Working with Talented Chocolate Manufacturers and Quality Cocoa Beans

The beauty of small artisinal chocolate manufacturers is their ability to source uniquely flavored and high quality cocoa beans from around the world. Below is an excerpt from the Master Chocolatier of Santa Barbara Chocolate company describing the cocoa beans they source.

The Secret to Great Chocolate

Top quality cocoa beans are required in making the best chocolate ingredients such as chocolate couverture and cocoa powder. Expertise in cocoa bean sourcing as well as a secure broker infrastructure set up in growing areas, allows Santa Barbara Chocolate to select the best cocoa beans available.

African Coast Selection

Along the African coast there are more than 800,000 farmers growing cacao. Most of these family-farms are very small, about 3 hectares in size. Cocoa Farms play an important role in the quality level of the finished chocolate.

Family farmers give attention and love to their cocoa trees, along with proper pruning, fermenting and cacao drying, all of which contributes to top quality cocoa beans. By starting with the best ingredients, such as family farm grown cocoa beans, Santa Barbara Chocolate is able to make the best chocolate.

Santa Barbara Chocolate works with ethical brokers who buy cocoa beans directly from small family farms.