Q: Do you have a refund/returns or satisfaction guarantee policy?

100% Satisfaction Guarantee We are confident you’ll love our chocolate as much as we do. If for any reason you’re not completely satisfied, get in touch with us within 30 days of your purchase, explain to us why you were not satisfied with the product and if we can't resolve your concern with a replacement or our complimentary insurance then we’ll issue a full refund. Our policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange. In the event that your chocolate was damaged, lost or stolen during shipment you are eligible for our complimentary shipping insurance . If your claim is approved you have the choice of a full refund or replacement. Please note that gift cards are non-refundable. 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 is terroir-driven chocolate & why do you release different harvest years?

Terroir The very finest of wines, be they from Bordeaux or Napa or Tokaj, allow us the privilege of tasting the valley in which the grape was grown. 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. Similar to viticulturists in Burgundy and Bordeaux, cacao growers in Piedra de Plata practice “dry farming,” as it is known in the wine world. In other words, they do not irrigate their cacao. As a consequence, our harvest is especially expressive of terroir and varies each year according to weather fluctuations. Embracing these idiosyncrasies of land and weather, and likewise engaging their consequences during various phases of the production process, is the art and challenge of tree-to-bar chocolate-making. Further Reading The Main Steps in the Production of To'ak Chocolate 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: 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.

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,

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.

Perhaps the question is how long you can wait?

Officially, the shelf life of dark chocolate is two years. Unofficially, it should last much longer than that - there are documented reports of dark chocolate still being edible after 100 years of storage. We have chocolate bars that have been stored in our office for us to six years, that are still in excellent condition. But we don’t recommend waiting that long to eat your chocolate.

Read about our storage recommendations.

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.

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.

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

Do you ship to my country?

Do you have a refund/returns or satisfaction guarantee policy?

What are your social and environmental commitments?

Does your chocolate have an expiration date?

What is your Summer Shipping Policy (US Orders Only)

How much do you pay your farmers?

What is terroir-driven chocolate & why do you release different harvest years?

How should I store my chocolate?

Do you ship internationally?