green bean to bar Chocolate Bar - CHUAO 70%

A premium chocolate bar designed for savoring the delicate nuances of cacao.

It features a distinctive profile—notes of prunes and stone fruits, complemented by the aroma of tropical fruits—characterized by a vibrant, refreshing acidity and a gentle astringency. The complex, unfolding aromas bloom in the mouth like fireworks, gradually giving way to a mellow, lingering finish. This bar is perfect for those who want to fully explore the rich, authentic cacao character that only a true "bean-to-bar" creation can offer.

《Awards》
International Chocolate Awards Asia-Pacific 2023 – Bronze Award
The International Chocolate Awards is a chocolate competition established in 2012 by organizations from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy.

ORIGIN

VENEZUELA

SPECIFICATIONS

Product dimensions: 14.8 cm × 7 cm
Origin: Chuao, northwest of Caracas, Aragua State, Venezuela
Ingredients: Cacao beans, organic sugar

STORY

A Tradition Spanning 500 Years
Venezuela, a South American nation of vast, diverse landscapes, is home to the cacao bean. Nestled between deep, rugged tropical mountains and the brilliant, crystalline blue of the Caribbean Sea lies a small, isolated valley known as "Chuao."
For over 500 years, this land has been a traditional farming area renowned for its cacao production. The women of Chuao go about their agricultural work with joy, singing "je ne sais quoi"—a song dedicated to cacao. This idyllic scene renders Chuao truly unique and all the more extraordinary.

The Enduring "Chuao Method"
The most distinctive feature is the drying process. Fermented cacao beans are spread out in a thin layer in the plaza in front of the village church to dry slowly under the sun. They are first placed for one day on a rough-paved surface furthest from the church, then moved to a finer-paved area closer to the church for two days, and finally transferred to a smoother surface for another three days of drying. Known worldwide as the "Chuao Method," this drying technique is arguably the finest in the world.

Crafted with care using small-scale equipment.
The Chuao cacao beans that arrived at *green* were of exceptional quality—delicately fruity, with minimal bitterness or astringency.
We spent a year on trial production, focusing our efforts specifically on the conching process. Conching involves refining the chocolate by kneading it to reduce particle size, which ensures a smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture. The friction generates heat, allowing unwanted volatile compounds to evaporate. If the kneading time is too short, the particles remain coarse, preventing a smooth finish; if it is too long, the delicate aromatics are lost. It is an incredibly nuanced process.
To achieve the perfect balance, we chose to use small conching machines—each with a capacity of only 1.5 kg—to ensure a meticulous production process. By using these smaller machines, we can refine the chocolate to its maximum level of smoothness while preserving the subtle, distinctive aromatics that make Chuao cacao so special.
The packaging is inspired by the church in the village of Chuao, with a vibrant color palette that reflects the diverse array of fruit aromas found in these beans. We hope that the moment you take a bite, you will not only experience these delicate notes but also hear the joyful songs of the women of Chuao.