Q: What certifications do you have?

Certifications USDA Organic Fair Trade TSA Heirloom Cacao Preservation We’re proud to report that our chocolate is vegan, gluten free, non-GMO as well. Read about our social and environmental commitments (including how we are paying the highest prices to farmers, going beyond certification, up-cycling product, and protecting endangered varieties of cacao). Further Reading The Main Steps in the Production of To'ak Chocolate Timeline for To'ak Chocolate and Third Millennium Alliance's Conservation Project The Different Grades of Ecuadorian Cacao More Questions? Use a keyword or phrase in the search box above or contact us via phone, SMS, WhatsApp, email or social and we are happy to help.

Q: What does it mean if a chocolate is on pre-order or made to order?

Pre Order or Made to Order On our product pages you will see the product availability listed as one of the following: Available Sold Out Pre Order When you purchase an item on Pre Order (or Made to Order, which is considered the same) you will see the approximate delivery time highlighted below the ADD TO CART button. https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/aDIvXXFAzR/resources/vSCB0BuPpd/Pre%20Order.png (Pre Order.png) We will notify you if there is any change in delivery time for your pre order purchase. You are also welcome to contact us to check the status. More Questions? Use a keyword or phrase in the search box above or contact us via phone, SMS, WhatsApp, email or social and we are happy to help.

Question 1

How much do you pay your farmers?

Accepted Answer

Direct (or Participatory) Trade leads to better prices for farmers

We pay a farmgate price that is 3-8x the standard market price for “wet cacao.” Most cacao growers in Ecuador have no other choice but to sell their unfermented cacao to local intermediaries who typically pay $25 for a 100-pound sack. We pay $75-200 per sack of wet cacao, depending on the age of the trees that the cacao was harvested from—with the oldest trees fetching the highest price.

Why do we pay so much for this cacao? A few reasons. For one, it’s one of the rarest and most prized cacao variety in the world, which was previously believed to be extinct. We’re also in the process of preserving and restoring Heirloom Nacional cacao with our rainforest conservation partner Third Millennium Alliance.

Read about our social and environmental commitments (including how we are paying some of the highest prices to farmers, going beyond certification, up-cycling product, and protecting endangered varieties of cacao).

Further Reading

Timeline for To'ak Chocolate and Third Millennium Alliance's Conservation Project

The Different Grades of Ecuadorian Cacao

More Questions?

Use a keyword or phrase in the search box above or contact us via phone, SMS, WhatsApp, email or social and we are happy to help.

Question 3

Why is To'ak Chocolate expensive and what makes it unique?

Accepted Answer

Why is To'ak chocolate expensive?

We purchase cacao directly from the cacao growers we work with in Piedra de Plata, and we pay the highest price per pound of freshly-harvested cacao in the country. As far as we know, we also pay the highest price per pound in the entire world.

The reason we’re happy to pay our cacao growers such a high price is because the cacao trees they manage are among the oldest in the world, and represent one of the last surviving remnants of what is now the rarest cacao variety in the world: Ecuador’s legendary “Ancient Nacional” cacao. By the end of the twentieth century, this historic variety was believed to be extinct. We found a valley where some of the last surviving trees still grow.

Specifically, we pay a farmgate price that is 200% to 700% above the local price for “wet cacao.” Most cacao growers in Ecuador have no other choice but to sell their unfermented cacao to local intermediaries who typically pay $25 for a 100-pound sack. We pay $75-200 per sack of wet cacao, depending on the age of the trees that the cacao was harvested from—with the oldest trees fetching the highest price.

We also exclusively produce limited editions of chocolate, with each bar packaged—in the case of our Origin bars—in handcrafted hardwood boxes, each of which is individually engraved with the bar number. Each bar also comes with tasting utensils and a booklet that tells the story behind this chocolate and includes a tasting guide. Details like this require a high degree of skilled and meticulous labor.

We also invest part of our earnings into a long-term project to preserve an ancient heirloom cacao variety currently on the brink of extinction.

For a deeper dive into why our chocolate is priced the way it is, feel free to check out: “Why the Most Expensive Chocolate in the World?”

What makes it unique?

Our chocolate is sourced from the rarest cacao variety in the world ("Ancient Nacional"), previously believed to be extinct.
We've made it our mission to preserve and restore Heirloom Nacional cacao with our rainforest conservation partner Third Millennium Alliance.
We produce chocolate from tree to bar. Not only do we make chocolate, we also cultivate cacao, we ferment and dry it ourselves, and produce the final product - all in Ecuador, the native origin of cacao.
We produce extremely limited editions, often as little as 100 bars per edition.
We make single origin Ecuadorian dark chocolate like a French winemaker produces vintage wine. This means that we exclusively produce single origin, single harvest chocolate that is aimed at expressing the unique terroir of the appellation in which it is grown.
We age our chocolate the way whisky producers age their whisky, using a variety of different barrels sourced from around the world, such as Cognac, Laphroaig Whisky, Sherry, Sauternes, Don Juio Tequila, etc. We also use different types of Ecuadorian wood and other vessels that are carefully selected for their extractable aroma compounds. To’ak is the first tree-to-bar chocolate maker that comprehensively applies this principle to chocolate.
Our roots are in rainforest conservation. To’ak was born from a rainforest conservation project that co-founder Jerry Toth started in Ecuador in 2007. Through his nonprofit foundation Third Millennium Alliance, he helped create a forest preserve along the coastal mountain range. It was here that he began cultivating cacao trees and making chocolate by hand in a thatched bamboo house secluded in the middle of the forest.
We take our social and environmental impact seriously, starting with paying cacao growers the highest prices in the industry through an intimate direct trade relationship. We've built a technology platform for cacao traceability, we upcycle cacao byproducts to create additional revenue streams for farmers, among other several other initiatives.
Our packaging is a work of art. Our Origin bars are packaged in responsibly-sourced handcrafted hardwood boxes that are individually engraved with the bar number. The box includes hand-made tasting utensils and an illustrative booklet that tells the story behind each edition and provides a guide to dark chocolate tasting and pairing. Our Signature bars apply this same attention to artful design, but with a minimalist touch.
As members of the “purist” wing of the industry, To’ak specializes in “two-ingredient” chocolate, using only cacao and cane sugar—both of which are organic. The small addition of cane sugar is akin to a few drops of water added to a glass of whisky—it softens the inherent bitterness just enough to reveal the finer, more subtle flavor characteristics of their unique and extraordinarily rare cacao.
To’ak chocolate has been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, L.A. Times, Wine Spectator, Fortune Magazine, The Guardian, Robb Report,

The short answer is that in almost all cases our chocolate only contains two ingredients

The complete and accurate ingredient list of each product is available on the product page of our website and on the package of each product. The only ingredients in nearly all of our products are organic cacao beans and organic cane sugar.

The exceptions to our "two ingredient" bars are:

El Niño Harvest 2016 100% Cacao contains only one ingredient (organic cacao)
T.cacao Everyday 100% Cacao Powder contains only one ingredient (organic cacao)
Galapagos Harvest 2018 contains three ingredients (cacao, cane sugar, and cacao butter — pressed from the same beans)

The difference in brief

Our Harvest editions are harvested from a specific appellation during a specific year (similar to wine), with the objective to highlight the unique flavor and aroma characteristics that are created by the unique soil and climate conditions of that particular harvest (i.e., “terroir”).

Our Aged editions are Harvest editions that have been aged in some kind of aromatic vessel (eg, casks that formerly stored wine or spirits, or Ecuadorian wood vessels) or have been aged in the same container as some other aromatic material (eg, Kampot pepper or Palo Santo wood).

A little more detail on the differences

Our Harvest editions express the unique climatic and growing conditions of each particular harvest year. It's quite amazing to taste totally different chocolate made from cacao that is harvested from exactly the same trees each year. What we can taste are the unique changes in sunshine, rainfall, and factors such as soil nutrients that evolve over time. In the world of wine this is referred to as terroir. We consider our Harvest editions to be terroir-driven expressions of dark chocolate.

Our Aged editions, make up our most innovative collection, where we attempt to push the boundaries of what is possible with chocolate flavor development. The concept was born out of our admiration for whisky and wine production techniques. Approximately 70% of the aroma and flavour in a whisky comes from the cask that it is aged in. Our Aged editions demonstrate the flavour progression of chocolate over time and how this can be enhanced with extractable aromas from barrels and other mediums. We developed this technique with some assistance from the oenology team at Washington State University. Their team predict that we can age our chocolate (thanks to the antioxidants, tanins and lack of perishable ingredients) for upwards of 20 years. You can read more on this blog article about our aging program.

Review our FAQ on How and why do you age your chocolate?

In summary, the main differences are as follows. Our Harvest editions are bold, terrior-driven, expressions of the valley where we harvest our cacao and they are emblematic of the very special Ecuadorian Nacional cacao variety. They are typically highly complex in aroma and flavour.

Art Series

50g (1.76 oz) bar of single origin dark chocolate
Limited edition numbered artistic print
Certificate of authenticity
Full color mini book covering cacao, chocolate & art
Copper tasting plate
Bamboo tasting utensil
Handcrafted hardwood box, individually engraved with individual bar number and edition
Artistic presentation box.Art Series Product page

Origin Bars

50g (1.76 oz) bar of single origin dark chocolate
Full color book covering cacao and chocolate
Full color mini booklet with specific notes about the edition
Bamboo tasting utensil
Handcrafted hardwood box, individually engraved with individual bar number and edition
Artistic presentation box.Origin Collection page

Signature Bars

50g (1.76 oz) bar of single origin dark chocolate
6 page mini booklet with tasting notes, tasting & pairing guide, and tasting notes exercise sheet
Minimalistic presentation box.Signature Collection page

Mini Bar Selections

9 or 18 individually wrapped 3—4g mini bar of single origin dark chocolate
6 page mini booklet with tasting notes, tasting & pairing guide, and tasting notes exercise sheet
Minimalistic presentation box.Mini Bar Collection page

T.cacao

200g — 250g (depending on edition) of single origin cacao or drinking chocolate powder.T.cacao Collection page

We've got you covered

It really depends on who the gift is for and what your price range is.

Fancy something fancy?

The fanciest and most extravagant gift would be one of our Origin bars, which is frequently included in gifting guides from publications like Forbes and Robb Report. Each Origin bar is packaged in a handcrafted hardwood box, with the individual bar number engraved on the back, and is accompanied by tasting utensils and a booklet that provides a guide to the art of tasting and pairing dark chocolate. You have a choice of Harvest editions or Aged editions. Origin bars are priced in the range of $200.

Going all out?

Unless you want to go really big. In this case, you will want to have a very close look at our Art Series chocolate. This is generally regarded as the single most luxurious dark chocolate in the world. The price is $450. Your gift is sure to impress even the hardest-to-impress gift recipients. The Art Series comes with a limited edition artistic print (with certificate of authenticity and mini display stand), a booklet which provides a guide to tasting and the artist, a copper tasting plate and bamboo tasting utensil, all encased in an exquisite handcrafted hardwood box, with the individual bar number engraved on the back.

Something that makes a statement?

Our Signature Collection is an ideal gift for foodies, chocolate lovers and/or connoisseurs, and anyone with a sweet tooth. There are a range of flavors and styles, including our hallmark cask-aged editions as well as our Harvest editions. If you want to try multiple flavors, take a look at our Mini Bar Selections, which offer the opportunity to taste practically every single harvest year that To’ak has produced...in one single box. It's the perfect dinner party or thank you gift.

For the health conscious

For the health conscious, we offer bags of 100% organic cacao powder aimed at everyday use. We also offer drinking chocolate in various flavors and styles, including barrel-aged drinking chocolate.

Gift wrapping?

Yes! We offer the option to wrap your gift in our in-house designed cacao wrapping paper. You can also include a hand written card with your order, for a personalized touch. More details here.

How much do you pay your farmers?

How do you recommend I enjoy my bar of To'ak chocolate?

Why is To'ak Chocolate expensive and what makes it unique?

What are your social and environmental commitments?

What ingredients are in your chocolate?

What is the difference between Harvest editions and Aged editions?

What is included with each product?

Which product do you recommend for a gift?

What certifications do you have?

What does it mean if a chocolate is on pre-order or made to order?