Marou Ba Ria 76% Mini Bar

From the Maker

Experience a vibrant burst of Trinitario cacao, sourced from family-owned farms in Ba Ria. This mini bar is a testament to bold, fruity flavors packed in a bite-sized treat.

Ingredients

Cacao nibs (72%), cane sugar (24%), cacao butter (4%)

Marou’s Story

From this sustainability report, https://marouchocolate.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Marou-Cacao-Report-2017_081217_reduced.pdf

“We have been making chocolate in Vietnam since 2011, working with small farmers to source quality cacao. From the start, we have been committed to strong relationships and quality standards. Now that our network of farmers has grown, we have time to look back at how far we’ve come, and share some details of our sourcing process.

Cacao is not a major crop in Vietnam, and it has taken us a lot of phone calls and motorbike rides to find farmers who are dedicated to the tree. As one of the only specialty bean-to-bar makers in the country, we offer our farmers a consistent high price, with monthly visits to buy beans. Our local sourcing means that we can buy 100 kg of beans at a time, and give continuous feedback about fermentation and drying methods. If a farmer needs more trees, or another drying rack, we offer technical and financial support.

Vietnamese cacao is a small fraction of the country’s agricultural output, and a small speck of global cacao production, but we are happy to be working in this system. Our farmers have chosen cacao because they are truly interested in how this plant grows. Many of them are older couples who spend all day tending to the cacao trees planted behind their house, and the beans drying in front. When we visit, they offer us bananas and jackfruit from the shade trees. Our wonderful network of farmers is the reason we have been able to bring you the many delicious flavors of Vietnamese chocolate.”