Dagoba Completes National Launch of Single Origin Chocolate Bars
Sourced through direct equitable partnerships, each expresses the unique flavor of its birthplace
Ashland, OR – Dagoba Organic Chocolate has launched its Single Origin chocolates into full national distribution, bringing the first Certified Organic single origins to consumers nationwide, while returning increased benefits to cacao growers and the environment. These exquisite creations and their stories will
take center stage at Dagoba’s Booth, 4380, at upcoming the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA.
Single origin chocolates are the chocolate industry’s new pinnacle – a multi sensory experience of the unique aromas, tastes, textures and people that define a cacao growing region. Like fine food connoisseurs, chocolate lovers are intensely interested in cacao’s place of origin and regional flavor nuances, or terroir.
Dagoba’s line features fine flavor cacao from Costa Rica (Pacuare), Ecuador (Los Rios) and Peru (Milagros), at quality levels made possible only through direct partnerships with growers. Deep within each lies a unique tale of dedication, artistry and personal relationships, to be savored again and again. Frederick Schilling, Founding Alchemist, regularly visits producer partners to assess bean quality, collaborate on post-harvest processing, document how cacao sales benefit the community and environment, and reconnect with the mission that brought the company to fruition. Photos and updates from Frederick’s trips to origin will be available in Dagoba’s booth, among an aura of a cacao forest honoring each origin:
Pacuare - a Cru chocolate - is sourced from an exemplary certified organic estate that has established an evolving wildlife corridor and offers workers health care and other benefits. Its flavor is mild with low acidity, upfront golden raisin and hints of caramel. Its name was inspired by the Pacuare River, which cuts through virgin rainforest gorges that shelter threatened bird, animal and insect species.
Los Rios – made of Ecuador Arriba - comes from a group of small farmers its namesake region, a place known for this exceptional varietal. It features upfront cacao, hints of tangerine and red
berry, and a balanced astringency for the dark chocolate connoisseur. Arriba’s parent strain, the mighty Arriba Nacional, is on the verge of extinction and Dagoba is working directly with a small group of farmers to revive this ancient treasure. This partnership is literally planting the seeds of
sustainable trade to reap a better future for producers and high quality cacao.
Milagros hails from the Tingo Maria Fair Trade co-op at the edge of the Peruvian Amazon. It offers nuances of the banana and orchid growing amongst the cacao in a biodiverse rainforest fed by the Monzon and Huallaga rivers. It is a blend of about 20% criollo, 60% trinitario, 20% forestero. The co-op fosters their farms, families and communities through cacao.
“This line has been years in the making because I had to search intently to find sustainably grown varietals and producer partners that meet our standards of quality, ecology, farmer equity and community – fulfilling the highest industry benchmarks. This effort has not been easy, but the rewards we’re seeing for consumers, producers and the environment are more than worth it,” says Schilling.
Interested, retailers, distributors and media who are unable to attend Expo West can contact Dagoba at dagobachocolate.com or 800-393-6075. Media note: Interviews, writings and photos from Frederick Schilling’s travels are available upon request. ##
Dagoba is dedicated to the Art of Chocolate Alchemy: crafting exquisite chocolate through full circle sustainability
that blends quality, ecology, equity and community. Food & Wine 2005 Tastemaker Award, "World's Best Chocolate" - CNN/Money, "Best Dark Chocolate" - San Francisco Chronicle.
Chef2Chef News Desk