Cacao from the Kilombero Valley

The Kilombero Valley in central Tanzania borders the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Cacao there grows on small farms, planted between shade trees, banana, corn and other crops, and farmers in the area have grown it without pesticides or synthetic fertilisers for generations.

Kokoa Kamili, run by Brian LeBue and Simran Bindra, buys the cacao wet, straight from the pod, and pays farmers above the local market price. Taking over the post-harvest work means every lot is handled the same way: the beans ferment for 6 days in wooden boxes, then dry slowly in the sun for 4 to 10 days. Standout credits this careful processing for the fruity, consistent character of the cacao.

About Standout Chocolate

Standout Chocolate is a small bean-to-bar maker just outside Gothenburg, Sweden. Founder Fredrik Martinsson came to chocolate by way of specialty coffee, and the approach will feel familiar to coffee drinkers: traceable single origins, short ingredient lists, and recipes built to let the origin carry the flavour. Standout bars have won awards at both the Academy of Chocolate and the International Chocolate Awards.

How to taste it

Keep the bar somewhere cool and dry, ideally 14 to 18°C, and let it reach room temperature before eating, as Standout recommends. Cold chocolate melts slowly and gives off less aroma. A fruity 70% like this also works well next to a cup of filter coffee: taste a square on its own, then again with a sip of coffee from a small cup such as the Loveramics Hutch Tasting Cup, and notice how the fruit notes shift.

Specifications

Nutrition per 100 g

Fredrik of Standout Chocolate on making chocolate