Amaro – Ivory Coast 70%

Description

Crafted by Marco Colzani, the Amaro Ivory Coast dark chocolate blends Italian craftsmanship with cacao from Africa.

Ivory Coast is not an origin that we see very much of here at Cocoa Runners. While the country is the largest cacao grower in the world, almost all off the beans are sold in bulk to make mass-produced chocolate. Because the beans are collected up and then sold by weight, often using commodity brokers, it is hard to have any visibility on where the cacao has actually been grown and by whom. This creates problems not just with quality control, but also with sustainability – with farmers and workers being at risk exploitation and unlivable wages.

Marco, however, has managed to find a more transparent supply. Marco Colzani of Amaro has worked with the Ivorian GI-COOPACI co-operative in Divo. Most of the farms are smaller than 10 acres. GI-COOPACI trains its farmers in agroforestry to improve harvests in a sustainable manner.

Marco Colzani, founder of Amaro, grew up in his family’s bakery and pastry shop in Italy. He returned to the family business after a career in wine. While roasting coffee, Marco had the idea to try the same thing with cacao beans. Originally his idea was for chefs to use this chocolate in their recipes. However Marco soon realised that this chocolate was more than just an ingredient. But instead. Marco realised it was worth enjoying in its pure form.

Tasting Notes

Intense but indulgent dark chocolate bar. We detected notes of earthy fondant. Gradually, clean notes of sweet coconut come through. A touch of cream adds to the chocolate’s overall richness.