Is each edition a limited edition production? How many bars do you make?
Yes. Our Origin Bars are typically limited to only 150 bars per edition. Each bar is packaged in a handcrafted hardwood box that has the individual bar number engraved on the bottom. Our Signature Bars are somewhat more numerous, but are typically limited to 1,000 per edition.
What is heirloom cacao?
In the broadest sense, there are two types of cacao: bulk cacao and what is officially called “fine flavour” cacao. About 95% of the global supply of cacao is considered “bulk cacao.” Only 5% is “fine flavour.” Heirloom cacao is the finest of the fine flavour cacao.
How do you preserve heirloom cacao?
To’ak and its rainforest conservation partner Third Millennium Alliance (TMA) have embarked on a project to pull Ancient Nacional cacao variety back from the precipice of extinction. Click to read the details.
What is terroir-driven chocolate & why do you release different harvest years?
To’ak’s Harvest editions offer connoisseurs of dark chocolate this same opportunity—to taste not only the land, but also the characteristics of the particular year in which it was harvested.
How and why do you age your chocolate?
Aged chocolate is a new phenomenon that To'ak has been pioneering since 2013. The process is grounded in the science of flavor extraction, and draws heavily from long-standing practices in both the wine and whisky traditions.
Is your cacao fermented?
Yes, we consider fermentation to be one of the single most important steps in the chocolate-making process, in terms of flavor profile.
What are the main steps in the production of your chocolate?
Our production of chocolate starts with planting the cacao tree, includes the key post-harvest step of fermentation, the traditional steps of chocolate making, and finishes with packaging your bar in Ecuador. Read on to discover all 14 steps!
Other ways to enjoy cacao powder
Apparently some people in Europe have started snorting cacao powder at dance parties. The writer of this answer has tried that, twice, and decided that he vastly prefers to consume cacao the old-fashioned way–by eating or drinking it. It’s tastier that way, and less messy.