Name: Explorer Club #209: BELIZE
Brand: Milou Chocolate Co.
SKU: EX-BELIZE
Price: 38.98 CAD
Availability: InStock

Explorer Club #209: BELIZE

Opening this box of Belizean chocolate is stepping into a story centuries deep, where cocoa isn’t just a crop but a legacy rooted in the rituals of the Mopan Maya, who revere the cacao tree and its beans as possessing spiritual essence—a connection between earth and the divine. Belize is home to a unique stand of genetically pure Criollo, believed to be the “original” trees cultivated by pre-contact civilizations. Among the purest wild cacaos globally, these trees were even instrumental in sequencing the cocoa genome in 2011, a testament to their ancient lineage. But this isn’t about beans alone; these bars carry the raw edge of Belize itself, with flavours shaped by tropical rain-soaked earth, swampy plains, an untamed coast lashed by hurricanes, and Maya ruins that have withstood centuries amongst the dense jungle and humid air. Each piece is an echo of ancient rituals and resilient heritage, a taste of a place where cacao’s history is still alive and evolving.

$38.98

$43.31

Explorer Club #209: BELIZE

$38.98

$43.31

Karuna Belyzium Belize 70%

Producer Country: Italy
Cocoa: Belize
Weight: 60 g

This cocoa is sourced from Belyzium, a bean-to-bar manufacturer based in Belize. The beans come from the village of San Jose and are cultivated by Mopan Maya farmers. The cacao tree holds profound significance in the religious practices of the Mopan Maya people, who traditionally believe both the tree and its beans possess spiritual essence. Indeed, this chocolate bar offers a near-transcendental experience, expertly balancing bitterness, sweetness, and acidity. It has aromas of cardamom, anise, and bruised orchard fruit that give way to flavours of brown sugar, baking spices, and earthy porcini, complemented by deep and familiar chocolatey overtones.

Standout Maya Mountain Belize 70%

Producer Country: Sweden
Cocoa: Belize
Weight: 50 g

Maya Mountain's 100% Belizean Maya team processes all cacao at a centralized facility where they employ unique stages of sun drying. This social enterprise collaborates with predominantly Q’eqchi’ and Mopan Maya farmers, for whom cacao cultivation spans generations. These farmers practice intercropping with hardwood trees, banana, mango, avocado, and coconut. This chocolate features dried fruit notes like dates and figs, a slightly woody earthiness reminiscent of carob, chicory, or even rosemary, and a rich sweetness akin to date syrup or dark honey. A true 'standout' indeed!

Dick Taylor Toledo Belize 72%

Producer Country: United States
Cocoa: Belize
Weight: 57 g

Dick Taylor sources these beans from Maya Mountain Cacao (MMC), a network collaborating with over 300 smallholder Mayan farmers in the southern tip of Belize. While MMC provides training and mentorship, many of these farmers continue centuries-old practices passed down through generations, as cocoa farming in the region dates as far back as 600 BC. This bar honours that long tradition, offering silky texture, aromas of anise and cardamom, and rich flavours of black plum brownie, honeycomb, nectarine, and coffee.