The chocolate community seems to be full of do-gooders, and the Semilla Cacao Group is the best of examples. Let me introduce you to Semilla Escuela De Cacao. I remember meeting this group at the NWCF. Keep in mind, I was there for chocolate. They were there to educate, and not necessarily about chocolate. Don’t mistake me, they know the chocolate making process, but they were there for a different purpose. Semilla Escuela De Cacao is essentially a school based in Managua, Nicaragua. It’s dedicated to training cacao farmers and cooperatives across Central America, with the goal of helping them transform cacao into high-value chocolate to create economic opportunities for them and their communities. The students make chocolate and sell it, for experience and profit. And because this teaching group knows a few things about chocolate making, they make their own chocolate products to sell along with the student products. Apparently, a student group finished a batch of chocolate just prior to the festival last year. Booth workers were very honest and said it wasn’t good chocolate–I tasted it and agreed. However, they brought it and others to sell. While I talked to one of the workers, they sold at least 3 of those bad chocolate bars. Each worker told everyone the same thing–it’s not good chocolate–but it was made by a group of 1st time, all female, chocolate making students from a very poor community. And people bought that awful chocolate to support them. Proof that the chocolate community is full of do-gooders, from makers to consumers.
Now let me introduce you to the Semilla Cacao Group’s Oscuro 80% chocolate bar. This is NOT the bad chocolate bar mentioned above. This bar is made by the teachers and with cacao from Waslala, Nicaragua. Waslala is a town located in the North Caribbean Coastal Region of Nicaragua and is known as a hub for flavorful cacao production. The area contributes to over 50% of Nicaragua’s national cacao bean output. This bar is made with 3 ingredients: single origin cacao, cocoa butter, and sugar.
Sight: dark brown; clean molding with good bar design; partially shiny
Smell: moderate intensity and earthy, chocolate-y
Sound: great snap with break
Mouth Feel: thin melt, creamy
Taste: at first it’s sweet and nutty, then deeply chocolate-y with a little nut husk flavor that adds some bitterness
Astringency: mild to moderate
Summary: It’s initial sweetness is surprising for an 80% bar, and it’s so very chocolate-y. The mild bitterness didn’t detract, but instead added character to its flavor profile.