Ok, I was a little busy. First, I had another cold. Another one! I must have done something bad in a previous life to warrant 2 colds over 2 months. Or, maybe I just need to increase my vitamin C… Anyway, after the cold, spring hit. Spring hit suddenly (or maybe it just felt like it), and now I’m trying to do all the spring things, including lawn, vegetable garden, and flower garden. I feel like I’m behind already for the season! Anyway, it’s about time for some chocolate talk. Let me introduce you to Luisa Abram Chocolates. I know Luisa Abram chocolate, and I’m a fan. I don’t know her personally, so I can’t call her my bestie, but I wish I could. If she’s anything like her chocolate, she’s worth knowing. Here’s the background. Luisa Abram was born in Coventry, England. She and her family moved back to São Paulo, Brazil when Luisa was 3 years old. In 2013, she decided to enroll in the gastronomy program at Anhembi Morumbi University in São Paulo with the intention of opening a specialty food shop. Fortunately for us, she changed her focus to chocolate making. She still wanted to deliver unusual Brazilian flavors though, so she sought wild cacao. Luisa Abram Chocolates was founded in 2014 in São Paulo, Brazil by Luisa Abram, and the company is now run by her and her family. The company exclusively focuses on wild grown cacao from the Amazon Rainforest. Because the wild fruit yields are small, and more difficult to forecast, Luisa and her family work with the foragers (not technically farmers) to help them improve the way they handle the beans to improve their product. And the company pays the foragers 4-5 times more for their improved wild cacao than the much lower industrial price. Luisa Abram’s has won more than 20 awards from the International Chocolate Awards and Academy of Chocolate since 2018.
Now let me introduce you to Luisa Abram’s 70% Rio Purus chocolate bar. This chocolate is from a cooperative of 300 river dwellers who farm the wild cacao flourishing on the banks of the Purus River. This cooperative is called Cooperar.
Sight: clean molding, glossy finish; color is moderate brown; packaging is modern and appealing
Sound: a slightly soft snap with break
Smell: mild intensity; pleasant and sweet
Mouth Feel: smooth, even melt
Taste: light floral taste that’s a combination of jasmine and vanilla, with a honey/light caramel secondary flavor
Astringency: none
Summary: It doesn’t disappoint. From its smooth texture to mild and not overpowering floral sweetness, this bar is just tasty. I’m glad I have a little left after the multiple tastings I did, but I might have to order more…