This bar is so beautiful! Just look at that molding, or at least what you can see from my somewhat sketchy photography (I’ll get it right some day). Let me introduce you to Aroko Chocolate. I was first introduced to it at the Northwest Chocolate Festival this year. The chocolate makers are Dubraska and Johonny, a Venezuelan couple, whose company is based in Riese Pio X, Italy. They use only Venezulan cacoa beans to create their bean to bar chocolate. Some of their expertise comes from their college years, when they took master’s level classes in the science and technology of cacao and chocolate. After college, Johonny and his wife moved to Italy, and eventually started their brand–Aroko Chocolate–in 2021. Since that time, Aroko Chocolate has won multiple awards, including International Chocolate Awards Gold in Italy (2023), Silver in Europe (2023 and 2024), and Bronze at the World level (2024) all for their Chuao 70% bar, as well as other International Chocolate Awards.
Now, let me introduce you to Aroko’s Chuao 70% single plantation chocolate bar. The beans are from the village of Chuao, near Henry Pittier National Park in the Aragua state of Venezuela. This cacao is considered a Modern Criollo. (Of note, in 2021 Chuao cacao became the first cacao in the world to receive a certified Designation of Origin, Denominacion Oficial Cacao de Chuao.)
Sight: clean, well molded with a beautiful and modern design; rich dark brown with hint of red; great outer package color/design that’s resealable. (Resealable can be handy for some but is wasted on me–it doesn’t make it back into the packaging.)
Sound: that’s a snap!
Smell: moderate intensity; rich chocolate with a hint of dried fruit
Mouth Feel: initially a little waxy but then with ready, smooth melt
Taste: starts with a subtle plum flavor, then turns a little more fruity/berry-y and finishes with a deep chocolate flavor
Astringency: mild
Summary: Aroko’s Chuao 70% is delicious. Its flavor notes are mild and accent the richness of the chocolate well. I’m glad I have another bar…