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.

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: When will my order be shipped?

When and from where do we ship your order? We ship orders around mid-morning Monday to Friday, excluding US public holidays. All orders are shipped from Salt Lake City, Utah, via USPS or FedEx. If we received your order after 8am Mountain Time (Utah) then it is most likely your order will ship the next business day. In the event that your order is very time sensitive please contact us directly to discuss options for fastracking delivery. Under what circumstances might there be a delay? There are some cases which may result in a delay, such as the following: We need to validate import requirements for food in your country. There is hot weather on route or at the destination and delaying by a few days means we can ship when the weather is predicted to cool. If this is the case we will get in touch to let you know your options. There is an issue with your address (i.e. the courier systems we use do not accept it). There is a stock issue with an item you ordered. If there is going to be a delay to your order we do our best to advise you if there is going to be a delay. You can contact us via one of the following channels if you have a question about your delivery Phone (USA): +1 (862) 505-2811 Phone (Ecuador): +593 23227520 SMS/WhatsApp: +1 (805) 600-8625 Email: hello@toakchocolate.com

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.

Question 1

Healthy drinking cacao recipes

Accepted Answer

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.

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

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?

What days and times is it available?

Is the tour private?

Is transport included in the tour?

Can our tour guide participate?

What languages can the tour be offered in?

Should we bring anything with us?

Is the chocolate and/or the art available for purchase during the event?

Where is the entrance to the tour?

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

What instructions should I give to my taxi/Uber driver?

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.

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.

Overnight

For orders within the USA only, we are able to offer FedEx Overnight express courier service for $30. Cut off time is 8am Mountain Time but if you miss this by a small window please give us a call or send us a message and sometimes we can still dispatch the same day.

Specific arrival date?

If you would like your package to be delivered on/after a specific date please advise us in the "Special Instructions" box during checkout.

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 7

When will my order be shipped?

Accepted Answer

When and from where do we ship your order?

We ship orders around mid-morning Monday to Friday, excluding US public holidays. All orders are shipped from Salt Lake City, Utah, via USPS or FedEx.

If we received your order after 8am Mountain Time (Utah) then it is most likely your order will ship the next business day.

In the event that your order is very time sensitive please contact us directly to discuss options for fastracking delivery.

Under what circumstances might there be a delay?

There are some cases which may result in a delay, such as the following:

We need to validate import requirements for food in your country.
There is hot weather on route or at the destination and delaying by a few days means we can ship when the weather is predicted to cool. If this is the case we will get in touch to let you know your options.
There is an issue with your address (i.e. the courier systems we use do not accept it).
There is a stock issue with an item you ordered.

If there is going to be a delay to your order we do our best to advise you if there is going to be a delay.

You can contact us via one of the following channels if you have a question about your delivery

Phone (USA): +1 (862) 505-2811

Phone (Ecuador): +593 23227520

SMS/WhatsApp: +1 (805) 600-8625

Email: hello@toakchocolate.com

Question 8

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 9

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) 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 (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 to learn more.

Further Reading

The Main Steps in the Production of To'ak Chocolate The Different Grades of Ecuadorian Cacao

Healthy drinking cacao recipes

Do you offer tastings or tours in Ecuador?

Do you ship to my country?

Do you offer overnight shipping?

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

Does To'ak farm and harvest cacao?

When will my order be shipped?

What is your Privacy Policy?

How do you preserve heirloom cacao?

Is your chocolate certified fair trade?