International Chocolate Awards Winner 2019 - Bronze - Dark Chocolate With Inclusions.

Story

If you like spicy Thia food, this chocolate bar is for you. It is a combination of noble single-origin dark chocolate made from high-end Thai cacao beans, salted tamarind and chilli that makes this treat absolutely unique in taste and experience. 

The north of Thailand is an agricultural treasure for the country. Its mountainous landscape and higher latitude allow for crops unique to the region of Thailand such as strawberries, cherry flowers, and a thriving Arabica coffee production. The cacao varietals which thrive in this cooler tropical environment offer us a subset of flavour that is unique to the North of Thailand. 

Kad Kokoa has four farms, in Chiangmai, Chanthaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon. Cacao beans grown in these four locations have distinct tastes due to differences in temperature and soil. After the beans are handpicked by harvesters, they are sent it to Kad Kokoa cafe for quality check and to be transformed to chocolate.

In addition to unearthing the charms of Thai cacao, Kad Kokoa is also actively contributing its knowledge of cacao trees to support Thai farmers. The chocolate producer’s Seedling For New Lives campaign in Chiang Mai, Mae Hongson and Lampang that aims to raise funds to buy cacao seeds for farmers under the growing operation of Chumphon Horticulture Research Centre and MTT Farm in Doi Saket, to provide to the Department of Forestry. 2020 has been hard on the agriculture of Northern Thailand due to rampant wildfires at the start of the year. Kad Kokoa hopes the project will help farmers and hill tribe members replace the burned trees with something that can provide a source of income. The goal is to reach 750,000 baht, to buy and distribute 10,000 cacao seedlings to the farmers.

What is tamarind? The tamarind tree is native to Asia and Africa, but it also grows in tropical climates around the world. It produces pods of fruit that taste sweet and sour when ripe and even sourer when unripe or dried. India and Thailand produce the most tamarind, and it holds a prominent place in their cooking. But it's a staple ingredient in other Asian cuisines, too. You'll also find it in African and Middle Eastern cooking.

Features

Country of production: Thailand

Origin of beans: Nothern Thailand

Cocoa content: 58%

Tasting profiles: tamarind's citrus-like flavour adds a nice tang to this dark chocolate. But there's more to it. Notes of caramel give it a more complex flavour.

Dietary features: vegan, dairy-free.

How to store your chocolate: store in a cool dry place ideally at a temperature of 18-20 C.

Pairing ideas: green tea.

Ingredients 

Cacao, Organic Sugar, tamarind, salt and chilli.

Weight: 55 g 

Maker Description

Kad KoKoa is a premium bean-to-bar chocolate, founded by 2 lawyers, Paniti and Nuttaya in Thailand. They source beans directly from Thai farmers around Thailand. The team is attentive in the entire process of selecting, fermenting and drying beans to ensure we can represent the best flavours and aroma of Thai cacao when making into chocolate or as cacao beans. Kak Kokoa signifies a commitment to the environment and to the beautiful ecosystems of Thailand. They believe in Thai bean-to-bar chocolate, and we hope to bring the awareness of Thai cacao and chocolate to the global arena.