Q: Do you ship internationally?

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 . 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 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 include but are not limited to: Mexico Russia Peru Venezuela If you don't find your country in our shipping address form then it is likely that we cannot ship to your country. However, you are welcome to contact us to check if we can make an exception. 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: Is your chocolate certified fair trade?

Fair Trade Yes, all of our chocolate is certified Fair Trade TSA, with the exception of our Galapagos edition. The cacao for our Galapagos edition is sourced from only two small farms, both of which abide by Fair Trade standards. Their decision to not certify their farms was an economic one: they don’t produce enough cacao to cover the cost and administrative burden of Fair Trade certification. 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). 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: Is your chocolate certified organic?

Organic Certification Yes, all of our chocolate is certified USDA Organic (with the EU equivalent), with the exception of our Galapagos edition. The cacao for our Galapagos edition is sourced from only two small farms, both of which abide by organic standards and do not use any synthetic chemicals or other prohibited substances in their farm. Their decision to not certify their farms was an economic one: they don’t produce enough cacao to cover the high cost and heavy administrative burden of organic certification. 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). 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: Healthy drinking cacao recipes

Head over to our blog for inspiring recipes Healthy Chocolate Smoothie : with keto, paleo and vegan friendly options Healthy Breakfast Hack : for an alternative to your regular granola Cacao Brew Recipe : traditional recipes from Ecuador with a twist Our favorite ways to enjoy T.cacao : includes a cacao latte, brewed cacao, smoothie or breakfast boost and more. 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

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,

Percentages

In terms of chocolate bars, our lowest percentage bar is 73% cacao (from our 2015 harvest) which is the based of our Tequila Cask Aged bars, and it was made with the intention to be a very gentle dark chocolate. Our 2017 harvest also has a relatively low cacao percentage of 76%. In addition, our Galapagos Harvest has a fudge-like texture and taste which many people who enjoy milk chocolate will find this chocolate very approachable.

You should also take a look at our cacao powder and drinking chocolate, which you can add milk or additional sweeteners to, if you so desire.

No to low bitterness

All of our chocolate is made with the highest quality fine flavor cacao beans. We're also meticulous when it comes to important post-harvest and productions steps such as fermentation, sun-drying, roasting and conching. This attention to detail means that a bar of To'ak chocolate is much less bitter than most supermarket bought dark chocolate bars. Therefore you can feel confident being a little more adventurous with cacao percentage.

USA Orders Only

During the summer months (typically Jun-Sep), most orders will ship from Monday through Wednesday so that they arrive before the weekend. This makes it easier for us to keep your chocolate cool during transit.

The cut-off time for same day shipping is 8am Mountain Time. Therefore, orders received after 8am Wednesday (Mountain Time) will be held for shipping on the following Monday unless otherwise requested by email or phone.

If you need to rush your shipment, regardless of temperature, please write to us at hello@toakchocolate and we will do our best to get the shipment out that same day.

What day will my order ship?

Orders received on Monday and Tuesday will ship the next business day.
Orders received during the rest of the week will be shipped on Monday.

All orders are shipped with ice packs during summer months or when the transit or final destination is warm.

Rest of the world (excluding Ecuador)

All orders are dispatched as per our normal shipping policy.

Ecuador

Orders for Ecuador can be collected from our office in Quito (please contact us) or we deliver to major cities in Ecuador with Servientrega (free of charge).

Sipping Insurance

All online orders (excluding Ecuador) receive complimentary shipping insurance with Route.com. Read the details here.

Countries we cannot ship to or that require additional paperwork

There are a small number of countries we cannot ship to due to the import restrictions those countries impose on foodstuffs. The countries we cannot ship to include but are not limited to:

Mexico
Russia
Venezuela
Peru

If you don't find your country in our shipping address form then it is likely that we cannot ship to your country. However, you are welcome to contact us to check if we can make an exception.

Additional information may be required

The following countries may require additional information (such as the ID number of the recipient) or paperwork to be completed in order for the order to clear customs:

India
Turkey
China
Liechtenstein
Colombia
Poland

We will contact you shortly after your order should we need further information to initiate your shipment or ensure it clears customs.

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

I prefer milk chocolate or lighter chocolate. What do you recommend for me?

What is your Summer Shipping Policy (US Orders Only)

Can you ship my gift without the price?

Do you ship internationally?

Do you ship to my country?

Is your chocolate certified fair trade?

Is your chocolate certified organic?

Healthy drinking cacao recipes

Does To'ak farm and harvest cacao?