Kekao Monthly Craft Chocolate Club - January

Let's take a closer look at what chocolates you can expect to receive this month with the Kekao Box. 

Ritual Chocolate:

Ritual Chocolate produces small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate using classic European methods and premium cacao from select sources. Founded in 2010 by Robbie Stout and Anna Davies, their mission is to produce exceptional quality chocolate while celebrating the complexity of the cacao bean.

At their small chocolate factory in Park City, Utah, they are involved with the entire chocolate-making process to ensure their values for the highest achievable quality are present every step of the way.

They source some of the highest quality cacao in the world to make their chocolate. With no added flavours, their chocolate is an authentic expression of the flavour unique to each origin.

Ritual Marañón, Peru 75%

Made with pure Nacional cacao, one of the most genetically unique beans in the world. The Peru bar is as complex as it is delicate and exceptionally smooth.

Tasting Notes: Floral, Herbal, Toasted Peanuts & Stone Fruit

MAROU CHOCOLATE:

Marou was one of the first bean-to-bar makers in Asia. When Vincent Mourou left his advertising career in San Francisco, he moved to Vietnam to find himself. This is when Vincent met Samuel Maruta, a banker from France living in Saigon with his wife and two kids. The two had nothing but a blender, an oven, cake tins, and Sam's kitchen. Samuel and Vincent continue to work with a tight network of small farmers who they buy the best quality beans from.

Marou Ba Ria Ginger Lime 69%

Setting the stage for the flavors of Ba Ria to shine, this bar is a marriage of fruity cacao, acidic lime and floral, refreshing ginger. Vietnamese cuisine is known for its celebration of bright, complimentary herbs and vegetables. Ginger and lime are two very commonly used ingredients in many Vietnamese dishes, and are cultivated throughout the country. The cacao, ginger, and lime are all grown in the same Vietnamese region.

Tasting Notes: Acidic, Bright, Fruity, Refreshing & Floral

MANOA CHOCOLATE HAWAII:

Manoa is a Hawaiian-based chocolate maker. Hawaii is the only state in the USA to grow cacao. The story of this maker began in the labs at the University of Hawaii in 2010 studying cacao as a crop for the state. Manoa started as college students with no money and bootstrapped their business with ingenuity and determination.

Manoa Goat Milk 69%

A bar of dark milk chocolate whose cacao is offset by tangy goat's milk. Fudgy and rich like chocolate cheesecake with a funky finish. Made with Meyenberg goat's milk sourced from northern California.

Tasting Notes: Cheesecake, Vegetal, Rich, Velvety & Tangy Finish

RAAKA CHOCOLATE:

Raaka is devoted to making uncommonly delicious chocolate that captures the brighter, bolder, and fruitier side of cacao. They make every bar from scratch with unroasted cacao beans, sourced from growers they trust and admire. The unique flavour of their unroasted chocolate is part place, part process. They craft their bars in celebration of each cacao origin's unique character. Their chocolate making process values the community of growers, producers, and makers whose livelihoods depend on cacao and chocolate. All of their chocolate is made from scratch, bean-to-bar, in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Raaka Bananas Foster 66%

Raaka crafts this bar with perfectly ripe bananas, fruity Peruvian cacao, house caramelized sugar, and vanilla bean. Our tribute to the iconic New Orleans dessert.

Tasting notes: Ripe Banana & Fruity

To get started with craft chocolate, start with our Kekao Box. We search the world for the finest chocolate bars and bring them right to your doorstep monthly. From rich dark Peruvian chocolate bars to new start-up chocolate bars on the come up, you never know what you'll get inside the box! Each month we will curate 4 to 5 premium specialty crafted chocolate bars. 

If you want to just try a couple of bars, check out our online chocolate store.

If you have any questions regarding this blog, our Kekao Box, or premium specialty crafted chocolate bars, feel free to contact us! Keep up with us by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.