Question 1

How do you preserve heirloom cacao?

Accepted Answer

**The Near Extinction of Ancient Nacional Cacao**

By the end of the twentieth century, Ecuador’s legendary heirloom cacao variety, called “Ancient Nacional,” was believed to be extinct. In 2013, in the valley of Piedra de Plata, To’ak’s co-founders found hidden groves of old-growth cacao trees that matched the description of Ancient Nacional. DNA analysis provided by the USDA later confirmed that these trees are, in fact, 100% pure “Ancient Nacional” cacao.

> In the years that followed, To’ak and its rainforest conservation partner [Third Millennium Alliance (TMA)](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/www.tmalliance.org) embarked on a project to pull this legendary cacao variety back from the precipice of extinction.

We took cuttings from the DNA-verified pure Nacional trees in Piedra de Plata and grafted them onto a new generation of seedlings, which are planted in a protected forest preserve nearby. We grandly referred to this parcel as “the Noah’s Arc of Ancient Nacional Cacao.” In practice, we simply call it the “Genetic Bank.”

From 2021 onward, the trees of the Genetic Bank should be able to yield enough budwood to reproduce up to 5,000 pure Nacional cacao seedlings each year, as part of a regional agroforestry/conservation project implemented by Third Millennium Alliance...pending funding.

> Read about [our social and environmental commitments](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/social-environmental-impact) (including how we are paying the highest prices to farmers, going beyond certification, up-cycling product, and protecting endangered varieties of cacao).

The idea is to distribute these seedlings to cacao growers in small agricultural communities in the province of Manabí, to serve as an alternative to illegal logging, cattle-ranching, and slash-and-burn agriculture. A main component of the project is to help these growers establish direct-trade relationships with bean-to-bar chocolate makers who are interested in sourcing extremely high-quality cacao and willing to pay the cacao growers prices that reflect the quality and conservation value that this cacao represents.

> Check out our [Heirloom Cacao Conservation Timeline](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/timeline-the-project-to-preserve-ancient-nacional-cacao) to learn more.

**Further Reading**

[The Main Steps in the Production of To'ak Chocolate](https://library.toakchocolate.com/faqs/what-are-the-main-steps-in-the-production-of-your-chocolate)
[The Different Grades of Ecuadorian Cacao](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/the-different-grades-of-ecuadorian-cacao)

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Question 2

My chocolate/package arrived damaged, what should I do next?

Accepted Answer

**First of all please TAKE A PHOTO of the damage**

We apologize if this happens. In order to resolve the issue satisfactorily we ask you to take a photo (or several photos) that clearly show the damage to the product. This will assist us in processing your complimentary shipping insurance claim ASAP.

We’ve spent a great deal of time and resources trying to figure out the best possible way to protect your chocolate during shipment. Between our farmers and our production in Ecuador there are only two other steps between you and your chocolate: our warhouse and fulfilment team and the courier/postal service. It is very rare that a package arrives damaged, but on the odd occasion something unintended can occur. Rest assured we will resolve any issue of damage, loss or theft of your order.

**You are entitled to complimentary insurance**

If your chocolate is melted or severely discolored upon arrival due to extreme weather, you are entitled to file an insurance claim for a refund or replacement. [Click here](https://library.toakchocolate.com/faqs/do-you-offer-shipping-insurance) to view the process for filing an insurance claim. While it is not necessary, we do appreciate if you can advise us of any damage as this will help us to reduce the risk of it occuring again and we can also assist with a speedy resolution of your insurance claim.
 
**If my bar is broken can I still eat it?**

If the bar is broken (which can occasionally happen due to handling during shipment) but otherwise the coloration of the bar is normal, we consider the bar still in good form for tasting and enjoyment. However we understand that you have paid for your chocolate to arrive in pristine condition and should you not be satisfied with the condition in which it was received, you are entitled to file an insurance claim. To view the process for filing a claim please [click here](https://library.toakchocolate.com/faqs/do-you-offer-shipping-insurance).

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Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Check out our simple step-by-step guide on [how to taste dark chocolate](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/how-to-taste-dark-chocolate). If you’re interested in pairing chocolate with wine, spirits, or cheese, check out our [chocolate pairing guide](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/chocolate-pairing-recommendations). It includes a list of our favorite chocolate pairing recommendations.

#### More Questions?
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Question 4

Can you ship my gift without the price?

Accepted Answer

For orders within the USA we do not include the price as standard. For orders to all other countries we are required to include a shipping invoice for the purpose of customs import process.

Get in touch with us if this is an issue as there are some possible solutions we could offer in certain cases.

#### More Questions?
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Question 5

Do you offer tastings or tours in Ecuador?

Accepted Answer

## The Chocolate & Art Experience

**Includes**
* One-hour privately-guided art tour of the former residence of Oswaldo Guayasamín, Ecuador's most renowned modern artist
* One-hour privately-guided To'ak chocolate tasting in Guayasamín's wine cellar (off limits to the general public)
* Optional pairing of chocolate with whisky or alternative spirit plus bottled water
* Access to the Capilla del Hombre art gallery (non-guided)
* Special tour-only pricing on To'ak Chocolate products

**Art:** Guests are welcomed to the former residence of Oswaldo Guayasamín through a private entrance, not accessible to the general public. The first half of the two-hour privately guided tour will start with a walk through the former residence of Guayasamín where a guide will share Guayasamín's passion for art and culture and explain the most significant pieces of his private art collection. Guests will visit Guayasamín's most intimate chambers including his bedroom and workshop.

**Chocolate:** The second half of the tour will take place in Guayasamín's wine cellar, where he entertained notable guests and his closest friends. An intimate setting around a table. In front of each person is a tasting plate with a raw cacao bean and samples of at least four different editions of To’ak chocolate. Akin to a wine tasting, a member of To’ak’s production team guides everyone through a comprehensive tasting and pairing experience, with a focus on Ecuador’s famous Nacional cacao variety. Cacao genetics, terroir, fermentation methods, barrel-aging, and other production decisions are all explained in the context of how these variables influence the aroma and flavor profile of each
expression of chocolate. Comparable to a course in Wine 101, but with the most luxurious and elaborate dark chocolate on the planet.

**How to book:** Visit https://toakchocolate.com/tour to book online.

**Availability:** Tuesday to Friday (except Ecuadorian national holidays) from 10am to 5pm or outside these hours by special appointment.

### Additional information about the Chocolate & Art Experience

**Is booking required in advance?**
Yes. It must be booked at least 48 hours in advance.

**What days and times is it available?**
Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 5pm (except on national holidays) or outside of these hours by special appointment.

**Is the tour private?**
Yes. Only those included in your group will participate in the tour. You will also enter through a private entrance that is closed off to the general public.

**Is transport included in the tour?**
No. You need to arrange your own transport to and from the venue. We will provide driving directions and parking instructions should you be driving yourself.

**Can our tour guide participate?**
Your guide is welcome to accompany you on the experience ,or they can wait for you at the venue. If the guide wishes to participate in the chocolate tasting, he or she will be charged as an additional adult.

**What languages can the tour be offered in?**
We can offer the tour in English or Spanish. The chocolate tasting can be delivered in German with advance notice and confirmation.

**Should we bring anything with us?**
The wine cellar where we do the chocolate tasting experience can get a little cold so we strongly recommend bringing a light jacket with you.

**Is the chocolate and/or the art available for purchase during the event?**
Yes. Guests are welcome to purchase To’ak chocolate products at special tour only price. Art can also be purchased from the gallery store.

**Where is the entrance to the tour?**
Guests should enter the tour via the private entrance to the Fundación Guayasamín. When arriving you will pass the general public ticket box on your right hand side and continue upp the hill. As the road turns to the right look out for a set of large wooden doors. Your taxi or transport should enter and may wait for you in an allocated parking spot. Should the gate not be attending kindly contact either the Fundación Guayasamín  (02) 244-6455 or To'ak Chocolate (02) 322-7520.

![Entrance to Tour.jpg](https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/aDIvXXFAzR/resources/eQ4ZZgQ44N/Entrance%20to%20Tour.jpg)

**What instructions should I give to my taxi/Uber driver?**
Ask your driver to take you to the Capilla del Hombre or Fundación Guayasamín (E18-94 y Barrio, Mariano Calvache, Quito 170122). When you arrive at the ticket box ask your driver to continue a little further up the hill and to the right.

## A Private Tasting?
We are available to offer you a private tasting in your hotel, function center or at your home.

A guided dark chocolate tasting is a sensory exploration of terroir, varietal, origin, and craftsmanship on the same level of sophistication associated with wine and whisky tasting. As an additional option, pairing dark chocolate with certain wines and spirits offers yet another level of pleasure and complexity to the experience.

How does this look in practice? An intimate setting around a table. In front of each person is a tasting plate with a raw cacao bean and samples of at least five different editions of To’ak chocolate. Each person is also served a flight of dessert wine and spirits, if this option is selected. Akin to a wine tasting, a member of To’ak’s production team guides everyone through a comprehensive tasting and pairing experience, with a focus on Ecuador’s famous Nacional cacao variety. Cacao genetics, terroir, fermentation methods, barrel-aging, and other production decisions are all explained in the context of how these variables influence the aroma and flavor profile of each expression of chocolate. Comparable to a course in Wine 101, but with the most luxurious and elaborate dark chocolate on the planet.

#### More Questions?
Use a keyword or phrase in the search box above or [contact us](https://toakchocolate.com/pages/contact) via phone, SMS, WhatsApp, email or social and we are happy to help.

Question 6

Indulgent Drinking Chocolate recipes

Accepted Answer

You can find our favorite recipes for cacao and drinking chocolate on [our blog](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/).

**A selection of T.Cacao Recipes**:

> [Our Favorite Ways to Use Cacao](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/best-ways-to-use-cacao)
> 
> [Our Two Step Healthy Chocolate Smoothie Recipe](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/my-healthy-chocolate-smoothie-recipe)
> 
> [Healthy Breakfast Hack: Cacao as a Yogurt Replacement](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/healthy-breakfast-hack)
> 
> [Jerry’s Backwoods Ecuadorian Cacao Brew](https://toakchocolate.com/blogs/news/ecuadorian-cacao-recipes)

#### More Questions?
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Question 7

Do you have a media kit? Can I request samples or an interview?

Accepted Answer

**Media Kit and Press Releases**

Yes, we have a media kit with high resolution photos, press releases, and other product related information. Please submit some basic information here to receive the access details.

[Request access to To'ak Chocolate Media Kit](https://library.toakchocolate.com/workflows/media-kit)

**Request an Interview**

We would be pleased to provide a phone or video interview for your article/publication. Please request an interview and we will get in touch shortly.

[Request an Interview](https://library.toakchocolate.com/workflows/media-interview)

**Do you Provide Samples to the Media?**

Sometimes we do, yes. Please contact us through one of the forms above and let us know who you write for, what type of story you’re working on, and how we can help you.

Question 8

Do you ship internationally?

Accepted Answer

**International Shipping**

We ship to most international destinations, with the exception of those that do not permit the import of chocolate or food products by individuals. You can view our [Shipping Rates here](https://library.toakchocolate.com/faqs/what-are-your-shipping-rates).

**The following countries may require ID number of paperwork for customs clearance**

Countries that **may** require paperwork or ID number from the client include:

* India
* Russia
* Mexico
* Turkey
* China
* Liechtenstein
* Colombia
* Poland

Please note we may not be able to ship the same day for the above countries.

> We will contact you after you place your order IF there is a requirement for more information from your side.

**Countries that we are unable to ship to:**

* Japan
* Venezuela

#### More Questions?
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Question 9

What is your Privacy Policy?

Accepted Answer

This Privacy Policy describes how your personal information is collected, used, and shared when you visit or make a purchase from toakchocolate.com (the “Site”).

**Personal information we collect**

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including information about your web browser, IP address, time zone, and some of the cookies that are installed on your device. Additionally, as you browse the Site, we collect information about the individual web pages or products that you view, what websites or search terms referred you to the Site, and information about how you interact with the Site. We refer to this automatically-collected information as “Device Information”.

We collect Device Information using the following technologies:

- “Cookies” are data files that are placed on your device or computer and often include an anonymous unique identifier. For more information about cookies, and how to disable cookies, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org. 
- “Log files” track actions occurring on the Site, and collect data including your IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, and date/time stamps. 
- “Web beacons”, “tags”, and “pixels” are electronic files used to record information about how you browse the Site.

Additionally when you make a purchase or attempt to make a purchase through the Site, we collect certain information from you, including your name, billing address, shipping address, payment information (including credit card numbers), email address, and phone number. We refer to this information as “Order Information”.

When we talk about “Personal Information” in this Privacy Policy, we are talking both about Device Information and Order Information.

**How do we use your personal information?**

We use the Order Information that we collect generally to fulfill any orders placed through the Site (including processing your payment information, arranging for shipping, and providing you with invoices and/or order confirmations). Additionally, we use this Order Information to:

- Communicate with you; 
- Screen our orders for potential risk or fraud; and 
- When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services.

We use the Device Information that we collect to help us screen for potential risk and fraud (in particular, your IP address), and more generally to improve and optimize our Site (for example, by generating analytics about how our customers browse and interact with the Site, and to assess the success of our marketing and advertising campaigns).

**Sharing you personal Information**

We share your Personal Information with third parties to help us use your Personal Information, as described above. For example, we use Shopify to power our online store--you can read more about how Shopify uses your Personal Information here: https://www.shopify.com/legal/privacy. We also use Google Analytics to help us understand how our customers use the Site -- you can read more about how Google uses your Personal Information here: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/. You can also opt-out of Google Analytics here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

We NEVER sell your personal information nor do we provide it to companies unrelated to the order processing and marketing activities that specifically relate to our business.

Finally, we may also share your Personal Information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant or other lawful request for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights.

**Behavioural advertising**

As described above, we use your Personal Information to provide you with targeted advertisements or marketing communications we believe may be of interest to you. For more information about how targeted advertising works, you can visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s (“NAI”) educational page at http://www.networkadvertising.org/understanding-online-advertising/how-does-it-work.

You can opt out of targeted advertising by using the links below: 
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=ads 
- Google: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/anonymous

Additionally, you can opt out of some of these services by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out portal at: http://optout.aboutads.info/.

**Do not track**

Please note that we do not alter our Site’s data collection and use practices when we see a Do Not Track signal from your browser.

**Your rights**

If you are a European resident, you have the right to access personal information we hold about you and to ask that your personal information be corrected, updated, or deleted. If you would like to exercise this right, please contact us through the contact information below.

Additionally, if you are a European resident we note that we are processing your information in order to fulfil contracts we might have with you (for example if you make an order through the Site), or otherwise to pursue our legitimate business interests listed above. Additionally, please note that your information will be transferred outside of Europe, including to Canada and the United States.

**Data retention**

When you place an order through the Site, we will maintain your Order Information for our records unless and until you ask us to delete this information.

**Changes**

We may update this privacy policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons.

**Contact us**

For more information about our privacy practices, if you have questions, or if you would like to make a complaint, please contact us by e‑mail at hello@toakchocolate.com.

Question 10

How should I store my chocolate?

Accepted Answer

## What to avoid
Definitely do not store dark chocolate in a freezer. And a refrigerator should only be used as a last resort—for example, if you live in a hot place and don’t have air conditioning.

## Options for hot climate
If you live in a hot place and don’t have air conditioning, you can store your chocolate in a refrigerator or a wine cooler; in this case, we advise you to first put the package of chocolate inside a ziplock bag, to protect it from moisture.

## General advice
If you live in a home where the indoor temperature doesn’t exceed 24° C (75° F), the best thing to do is simply store your chocolate at room temperature, in a dry place that is protected from sunlight and other strong odors. For example, in a cupboard.

Dark chocolate likes to be stored within the temperature range of 12-22° C (53-72° F), and temperatures as high as 25° C (77° F) are usually fine. The official melting point of dark chocolate is around 30° C (86° F).

We have also had success storing our bars in a wine cooler that has an option to reduce humidity/moisture. Generally speaking, most solutions that are suitable for storage of a fine wine will also be suitable for fine chocolate.

#### More Questions?
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