Pioneering Escazū Brings South American Cacao to North Carolina

Escazū chocolate bars

One of the nation's early craft bean-to-bar chocolate makers, Escazū Chocolates began crafting chocolate in Raleigh, NC, in 2008. Since day one they have sourced cacao beans from Latin America partially to reflect the Venezuelan heritage of co-owner,  chocolate maker and chocolatier Danielle Centeno. 

Background

Escazū owners Danielle Centeno and Tiana Young

Initially, Centeno and her co-founder had wanted to start a food business that was not a restaurant after working in the food and beverage industry for several years. The seed of the idea to start a bean-to-bar chocolate business was planted in Costa Rica when they visited a cacao farm where a farmer was beginning to make chocolate from his own crop.

“Escazú is the name of a town where we were staying when the idea of a chocolate shop came to be,” Centeno says. “After trial and error and acquiring certain equipment, and after working with couverture for a little bit, we started making bean-to-bar chocolate to sell as we opened up our retail shop in 2008.” 

The company had been open six years before current co-owner, Tiana Young, started at Escazū as a part-time employee. She had recently graduated from college and wanted to return to the food industry. “At the beginning, Tiana worked retail with some admin work and eventually dipped her toes in almost all areas of the business,” Centeno says. “When my founding business partner chose to leave in 2018, I couldn’t imagine a better person to run Escazū with, so I gave Tiana part ownership and, luckily, she accepted.”

The company uses Latin American cacao for several reasons. “It is indigenous to the region, and it is closer to the US than other cacao growing regions are,” Centeno says. “It is more ethical and [traditional], and, in the case of Venezuela, I think it has some of the tastiest cacao.

“And it does reflect my heritage. I was born and grew up in Venezuela then I came to the US for college when I was 17. When I was 22, I went back to Venezuela for five years, then I returned to the US and have lived here ever since.”

Sourcing Cacao

Early on, Escazū developed a longstanding close relationship with the Franceschi family in Venezuela, who provided most of the company’s cacao. Centeno also visited their farm and processing center in Carupano, during 2016. However, because the family has had a hard time bringing cacao to the US, Centeno and Young now work closely with another family that grows and processes Venezuelan cacao – Hacienda Luna Clara. 

“For other origins, like Oko Caribe, from the Dominican Republic, or the Colombian cacao we have used (I am half Colombian and grew up spending summers and Christmas there), we work with Uncommon Cacao,” Centeno says. “They are known for their close relationships with their growing partners, and their transparency. Read more about Uncommon Cacao.

“We currently only have one origin that is organic certified – Oko Caribe from the Dominican Republic. The Venezuelan origins are grown with organic practices, but not certified as usually these certifications are too expensive; especially for people that have been growing their cacao that way for years.” 

Centeno says Escazū pays cacao prices far above those set through Fair Trade certifications. Venezuelan origins – or anything coming from Uncommon Cacao – puts them as close to the grower as possible, without Centeno and Young traveling to the country and bringing it back themselves. “That is something I personally admire in chocolate makers like Shawn Askinosie, from Askinosie Chocolate," she adds. Read more about Askinosie Chocolate. 

Making Chocolate

Escazū bonbons

Today, an enthusiastic team crafts Escazū dark chocolate bars, plus confections, ice cream, and drinks, at their downtown chocolate factory. The team thinks creatively too, creating flavor profiles such as chipotle caramel, or a Roasted Pepita & Guajillo Chili Bar.

“For many years I was the actual hands-on chocolatier and chocolate maker, and my previous business partner or I [created our recipes],” Centeno says. “I currently oversee and direct the wonderful team that now does these tasks, since that is no longer my day-to-day. I think that, maybe, my current title should be creative director/owner. 

“[Now] A lot of these recipes happen on a whim, when someone says, ‘Hey, would this and this be good together?’ or ‘You know what would be good with chocolate or in ice cream?’ or ‘Oh my God - I had this thing at this place the other day and we could turn it into a confection!’ Then we figure out how to make [that idea] work.”

Escazū’s top three bestselling bars are The Sea Salt Bar – which has always been the best seller – plus The Goat’s Milk Bar and the Cocoa Nibs Bar. Other best-selling items include Original Hot Chocolate, Assorted Confections, and Ice Cream Push Pops.

“We have made drinks since the beginning because the oldest way to consume chocolate is in drinks,” explains Centeno. “So, what better way to showcase chocolate, than in all its forms? Also, hot chocolate is such a comforting thing when cold weather arrives.”

Beyond Chocolate

Escazū hot chocolate

At first all offerings – except for some coffee drinks – incorporated chocolate. But as time passed, the company has made drinks, ice cream, and occasional dessert specials that flex their culinary muscles beyond the chocolate realm. “We decided to offer coffee because it complements chocolate very well and, shortly after opening, we thought ice cream would be a good way to increase sales during slow summer months,” Centeno says.

Escazū push pops

The team often creates ice cream varieties that do not incorporate chocolate, including seasonal favorites such as strawberry or peach - which also showcase local produce. Escazū also added tea lattes and brewed teas to the menu because tea complements chocolate so well. “Maybe even more so than coffee,” Centeno adds.

“I think we work with chocolate the way we worked in restaurants, and for the same reason I started cooking – to give people a flavor experience made with integrity, care, and love, the way our moms and grandmas cooked for us.”

Although Centeno would love to offer factory tours, Escazū’s current space is too small to accommodate groups, especially with so many large machines needed for production. “We hope to move into a bigger space that will allow us to [offer] tastings and education opportunities, with a larger cafe space, and some other surprises too,” she says.