Why are we so keen to buy artisanal products? They are delicious! They are made of high-quality ingredients. We can see that there are real people behind the brand. The same can be said about chocolate that is made in a small workshop, by an artisan. In the process of creating a bar of chocolate, artisans pay attention to every little detail. They often do the work by hand and do it the traditional way. Let us have a look at how an artisan chocolate bar differs from industrial chocolate available in stores and what “bean to bar” and “tree to bar” mean.

High quality cacao beans

It is where it all starts. How does an artisan chocolate maker work?

• Quality: Unlike in industrial production, which involves many intermediaries, the artisans often get in touch with the cocoa farmer directly. This direct collaboration allows them to select high-quality beans. 
• Ingredients: the artisan then carries out the entire processing of the raw cocoa, taking care of every detail along the way. Artisans carefully select additional ingredients and pay attention to their quality. This results in fantastic and varied flavors, and the chocolate that comes out of their workshop is rich in cacao and full of healthy substances that are naturally found in cacao beans. 
• Transparency: the artisans are happy to share their story and show how the final product is created. Quality is paramount, so they transparently communicate their brand policy via their website or on the packaging. We can learn about the values that are important to them, read about the ingredients, understand the artisan’s choices, and appreciate the results.

Tree to bar and bean to bar

Independent production, from the selection of the cacao beans, through the entire processing, the development of the recipe for chocolate and, finally, its making and packaging is called bean to bar. There are also artisans who make their chocolate using raw material from their own plantation, which makes it possible for them to control the production process from the very first stage – the planting of new trees and their cultivation. Their chocolate is thus monitored from when it is still a cacao tree to the moment it becomes a chocolate bar, or tree to bar.

Who is such chocolate for?

If you think that artisan chocolate is only for experts and connoisseurs, think again! Artisanal chocolate is a top-quality product designed for absolutely everyone 🙂 It is made out of the urge to create healthy, tasty, unique products that have been designed with care at every stage. That is when saying “chocolate is healthy” becomes truly meaningful.

Please, let me know in the comments if you have already tasted artisanal chocolate or if it will be your first time 🙂