The name "Chuao" is spoken with reverence. It symbolizes the world's most coveted cocoa and its source. For centuries, the farmers of Chuao have faithfully grown this native Venezuelan criollo cocoa. They ritually harvest and ferment the beans, then sun-dry them in front of their historic church. Once they reach us, we gently hand roast and stone grind them, turning this exalted cocoa into one of the world's finest chocolates. It is pure passion, pure tradition, pure love - pure Chuao. Tasting notes: plums, blueberries, blackberries, molasses, coffee, almonds.

Tasting notes: Beautiful, complex chocolate flavor with notes of spice, melon, and cream.

Tasting notes: This chocolate has very gentle but rich flavors with beautiful notes of bergamot orange, blueberry, spices and lavender. These are natural flavors found in the special cocoa beans used to make this chocolate.

From the very first time I tasted the cocoa beans we used to make this chocolate, I fell in love with them. Their rich flavor was intoxicating and yet beautiful. The cocoa comes from a small, remote community in the Guayas River Basin just up the river from Guayaquil, Ecuador. It was an easy decision to make chocolate from these wonderful beans. After the chocolate was finished, we held a launch party with the farmers in Ecuador. We had free food for all and most importantly, they were all excited to taste chocolate they helped to create. I will never forget the aged matriarch of the community thrusting out her gnarled hand and demanding "more" time and time again. Every time I taste this chocolate, I am sure that she was right. This is one chocolate whose incredible flavor will cause you to always ask for "More." Tasting notes: This chocolate has a rich chocolate flavor with notes of green bananas, smoke and blackberries.

On the southwest coast of the Indonesian island of Bali lies the regency of Jambrana. Known for its lush vegetation, fertile volcanic soil, and high humidity, it has ideal growing conditions for cacao. I have carefully selected fine-grade cocoa beans from around Jembrana to create this chocolate. Their deep chocolate flavor is accented with gentle nuttiness -- indigenous flavors of these prized beans. These beans create a singular chocolate that is rich, flavorful and, I believe, beautiful...

Carefully tended rice fields line the base of Bali's majestic volcanoes. At their edge are serene cocoa trees that produce beautifully rich cocoa beans - with a flavor unique to the island of Bali. I selected the very best of Bali's cocoa to make this milk chocolate. We roast, stone grind, and then gently blend this cocoa with milk making a luscious milk chocolate with flavor notes of licorice and honey you will cherish each and every time you try it.

Years ago, I found a beautiful cocoa plantation that has forever caught my imagination. On this particular day, it was overcast and the cocoa trees were new and laden with a rainbow of cocoa pods. It was very peaceful with the exception of the tropical birds chirping and squawking. As the light came through the leaves, I could not help but feel if there was a Garden of Eden, it had to be just like this. Ever since, I have wanted to make chocolate with beans from this magical place. It took seven years. As they say, good things come to those who wait. I hope this chocolate is as special for you as it is for me. Tasting notes: Deep chocolate flavor that hints of molasses, brown sugar/muscovado, cream, nuts and dried apricots.

Accessible only on horseback in the mountains of northern Venezuela are several family-owned cocoa plantations. Here I discovered a limited supply of truly exquisite cocoa beans. We are the first to make a single-origin chocolate from these precious beans. Our vintage process gently accentuates their finest flavors. The result is a remarkable chocolate with flavor notes of apricot and marshmallow that you will find enchanting.

Tasting notes: This chocolate has a truly remarkable chocolate flavor, with wild notes of lime, grapefruit, earthiness, leatheryness.

Between the coastal mountains of Venezuela and the Caribbean lies the colonial village of Ocumare. Since the 1700's, Ocumare has been famous for its flavorful Criollo cocoa beans. To create this milk chocolate, I hand select the best cocoa from this region. The richness of the beans from Ocumare, tempered with milk, creates a delicate chocolate I treasure for its perfectly balanced flavors of milk and cocoa. If you passionately seek fine-flavored milk chocolate, as I do, this chocolate is for you.

The cocoa from the remote Venezuelan village of Ocumare de La Coasta has become famous since the 1600's. Since we founded Amano, it has been an honor to be able to make chocolate from this rarefied cocoa. The flavor has always been one of the world's finest, and we have watched many people swoon as the waves of Ocumare's incredible chocolatey flavor gently overwhelm their senses. I have found the farmers of the Ocumare and neighboring valleys to be very kind and hospitable. For this reason, it is one of my favorite places to visit. I truly believe that this chocolate accurately reflects the pride, sensitivity, and personality of the humble farmers who grow the cocoa that we use to make this chocolate. As you taste it,, I am sure you will come to love as much as I do, not only the chocolate but the farmers and the land from which it comes. This chocolate has a rich, complex chocolate flavor with notes of red fruit and spice.

It is for very good reason this is the very first chocolate that we released. It tastes incredible and has won numerous awards in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The cocoa we use to make this chocolate comes from a cocoa plantation in the Sambirano Valley on the Northwest coast of Madagascar. The owner of the plantation is a valued friend and colleague, so we are always sure to get his very best.

Each batch of our Madagascar chocolate is carefully roasted, stone ground, refined, and conched to bring out the very best flavors of the exotic cocoa beans we use. It is a laborious process, but each bit of extra effort pays off when using truly special cocoa to create a chocolate such as this. The final result explodes with a symphony of flavors. Try this chocolate and you'll be sure you have found a favorite.

-Art Pollard, Founder & chocolate maker.