Artisanal Chocolate Bean to Bar - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Zorzal Comunitario - SILVER WINNER @chochawards 2026

Description

Flavor profile: Chocolate fondant, dried apricots, dried cherries, red berries, nuts, and black tea.

Bean to Bar Chocolate – Dominican Republic, Zorzal Comunitario

Ingredients:

• 70% cocoa beans from Dominican Republic, Zorzal Comunitario
• 30% unrefined granulated coconut flower nectar

A Bean to Bar chocolate made without artificial flavors, added cocoa butter, or any other ingredients that could alter the natural flavors already present in the cocoa beans.

What does Bean to Bar mean?

Bean to Bar chocolate is different from conventional chocolate because every stage of production — from transforming raw cocoa beans into a finished chocolate bar — takes place in the same facility. This allows complete control over the roasting process and helps reveal the unique flavors naturally present in each cocoa origin.

By carefully controlling every step of production, from roasting and grinding to refining and aging, we create chocolate profiles that highlight the characteristics of the cocoa beans themselves.

Ingredients? Nothing more than necessary.

We believe chocolate does not need a long list of ingredients. This bar contains only two:

• Cocoa beans from Zorzal Comunitario, Dominican Republic – 70%
• Unrefined coconut flower nectar from Indonesia – 30%

The flavors and aromas of this chocolate come naturally from the cocoa beans and the craftsmanship behind the process.

The unrefined coconut flower nectar is obtained from the sap of coconut palm flowers. Through a gentle heating process, the water evaporates, leaving behind a solid, granulated sweetener. The final product has a natural brown color and a texture similar to raw cane sugar, while maintaining the characteristics of a minimally processed ingredient.

Fun fact: The Latin name of the cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao, translates as “food of the gods”.

Roasting cocoa beans – the science behind flavor

Roasting is one of the most important stages in chocolate making. During this process, the chemistry inside the cocoa bean changes, creating the aromas and flavors associated with fine chocolate.

Raw cocoa beans often have astringent flavors and bitter notes influenced by fermentation compounds. Through roasting, these characteristics transform as natural sugars and amino acids react, creating new aromatic compounds and developing deeper chocolate flavors.

The Maillard reaction plays an important role, contributing to the complexity of roasted cocoa by creating notes of caramel, nuts, and chocolate. As moisture evaporates during roasting, the beans develop their final structure and aroma.

Once the desired roast profile is reached, the beans are quickly cooled to stop the reaction and preserve the developed flavors. After cooling, the outer shells are removed, revealing the cocoa nibs — the essential ingredient used to create chocolate.

Finding the right roast

There is no single perfect way to roast cocoa beans. Each origin, variety, and harvest has different characteristics, which means the roasting profile must be adapted accordingly.

Artisan chocolate makers consider factors such as bean origin, size, moisture content, and fermentation level when developing a roast profile. Careful sorting and controlled roasting allow the natural characteristics of each cocoa bean to be expressed.

About the farm – Zorzal Comunitario

Zorzal Comunitario represents the community side of the Zorzal cacao project in the Dominican Republic — a network of smallholder farmers cultivating cacao around the Zorzal Reserve. These farmers follow the same principles of agroforestry, conservation, and quality that define the central Zorzal project.

The cacao grows in a natural forest environment, under the shade of native trees, alongside banana, mango, avocado, and other vegetation. This agroforestry system creates healthy soils, stable humidity, rich biodiversity, and a balanced microclimate for cacao cultivation.

Farmers from Zorzal Comunitario deliver their harvest to the Zorzal fermentation center, where the beans are processed with the same attention to detail as the main farm lots. The process includes controlled fermentation, slow drying, and careful sorting, ensuring consistency and traceability across beans sourced from multiple small farms.

Genetics: Amelonado, Criollo, Trinitario, Nacional
Bean size: Medium, uniform
Fermentation: Centralized fermentation in wooden boxes
Drying: Open sun drying or UV-protected plastic drying systems
Sorting: Manual
Certification: Conventional
Harvest season: Year-round, with peak harvest from April to August

To fully experience the chocolate, allow it to melt slowly in your mouth and breathe. Around 20% of flavor perception comes from the tongue, while approximately 80% comes from aroma. The second bite allows the initial intensity to fade and reveals the more subtle flavor notes.

Our chocolates are handcrafted from the processing of cocoa beans to the final packaging, including wrapping, boxes, and labels.