Grand Cru Chocolates

Flavour profile

Intense chocolate and cocoa. This 74% chocolate conveys the strength and the intense chocolate taste of Ivorian beans.

Cooperative's project: creating the country's first organic cocoa and encouraging the emergence of small farmers' terroir

For many years, the Ivory Coast has been driven by the sole objective of being the world’s leading supplier of cocoa (33%). It has focussed on the mass market and has therefore accorded priority to low price, low quality cocoa produced by intensive plantation farming using salaried workers. Cocoa farming is the main focus of the economic and political challenges which have a huge impact on the farmers’ living conditions. Ethiquable has been working with the SCEB since 2010. This project has also been supported by a local NGO. This is the first Ivorian cocoa cooperative in which the producers have all been awarded organic certification and whose beans are traceable from the cooperative to the bar of chocolate. The price paid for their products is considerably higher than the national rate and this enables them to make investments to produce real quality beans and generate a real added value for their product. The volumes of the collections have multiplied eightfold in 7 years.

Terroir

The cocoa beans come from the village of the M’Brimbo producers. They produce an intensely chocolatey cocoa.

Natural environment

Equatorial forest which has been cultivated for 50 years Plantation with no or very little forest cover.

Varieties

Lower Amazon Amelonados Forasteros hybrids.

Know-how

Five days heap fermentation on banana leaves on the small plots.

Flavour profile

Cocoa, notes of dried fruit. The ancient varieties of Waslala, one of the first places to grow cocoa, give this 75% chocolate a flavour of fresh hazelnuts.

Cooperative's project: developing the farmer's ability to export directly

The small farmers’ production system in this region, which is the birthplace of chocolate, is organised around the combination of crops of corn and beans, which are staple foods. The region has ancient Criollo and Trinitario type varieties which have been preserved on the farmers’ small plantations in the most remote forest areas. In 2009, when the heavily indebted cooperative was going through a deep crisis, Ethiquable decided to support it by placing an initial order and pre-financing the harvest. The organisation began to turn things around and developed its activities slowly but surely. It regained its organic certification and focussed its efforts on the quality of its cocoa by building a centralised fermentation unit. The money paid by Ethiquable to the cooperative enabled it to begin to export its product directly. It has diversified its customer base and both production and the farmers’ income has increased. The farmers are establishing new plots of land and are replacing their old cocoa trees thanks to the favourable price they are able to command for their cocoa.

Terroir

The Waslala Criollo and Trinitario varieties produce a chocolate which has the flavour of fresh hazelnut and offers a subtle roundness in the mouth.

Natural environment

Tropical mountain forest (2750 mm of rain) - Cocoa trees under a forest canopy.

Varieties

Ancient varieties from the area and other Trinitario varieties from Central America.

Know-how

Five-day fermentation in boxes on the farmers’ land.

Flavour profile

Sweet, floral notes of honey and dried fruits. The fine reputation of Ecuadorian cocoa is based on the Nacional cocoa bean. It lends its intensity and delicate floral fragrance to this 80% chocolate.

Cooperative's project: conserving the 'nacional' variety and developing an agroforestry system

The province of Esmeraldas is a mangrove and tropical forest zone which is difficult to access and where intensive cocoa farming has never taken place. The 400 producers who are members of the FONMSOEAM cooperative in this region work hard to preserve the Nacional variety, which is threatened with extinction due to the spread of intensive plantations and the introduction of the CCN51 clone, which is highly productive but of a low flavour quality. In 2009, we decided to support FONMSOEAM and set ourselves the joint objective of taking up the challenge to export the cooperative’s cocoa directly. A decent price makes it possible to maintain this rare production system in which cocoa is grown in harmony with the agroforestry system. After six years, thanks to stable prices which are above the market average, the small farmers have been able to invest to develop their crops. As well as building nurseries to propagate the best specimens, the small farmers’ organisation is now engaged in other actions, such as the coppicing and grafting of the cocoa trees and controlled bean fermentation, to give value to this exceptional pure origin product.

Terroir

This ancient variety produces a refined chocolate with a unique floral flavour.

Natural environment

Mangroves and coastal tropical forest - 3500 mm of rain - Cocoa trees under a forest canopy.

Variety

100% Nacional cocoa

Know-how

Short three-day fermentation in centralised units located at the cooperative.

Flavour profile

The Sambirano valley provides a delicate and tangy cocoa. At 85%, these beans bring out the citrus notes.

Cooperative's project: helping the small farmers to export directly

Madagascar is ravaged by deforestation, as well as the associated impact of its demographic weight, the need to use wood as a source of heating and the slash and burn cultivation of rice.
Preserving dense fauna and flora is a priority for the 450 members of the LAZAN’NY SAMBIRANO cooperative which Ethiquable has been supporting since 2010. For the very first time in Madagascar, a small farmers organisation is exporting its cocoa directly and is becoming independent in the face of the monopoly of the local collectors. This project, which has been established with Ethiquable, is a concrete expression of a small farmers’ movement which is moving forward and is capable of adding value to its terroir’s products.

Terroir

The Sambirano valley produces a rare Trinitario cocoa with typical citrus notes.

Natural environment

Humid tropical zone subject to monsoons in the north (2500 mm of rain) - Cocoa trees under a forest canopy

Varieties

Trinitarios and Criollos introduced in the 19th century

Know-how

Four-day fermentation in boxes in small centralised units

In 2013, their harvest was recognised as being a Cocoa of Excellence by the International Cocoa Awards.

Flavour profile

Sweet, floral notes of honey and dried fruits. This 98% combines the strength of an almost pure cocoa, without the inclusion of cocoa butter.
Tangy with a delicate bitterness.

Cooperative's project: conserving the 'nacional' variety and developing an agroforestry system

The province of Esmeraldas is a mangrove and tropical forest zone which is difficult to access and where intensive cocoa farming has never taken place. The 400 producers who are members of the FONMSOEAM cooperative in this region work hard to preserve the Nacional variety, which is threatened with extinction due to the spread of intensive plantations and the introduction of the CCN51 clone, which is highly productive but of a low flavour quality. In 2009, we decided to support FONMSOEAM and set ourselves the joint objective of taking up the challenge to export the cooperative’s cocoa directly. A decent price makes it possible to maintain this rare production system in which cocoa is grown in harmony with the agroforestry system. After six years, thanks to stable prices which are above the market average, the small farmers have been able to invest to develop their crops. As well as building nurseries to propagate the best specimens, the small farmers’ organisation is now engaged in other actions, such as the coppicing and grafting of the cocoa trees and controlled bean fermentation, to give value to this exceptional pure origin product. The farmers of the FONMSOEAM cooperative have been able to export their cocoa directly for the very first time and so freed themselves from the middlemen

Terroir

This ancient variety produces a refined chocolate with a unique floral flavour.

Natural environment 

Mangroves and coastal tropical forest - 3500 mm of rain - Cocoa trees under a forest canopy

Variety

100% Nacional cocoa

Know-how

Short three-day fermentation in centralised units located at the cooperative.