Name: Foundry Pinalum Malekula Island Vanuatu 70%
Brand: Foundry
SKU: FOU-VP70
Price: 14.99 CAD
Availability: InStock

Foundry Pinalum Malekula Island Vanuatu 70%

Cocoa Origin: Vanuatu
Producer Country: New Zealand
Weight: 70 g

This cocoa is grown in the village of Pinalum, situated on Malekula Island in Vanuatu. Reaching any remote island nation in the vast South Pacific Ocean is an adventure, but this one also requires an overnight ferry from the capital followed by a dirt bike ride along coral, gravel, and sand roads, which become very muddy during the rainy season. But upon arrival, you'd be rewarded with lush beach, crystal-clear waters, and palm trees. It is here that Olivier Fernandez from Gaston Cacao and local villager Lily Buktan oversee the fermentation and drying station, working with local farmers to ensure they are paid well above traditional industrial model prices. And their cocoa is certainly worth it, offering complex and alluring woody notes of pine, porcini, and rosemary, in addition to wafts of Christmas spice and a marshmallow-y, brown ale-like maltiness.

$14.99

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Foundry Pinalum Malekula Island Vanuatu 70%

$14.99

Foundry Chocolate, based in New Zealand, has been recognized with numerous awards, including being crowned Champion at the NZ Outstanding Food Producer Awards and earning multiple gold medals at the Academy of Chocolate Awards in London. Foundry’s dedication to quality and sustainability has also earned them the prestigious Snail of Approval from Slow Food's Auckland chapter. This recognition has led to regular showcases on TV3, TVNZ, and Radio New Zealand. David, Foundry’s founder and chocolate maker, is an engineer by trade. His passion for precision and craftsmanship informs the rigorous standards and attention to detail that defines Foundry. Sourcing only the finest quality cacao beans from ethical and sustainable farms, his bars highlight the unique flavours and terroir of the beans' origins using just two ingredients: cacao and organic cane sugar. The elegant packaging, designed by David’s wife Janelle, perfectly complements the purity and integrity of the chocolate inside. As one journalist put it, “the anticipation of opening each resealable parcel is like unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning.”

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Malekula Island is only accessible by an 8-hour boat journey from Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila, or a flight to a grass strip. Be warned, however: the flight schedule is limited, with the pilot flying over once a day and not bothering to land unless they notice you waiting. The village’s main dirt track is suited for a tractor and connects its main points of interests: a store, a church, and a water well. Idyllic but also rare, Malekula's cocoa production is so minimal that you’re unlikely to find on many lists of cocoa-producing regions. The island saw cocoa cultivation begin in the 1920s but its viability only emerged in recent times due to changes in local management and funding.

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