Indulging in a decadent piece of chocolate is one of life's greatest pleasures. When it comes to the best chocolates in the world, single-origin varieties are the ultimate indulgence. Single-origin chocolate is made from cacao beans sourced from a single region, giving it a unique flavor profile that reflects the terroir of its origin. Each chocolate has its own distinct aroma, taste, and texture, making it a true treat.
If you're a chocolate lover looking to explore the world of single-origin chocolate, you're in luck. We've curated a list of the top single-origin chocolates you need to try today. From the bold flavors of Vietnamese chocolate to the vibrant flavors of Peruvian chocolate, each of these chocolates is sure to delight your taste buds and leave you craving more.
What is Single Origin Chocolate
Single-origin chocolate is a type of chocolate made from cacao beans that come from a specific region, estate, or farm, rather than a blend of cacao beans from multiple regions. The idea behind single-origin chocolate is that the flavor of the chocolate is influenced by the soil, climate, and other environmental factors of the region where the cacao beans were grown. This creates a unique flavor profile for each chocolate, with different notes and characteristics that reflect the specific terroir of the region. Single-origin chocolate is often prized for its complex flavor, depth, and richness, and is considered a premium chocolate product by many chocolate enthusiasts.
Why is Single Origin Chocolate Better
Single-origin chocolate is considered better by many because of the unique flavor profile it offers. Since the cacao beans used to make single-origin chocolate come from a specific region or farm, the flavor of the chocolate is influenced by the terroir of that region. This means that each chocolate has a distinct flavor profile that reflects the soil, climate, and other environmental factors of the region where the cacao beans were grown. In contrast, chocolate made from a blend of cocoa beans from different regions can have a more generic flavor, lacking the depth and complexity of single-origin chocolate. Additionally, because single-origin chocolate is often made in smaller batches and with greater attention to detail.
The Top Single-Origin Chocolates You Need to Try Today
Marou Ben Tre 78%
A bar of intense yet perfectly balanced chocolate, from the Ben Tre province in the Mekong Delta, where cacao trees are planted among the coconut groves.
| Region | Vietnam (Ben Tre Province) |
| Cacao % | 78% |
| Tasting Notes | Intense & Bold |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Cacaosuyo Piura Select 70%
A bar of vibrant chocolate reminiscent of sweet tarts, the cacao for this bar is carefully selected and processed to preserve all of its vibrant, natural flavors. Made with rare Porcelana cacao from the Piura region, this chocolate offers abundant bright, tart, fruity notes and then settles into a more nutty, woodsy finish.
| Region | Peru (Piura Region) |
| Cacao % | 70% |
| Tasting Notes | Vibrant, Sweet Tarts, Balsamic Vinegar, Citrusy & Nutty |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Dick Taylor Belize Toledo 72%
This bar has an intense dried fruit flavor of plum and apricot. It has a nice firm snap, with bright acidity, and a long finish.
| Region | Belize (Toledo Region) |
| Cacao % | 72% |
| Tasting Notes | Fruity & Bright |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Blanxart Congo Eco-Organic 82%
There has got to be a law against chocolate this good. Intense smoke and coffee flavor permeates the palate leaving its delectable mark on the unwary taste-traveler.
| Region | Congo |
| Cacao % | 82% |
| Tasting Notes | Smokey & Coffee |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
OmNom Tanzania 70%
A pure dark single-origin bar from Tanzania cocoa. It features a dominance of stone fruits and roasted hazelnuts with hints of raisins and ripe apricots.
| Region | Tanzania |
| Cacao % | 82% |
| Tasting Notes | Fruity & Nutty |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Amano Macoris 70%
| Region | Dominican Republic |
| Cacao % | 70% |
| Tasting Notes | Apricot, Caramel, Brown Sugar & Cream |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Akesson's Brazil Forastero 75%
Grown on a historical Brazilian plantation, Forastero cacao's astonishing warm aroma is balanced with tart notes of the native pitanga fruit in 75% dark chocolate. The Pitanga fruit, also known as the 'Brazilian cherry', looks like a small pumpkin and has a sharp and sweet taste. Parasinho's Forestero cacao is the only variety grown on this Fazenda Sempre Firme plantation. Grown amid a forest with the highest biodiversity on earth, this exceptional cacao is distinctly Brazilian.
| Region | Brazil |
| Cacao % | 75% |
| Tasting Notes | Earthy, Tobacco, Brazilian Pitanga Fruit, Tart, Autumn Spices |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Cuna De Piedra Soconusco Chiapas 85%
Cuna de Piedra sources their Soconusco, Chiapas cacao from a cooperative in the Raymundo Enríquez ejido, composed of 28 members who own 50 hectares of orchards, where cacao is grown alongside other fruits such as lemons, coconuts, mangoes, mamey, and pineapples, as well as tropical flowers. Harvest after harvest, the co-op ensures consistency across all seasons by sourcing beans only from their own members and compensating for the genetic diversity of their plants by knowing exactly which lots to ferment in the same batch.
| Region | Mexico |
| Cacao % | 85% |
| Tasting Notes | Earthy |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Manoa Oahu Island, Mililani 70%
The Hawaiian cacao of this single origin chocolate bar originates from Mililani Estate in central Oahu. This diverse 97 acre farm hosts crops of breadfruit, banana, avocado, taro and 10 acres of cacao. Their first ever cacao harvest occurred in late 2019 as the trees turned three years old. The chocolate produced from this Estate is some of the most bright and fruity Manoa has ever made. After only a few months of being available, this bar has won multiple awards, including gold for Best Dark Chocolate at the prestigious Chocolate Alliance Awards.
| Region | Hawaii |
| Cacao % | 70% |
| Tasting Notes | Fruity |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
LetterPress Peru Tingo Maria 70%
Ucayali River Cacao sources from several areas in the Peruvian state of Ucayali. Having won numerous awards for their Private Reserve Ucayali bar, Letterpress wanted to explore some of the other fantastic cacao in the region which URC also ferments. Tingo María is a city on the Huallaga River in central Peru, set between Andean highlands and Amazonian jungle. It's the gateway to the biodiverse Tingo María National Park, known for Sleeping Beauty, a mountain shaped like a reclining woman.
| Region | Peru |
| Cacao % | 70% |
| Tasting Notes | Caramel, Mocha & Berries |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Original Beans Beni Wild Harvest 66%
Original Beans has been actively involved in the conservation of this rare source of 100% wild cacao for several years. Now, genetic research has shown that this ‘original bean' is a distinct endemic variety, genetically independent from all known cacaos. Extraordinarily, the cacao grows on “chocolatales” or “cocoa islands” dating back to a pre-Columbian civilization. During the wet season, the expert collectors from several indigenous tribes go out, for weeks at a time, in canoes to collect the wild beans in spots only they know about. The wild beans are so small that they require specially modified roasting.
| Region | Bolivia |
| Cacao % | 66% |
| Tasting Notes | Floral Honey, Apricot, & Jasmine Tea |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Taza Chocolate Mexicano Cacao Puro 70%
Stoneground chocolate is not something we see often in this day and age, especially not well-made stone-ground chocolate. Taza took an age's old process of making chocolate and developed it into a line of products that highlights the true flavors of ethically sourced, organic cacao in a unique, distinctly Mexican style chocolate made with Oaxacan style stone mills. Enjoy their disks as is or meltdown into delicious drinking chocolate.
| Region | Dominican Republic |
| Cacao % | 70% |
| Tasting Notes | Bold & Fruity |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Valrhona Manjari 64%
Fresh and tangy, Valrhona Manjari 64% liberates acidulous notes of red and dried fruits. Heavenly acidulous red fruit and dried-fruit hints. Single Origin Madagascar.
| Region | Madagascar |
| Cacao % | 64% |
| Tasting Notes | Red & Dried Fruits |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Raaka Pink Sea Salt 71%
A fruity, complex salted dark chocolate to end all salted dark chocolates. Made with single-origin cacao from Zorzal Cacao, a farm and fermentary within a bird sanctuary in the Dominican Republic, and sprinkled with Peruvian pink salt sourced from Salt of The Earth Co. We think New York Magazine said it best: this bar has a “deep, dark, mysterious flavor with hints of cherry; and a finish as long as a David Foster Wallace footnote.”
| Region | Dominican Republic |
| Cacao % | 71% |
| Tasting Notes | Earthy & Cherry |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Amedei Venezuela Cru Chocolate Bar 70%
Amedei's I Cru chocolates are a journey tracing the tracks of cocoa's oldest varieties, grown on individual plantations and crafted according to the customs of their lands of origin. This captures their wildest essence for a taste experience forging new frontiers. The mark of this spicy, richly aromatic chocolate's land of origin is clear, drawing you in and dazzling the senses with an intense flavor of walnut, almonds, and cashews.
| Region | Venezuela |
| Cacao % | 70% |
| Tasting Notes | Walnut, Almonds & Cashews |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Ritual Ecuador 85%
The majority of beans grown on this estate are 100% Nacional Blend cacao. In 2008, Vicente Norero revived a 381-hectare cacao plantation after years of disrepair and called it Camino Verde. With a background in microbiology, he works to create new and unique inoculated ferments, work with micro lots to discover new flavors and supports and respects farmers, to yield only high-quality fine cacao.
| Region | Ecuador |
| Cacao % | 85% |
| Tasting Notes | Honey, Fudge, Naturally Sweet Cacao Flavor |
| Bean to Bar | Yes |
| Directly Sourced | Yes |
Why is Single Origin Chocolate more expensive?
Single-origin chocolate is often more expensive than regular chocolate because it is made with high-quality cacao beans that are sourced from a single region or farm. Since the cacao beans used in single-origin chocolate are grown in a specific location, they are subject to the unique environmental conditions of that region, which can affect the flavor and quality of the beans. The farmers who grow these beans often go to great lengths to ensure that they are grown sustainably and without the use of harmful pesticides, which can increase the cost of production. Additionally, the process of making single-origin chocolate is often more labor-intensive and requires greater attention to detail than mass-produced chocolate, which can also contribute to its higher price point. Also due to the limited supply of cacao beans from a single region or farm, the cost of these beans can be higher than the cost of beans from multiple regions, which can also impact the cost of the final product.
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.
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