Fine, high-end chocolates can be found everywhere around the world. There are tens of thousands of small to medium specialty chocolatiers offering the best that their regions have to offer. Here are some of the best names and places in the business of artisanal cacao.
Republica Del Cacao
Over 85% of the finest raw cacao produced in the world comes from Latin America. Founded in 2004, Republica Del Cacao aims to preserve the small indigenous Arriba cacao farms owned by families from different regions in Ecuador. Made from nothing but cacao, cocoa butter, and sugar, each bite gives a raw taste of the distinct cacao flavour of each region.
Soma Chocolates
This small, recently founded bar-to-bean chocolate company hails from a chocolatier couple in Canada. They also specialise in using only top quality cacao beans, organic cane sugar, and cocoa butter in order to consistently produce tastes that are “true to the bean.” They procure rare and complex cacao beans from around the world to bring out the subtle notes of each unique bean’s flavour profile.
Puccini Bomboni
Handmade Dutch chocolates are combined with flavours like rhubarb, fig marzipan, and different peppers. Puccini Bomboni is a specialty shop with three different locations all found in Amsterdam. The Dutch chocolatier also have a fine selection of sugar-free chocolates.
Malagos
Davao City, Philippines is home to the Malagos tradition of chocolate making. Malagos Chocolate is famous for the ‘tree-to-bar’ method, which they use to process their single origin cacao products. Sun Star reports all of this is showcased at the Malagos Garden Resort and Chocolate Museum in Davao.
Richard Donnelly Fine Chocolates
Santa Cruz, California-based Richard Donnelly combines rich Belgian and French chocolates with flavours like saffron, cardamom, lavender, and Earl Grey tea. He preserves the quality of his unusual creations by producing only 50 pounds of chocolate per day.
Que Bo!
Celebrity Chef José Ramón Castillo uses only organic and locally sourced ingredients such as mangoes chillies, guava, and cinnamon – traditional Mexican flavours combined with the finest cacao. Que Bo! currently has five locations in Mexico City.
Belvas
Brussels is home to the largest number of chocolate factories in the world. Now it’s also home to northern Europe’s first organic chocolatier, Belvas. Their smooth blend of Belgian dark and milk chocolate is organic, fair trade, sugar free, and even gluten free – a must try for the gluten-allergic cacao purist.
Alprose
A list of places to find the most wonderful chocolate on the planet would be remiss without Switzerland. PartyPoker in their article ‘3 Things You Need to See and Do in Switzerland’ state that the country is home to the Alprose Chocolate Factory and Museum. This museum showcases the country’s long tradition of making confectioneries. Tours end with free samples of the diverge range of chocolates from Alprose, Switzerland’s largest chocolate manufacturer.
Teuscher
In Zurich, Switzerland, you’ll find the headquarters of Teuscher. This company has an 80-year old tradition of using only the most expensive all-natural ingredients to make 100 varieties of chocolate.
Each one is free from chemicals, preservatives, or additives. In The National Geographic’s article ‘The 10 Best Chocolatiers in the World’ claim that they specialize in a creamy-cantered champagne truffle that is most definitely worth the euros.
Sprüngli
This almost 200-year old chocolatier offers traditional luxurious Swiss chocolates. With numerous locations in Zurich, they specialize in the Luxemburgerli, their signature macaron, as well as their grand cru truffles.
If you’re feeling guilty about stuffing yourself with world-class chocolates, we’ve previously written about a tried and tested dieting options designed for weight loss and overall wellness. Check out our guide to know more about the GM Diet.