One of the World’s Best Restaurants Is Now Making Chocolate in Peru
Peru is known for growing some of the world’s best cacao, and now one of its best restaurants is getting in on the chocolate-making game. Central, an award-winning and world-renowned restaurant in Lima run by founders Malena and Virgilio Martínez launched a new collection of luxury chocolates crafted with Peruvian Chuncho cacao via their research arm, MATER. The chocolate bars debuted in the U.S. market on October 5 through a partnership with SIMPLi, a modern food company that ethically sources ingredients from all over the world.
“We focus on products of context. All productions and elaborations are the result of the commitment to local people, people who love the mega-biodiversity of the Peruvian territory as much as we do. Thanks to SIMPLi we will be able to reach more people,’’ says Malena Martinez, Managing Director of MATER.
Chuncho Cacao
Native to the Cusco region, Chuncho is known as one of the highest quality varieties of cacao in the world, and each of these bars is made with Chuncho grown in the high-altitude forested area of Quillabamba, located in central Peru, north of Cusco. The cacao for this first batch of craft chocolates was harvested and fermented in the late spring of 2022. It was then transported about 620 miles to Lima by hand, where the MATER cacao expert crafted each bar’s recipe, working with an experienced chocolatier to produce the final bar. Each bar expresses the flavor profiles that characterize the prized Chuncho cacao: a delicate sweetness, fruity notes of berry and raisin, and warm notes of nuts and spices. True to the Chuncho cacao’s nature, these chocolates are low in bitterness, which is the result of good genetics, rigorous post-harvest practices, and a delicate roast.
Collaboration Bars
"We are honored to partner with MATER to introduce this luxurious craft chocolate collection to the U.S. market for the very first time and allow consumers to taste Peruvian Chuncho Cacao, native to the Cusco region and known as one of the highest quality varieties of cacao in the world” says Sarela Herrada and Matt Cohen, co-founders of SIMPLi. “Our goal at SIMPLi is to provide market access for our international partners to introduce premium products for U.S. consumers to enjoy. We enjoy collaborating with like-minded global partners who share our commitment to farmer-direct, ethically sourced single-origin ingredients that support small shareholder farmers and producers.”
The Cacao Chuncho bars currently available in the set are, a 51% made with cow’s milk and cane sugar, a 72% with nibs giving the bars a pleasant and snappy crunch, a 77%, and a 100%, which has no added sugar. The set of 4 bars are 40 grams each, and sell for $49.
In an industry that is often criticized for lacking transparency and giving credit to farmers, it’s a pleasant surprise to find that the bars come with an insert with information about the growers of the cacao, the Puma family.
According to the insert, the Puma Champi have been growing the cacao since 1996, won an award for best Peruvian cacao is 2021, and that their current bars use a mixture of Chunchos from the area including Pamuco, Senorita and Anchoccha from trees that are over 70 years old.