Taza Chocolate, founded in 2006 by Larry Slotnick and Alex Whitmore, is unique among U.S. micro-producers. Instead of focusing on refined bars, Taza leaves its cacao in a more unadulterated form. The company makes rustic-style chocolate, as it was made from the creation of the first chocolate bar in 1847 (by the Fry Brothers in Bristol, England) until the invention of the conche in 1879. "Rustic style" means a certain amount of gritty texture, not from external sources but because the early processing was not sophisticated enough to break down all of the particles in the chocolate.
USA (Somerville, Massachusetts)