, endeavouring to always do so in an ethical fashion and minimise our impact on the environment. We respect the farmers and want them to change their lives and livelihoods for the better by partnering with us.
From bean to liquid deliciousness
Our cocoa beans come from countries around the equator and are grown by smallholding farmers. Harvested cocoa pods are taken to a central cooperative. They are then cut and the white, fleshy bean is left to ferment for six days to allow the delicious flavours to develop fully. They are then dried out either in the sun or under cover to ensure no moisture is left in the beans.
Only the highest quality beans are roasted before being ground down in a process called conching that transforms the beans into pure liquid chocolate.
This liquid chocolate is then transferred into bespoke moulds – pick up one of our chocolate tablets and you’ll see our name stamped there. Our chocolate tablets are then ready to be melted into delicious drinking chocolate.
Stockists
Coffee shops can display our chocolate tablets in our eye-catching presentation jars allowing your customers to easily choose their preferred origin and cocoa percentage – or discover a new one.
At Home
What if you want to enjoy that barista-quality, award-winning luxury hot chocolate experience in your own home? Well, you can. Explore our shop and let your taste buds choose your new favourite hot chocolate.
