Origin Updates
Origin Trip #44: Mababu, Tanzania- 2019
This years’ profit share was one of our biggest ever because it was a great year for sales of chocolate made with their beans. We always couple the...
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Origin Updates
Origin Trip #43: Zamora, Amazonia- 2019
Monica, our lead farmer partner in Zamora, Amazonia, holds the single origin chocolate bar (now featuring a 2019 Good Food Award emblem!!) made wit...
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Origin Updates
Origin Trip #42: Del Tambo, Ecuador- 2019
This was Shawn’s fourteenth visit with Vitaliano; we’ve been buying outstanding Arriba Nacional cocoa beans to make our Ecuador chocolate bars fro...
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Origin Updates
Origin Trip #41: Davao, Philippines- 2019
This year marks our eleventh anniversary of being the first chocolate makers in the world to export cocoa from the Philippines, and of collaborati...
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Origin Updates
ORIGIN TRIP #40: MABABU, TANZANIA- 2018
After 60+ hours of travel, the 2018 Chocolate University Class arrived in Tanzania!! The final leg of the trip included a long bus ride to the remo...
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Origin Updates
ORIGIN TRIP #39: ZAMORA, AMAZONIA- 2018
After meeting with Vitaliano, our lead farmer partner in Ecuador, I made the short trip to see our newest farmer partner group in Zamora, Amazonia....
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Origin Updates
ORIGIN TRIP #38: DEL TAMBO, ECUADOR- 2018
I met with our lead farmer partner, Vitaliano, his son, Moises, and the rest of his family, from whom we purchase all of the Arriba Nacional cacao ...
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Origin Updates
ORIGIN TRIP #37: DAVAO, PHILIPPINES- 2018
On the first origin trip of 2018 Shawn met with lead farmer, Peter Cruz, pictured here alongside farm manager, Johnny. They inspected our next ship...
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Origin Updates
ORIGIN TRIP #36: MADAGASCAR- 2017
After wrapping up the last week of the 2017 Tanzania origin trip, Shawn took a quick detour to Madagascar before heading home! For now, the details...
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Origin Updates
ORIGIN TRIP #35: MABABU, TANZANIA- 2017
Shawn spent most of the week working alongside our farmer partners harvesting cocoa, fermenting and drying beans, and testing moisture content. And...
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Origin Updates
ORIGIN TRIP #34: ZAMORA, AMAZONIA- 2017
Located in southeastern Ecuador, on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, Zamora is lush and fertile, if not challenging to navigate–the tiny village ...
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Origin Updates
ORIGIN TRIP #33: DEL TAMBO, ECUADOR- 2017
Cocoa Pods, Conferences, & Chocolate Tastings. Notes from Shawn’s 12th Ecuador Origin Trip
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Origin Updates
ORIGIN TRIP #32: DAVAO, PHILIPPINES- 2017
Update from Davao, Philippines: Shawn inspected our next shipment of cocoa beans to ensure they meet our contract specifications. This includes spe...
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