 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Q: What
do you mean by “Single
Origin”?
A: All
of our chocolate ice creams
and all of our vanillas are
made exactly the same way. The
only difference in the flavors
is which country the cocoa
or vanilla was grown. Each
country has different growing
conditions, processing and
other factors that contribute
to its unique taste profile.
Q: Is
the cacao and vanilla we
use Fair Trade certified?
A:
The cocoa that we use is not
always fair trade certified,
but we often pay prices higher
than fair trade prices – sometimes
as high as double the cocoa
commodity price to find the
right cocoa. Choctal
supports sustainability, and
free-trade initiatives. We
are working with a prototype
farming initiative in Costa
Rica to grow both cacao and
vanilla in order to increase
farmers’ incomes by growing
both cash crops together. If
the initiative works, we expect
to be more involved with farmers
throughout the equatorial band
in the growing and processing
of the cacao and vanilla that
we use in our products. This
is a very important part of
who we are and what we believe. The
basic idea behind the company
is to not only introduce wonderful
chocolate and vanilla from around
the world to consumers, but
to do it in a way that improves
the conditions for the people
that grow our ingredients.
Q: Is Choctal Organic?
A: The cocoa powders that we use were chosen for their taste profiles and some of them are organic certified. The truth is that about 95% of vanilla and roughly 75% of cacao in the world is grown organically; primarily because the farmers that grow these ingredients are too poor to buy pesticides. They are also too poor to pay to have their crops certified organic.
Q: Will the flavors change from year to year?
A: Unlike most companies, we do not use a blend of cocoa or vanillas to achieve the taste profiles. Each of our flavors is achieved by using single origin vanillas or cocoas. This means that year to year there will be some variation in the taste due to growing conditions, processing and other factors; much like vintages of a particular wine will change from year to year.
