Meet the maker
Franceschi
About Franceschi
Franceschi Chocolate is a unique collection of Fine and Extra Fine Chocolates made with selections of Venezuelan cocoa from Criollo Origin and Trinitario, which have a combination of aromas, textures and flavours of Venezuelan lands. Franceschi are passionate promoters of the Dark Chocolate Art of Origin.
The varietals of Franceschi Chocolate show people a Fascinating Journey from the bean to bar. Thanks to a careful post-harvest process, you can enjoy the authentic flavours and aromas of various regions of Venezuela.
Question and Answers with Francesci
What’s your background? Why and how did you get into chocolate?
We have been in the cacao export business since 1830 and we are still in continuous renovation. In 1990, we started the reconstruction of our cacao plantation with the purpose of making the best Venezuelan Criollo Origin strains, and with the desire of starting a new chocolate manufacturing business.
After a long association with Gianluca Franzoni founder of Domori‘s Chocolate in Italy, we established in 2009 Chocolate San Jose, C.A. the owner of brand Franceschi Chocolate.
We are convinced that every cacao type has its own unique characteristics with distinctive personality, which were appreciated during the European baroque, and enlightenment times. We are somehow getting away from the average industrial standard by emphasizing in the quality treatment of cacao component from the pod on the tree, the harvest and post-harvest processes to get the proper but unknown flavor of each grain and every chocolate we elaborate.
When did you start your company — and with whom? How many are there of you?
The company was officially registered during the year of 2009, but It started earlier with our trial and error experiments in Caracas.
Domori’s success in Italy with the introduction of our incipient Criollo Origin production of the Hacienda San Jose, we confirmed our thoughts and believes and it increased our enthusiasm for our own chocolate project.
Cousins Mariella and Claudia Franceschi who gained craftsmanship in a short period of time, now we are a team of forty people working hard to gain the title of excellence.
Where do you want to go next? New bars? New beans? New markets?
We are developing and testing in our laboratory with different products based in new cacaos discovered in Venezuela’s forest, but also other South American origins with special flavors.
Last year, we started an expansion process to enter new markets in America, including USA, Panama and Peru.
How did you source your beans?
The Franceschi Plantation is located in the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela. It is the largest agricultural cacao development in Venezuela, where seven of the most exclusive varieties of Venezuelan Criollo Origin cacao are grown and research works on those varieties are conducted.
We keep and strive for a strong relationship with our key growers and producers cooperative in the country’s major cacao-growing areas, and well-trained supervisors to look daily upon the entire crop and the post-harvest.
What inspired your choice of wrapper/mould design?
We wanted a unique and elegant design, inspired by 187 years of legacy, which is a very distinctive characteristic among other chocolate brands.
We wanted to stand out, that’s why we work with squared moulds. They are also especially thin, so the chocolate could melt smoothly. We conceived out bars to be savored and tasted, not just chewed.
The letter “F” represents the family’s heritage, in a very sober style.
Similarly would love to hear more about innovations in tech, crafting, marketing etc. you’re pursuing
Nowadays, we are organizing a sensory lab, to study and analyze our chocolate’s descriptors.
We are training in house panelist, our team members, to educate our taste, we want to complement the empirical knowledge with scientific data.
What is your favourite food? Wine? Other chocolate makers?
We love Venezuelan rum, worldwide recognized and awarded. Rum makes a perfect pairing with chocolate, they have the same terroir, and so is a natural match.
Since we work with plain, unflavored bars, our chocolate lends itself to be combined within a wide range, such as olive oil, salts, breads even any sweet filling!
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