Great Craft Chocolate Bars from Around the World for 2025
Northwest Chocolate Festival photo credit Thei Zervaki
The Northwest Chocolate Festival returned to Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Center on the weekend of October 4-6, 2024. With more than 100 exhibitors and educators, this yearly chocolate celebration attracts both chocolate connoisseurs and chocolate enthusiasts. It’s a great opportunity to try chocolate from all over the world.
The “crème de la crème” of chocolates was exhibited in the show, including single-origin bean-to-bar, chocolate inclusions bars and even truffles and bonbons. Shown products were from all over the world: from Brazil and Venezuela to the Caribbean Islands of Jamaica and Belize, Nicaragua, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan!
Qantu 80% Hidden Treasure photo credit Thei Zervaki
Qantu’s moto is “stealing your heart with our chocolate.” The Hidden Treasure bar made from rare wild cocoa beans from Peru, has a fudge-like texture and a nutty flavor. Uncommon dark chocolate, it is meant to be savored slowly when the world goes too fast. Read more about Qantu.
Baiani Dark Chocolate with Caipirinha 65% photo credit Thei Zervaki
This exotic bar is made with cacao nibs from Brazil infused with aged cachaça for 30 days. Then they add lime zest and sugar making it a true Brazilian recipe chocolate. Unique, special and a true Brasileiro. We recently featured Baiaini in a story about coffee chocolate.
Pure Chocolate Lemongrass bar photo Thei Zervaki
The 70% dark chocolate from Jamaica is infused with lemongrass that adds beautiful citrus to the hints of red berries. This delicate and balanced bar is a must try if you are into something special. I was told that it can be paired with a glass of premium Champagne, just as one would do with an elegant dessert. Jamaica had a strong presence at the festival and offered attendees a chance to meet quite a few craft chocolate makers.
USA
Dick Taylor Chocolate 65% Tanzania Dark Chocolate photo credit Thei Zervaki
With notes of cherry, coffee, and lemon, this premium bar is made with cacao imported from Tanzania. Dick Taylor has a partnership with the producer, Kokoa Kamili a leading source of high quality organic cacao in Tanzania. The award-winning bar is intense and complex and was best in show.
Kessho 48% Lychee Rose Dark Milk from Uganda Cacao photo credit Thei Zervaki
Floral lychee melts into creamy dark chocolate with the help of rose petals. Made with rare Uganda cacao beans from Semuliki Forest, this floral and creamy bar provides a rich chocolate experience with an elevated exotic inclusion. This bar has won multiple awards.
Spinnaker 70% Belize photo credit Thei Zervaki
Belize is one of the most popular bars in its range and has won multiple awards. It features a complex flavor that is not too strong and highlights red fruits like cherries and plums. Made from only cacao and sugar. Spinnaker is a family-owned chocolate company based in Seattle. Their unique process involves roasting nibs rather than whole beans.
FJAK Craft Chocolate Makers 70% Dark Chocolate from Tanzania photo credit Thei Zervaki
Part of the limited edition origin series, this chocolate bar is made exclusively with cocoa from 3 women-run farms in Tanzania. The balanced dark chocolate has notes of cherry and coffee and is vegan and organic. The cacao is premium priced to support a scholarship program that pays for 10 students from the village area to finish high school.
Japan/Taiwan
Rico Kagurazaka Cacao Impressions Sango Milk Chocolate
Rico Kagurazaka Cacao Impressions Sango Milk Chocolate photo credit Thei Zervaki
The inspiration for this bar comes from gianduja, a hazelnut and cacao recipe created in 19th-century Turin, Italy, to compensate for a shortage of cacao. The bar, made with Taiwanese cacao beans, Japanese milk and sugar, and Italian hazelnuts, is a beloved classic.
Brazil
Luisa Abram White Chocolate with Passion Fruit
Luisa Abram White Chocolate with Passion Fruit
This bean-to-bar white chocolate is seasonal and now most likely sold out. Aromatic, sweet, and acidic, it pays tribute to passion fruit! The surprise? It is also crunchy because it is also made with passion fruit seeds. If you find it, buy a few bars to save for a special celebration.
Cuna de Pietra 73% Insurgente Mexican IPA photo credit Thei Zervaki
This dark chocolate bar is made with La Lupulosa, a Mexican IPA described as intensely fruity and citrusy. This fragrant bar is made with Mexican beans that highlight its bright flavors. If you like beer and chocolate, this bar is for you. A limited edition bar, the cacao came from Comalcalco, Tabasco.
Thailand
Siamaya Durian Milk Chocolate
Siamaya Chocolate photo credit Thei Zervaki.jpg
Durian is Thailand’s beloved but stinky fruit, and I am not surprised to see it as an elevated inclusion in Siamaya’s bars. This ultimate exotic treat is infused with real Thai durian, has all the flavors but not the nasty smell. Read more about Siamaya and the rise of Thai chocolate.
At the festival, it was not just great to taste the bars, but also to see the creativity of the producers making their chocolates with distinctive flavors, unique ingredients and world class beans. This included amazing one-of-a-kind, artistic packaging. Most often this reflects the culture of the country of origin, but was also could be very innovative and spontaneous. Flavored bars continue to be trending.
What about packaging?
Pure Chocolate packaging photo credit Thei Zervaki
My favorite packaging? I like Qantu for their random (or maybe not) choices of images. Kessho for their colors and joyful outlook. And Pure Chocolate for their careful cultural representation. Well done!
These delightful bars are available at Bar and Cocoa. You can also find them at specialty stores in your area. In Seattle, most of the mentioned bars are available at DeLaurenti Food & Wine.