Cacao for this bar is grown at the Los Laureles Estate run by the Marquez family in the Serranía del Perijá mountain range that divides Venezuela and Colombia. This area contains the oldest cacao trees in Venezuela and genetic DNA testing done by the University of Paris confirmed that the cacao at Los Laureles was a rare type of Criollo known as Guasare. The Marquez family now also runs a nursery where they graft seedlings of this old, near extinct variety. To bring out the unique characteristics of this cacao, often described as tart and fruity, H&V used three distinct roasting profiles, each designed to highlight different flavour notes, before grinding them together for 82 hours. The result is a prolific medley of bitter and sweet, combining dark cherry-like fruitiness, pecan, coffee, and tropical hints of granadilla and banana, all enlivened by a subtly tart citrus-like acidity. It is a masterpiece from start to finish.
Heinde & Verre Zesty Venezuela Dark 71%
Cocoa Origin: Venezuela
Producer Country: Netherlands
Weight: 70 g
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Heinde & Verre Zesty Venezuela Dark 71%
Heinde & Verre, meaning "near and far," pays homage to the Dutch culinary tradition of sourcing ingredients worldwide and combining them with local customs, perfectly reflecting Milou’s belief in the synergy of global and local economies. The two guys behind the name, Jan-Willem & Ewald, are serious chocolate geeks and have developed several in-house techniques that make their bars standout: slow food level stuff like stone grinding for up to three days, aging their chocolate mass, sorting beans by hand, and split-roasting single origin beans into multiple batches, each receiving a unique roast profile, and then blending back together by taste. They use only traceable ingredients and work with trusted single estates and cooperatives. Their facility is a carbon-free, fully electric factory powered and heated by 100% Dutch green wind energy. And as if that wasn’t enough to love about them, just wait until you see the cleverness of their packaging, which includes kraft paper pouches with double airtight seal to protect against odors, light, humidity, and oxidation. The outside sticker states the name, farmer, and origin region, while unfolding the box reveals the H&D philosophy, a map showing ingredients and their origin, and a QR code linking to the story, tasting notes, farmer's photos, and other details of each bar, as well as nutritional value in four languages. As if that’s not good enough, each box comes with not one but two bars!
Shop More Heinde & VerreZulia State, located in northwestern Venezuela, borders Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in Latin America. The basin of Lake Maracaibo contains some of the largest oil and gas reserves in the Western Hemisphere. Zulia is economically crucial for its oil and mineral resources, and it also plays a significant role in agriculture, producing livestock, bananas, fruits, meat, and milk. One of Venezuela's 23 states, Zulia has the largest population and is home to Maracaibo, the country's second-largest city. Unique to Zulia is the widespread use of voseo (vos as a second person singular pronoun). Geographically diverse, Zulia features plains, mountains, numerous lagoons, swamps, marshes, arid zones, and humid areas. The state also includes the Cordillera de Perijá, part of the western Andean mountain range, covering over 10% of its territory. The climate varies by region, encompassing desert, savannah, and tropical rainforest.
