To'ak Chocolate is an Ecuadorian company founded in 2013 by Jerry Toth and Carl Schweizer. To’ak. They created the luxury brand: To'ak Chocolate. The chocolate bars are produced with the very rare variety of Arriba cacao called Nacional cocoa, which some experts formerly believed to be extinct. It is said to have more floral notes and richness of flavors than any other cacao variety. The Heirloom Nacional cacao bar produced by To'ak Chocolate is considered to be the most expensivechocolate bar in the world
Chocolate bars
The chocolate bars are produced using the rare Nacional variety of cocoa bean, which some experts thought was extinct. Groves of cocoa trees producing the Nacional variety were discovered in the valley of Piedra de Plata located in the mountains of the Arriba cacao-growing region of Ecuador, in the province called Manabi. DNA analysis confirmed that the beans were comprised purely of the Nacional genotype. The chocolate bar is handcrafted, and production involves fermenting the cocoa beans. It has been considered to be one of the most expensive in the world, with prices ranging from $270-$375 for a 50-gram bar. The chocolate bar is composed entirely of the Nacional cocoa bean, with a slight amount of cane sugar added. In the middle of the bar is a single roasted cacao bean, showcasing the unadulterated flavor of Nacional Cacao and serving as a reminder where chocolate comes from. To'ak chocolate is pure chocolate, not embellished with nuts, gold dust, or ganache, as is the case with some of the world's other expensive chocolates. Each bar of chocolate comes in a Spanish Elm wooden box and has the individual bar number engraved in the back. The company's products include the Vintage 2014 edition that was aged for three years in a French oak cognac cask. The company ages bars in wood casks and empty spirit casks. They have been described as a "boundary-pushing chocolate company" for launching a bar of dark chocolate that has been aged for 18 months in a 50-year-old Cognac cask. They have also aged chocolate for 2 years in a LaphroaigIslay whisky cask. In November 2019 To'ak produced the world's first limited edition chocolate bar made from cacao sourced exclusively from the Galapagos Islands. The cacao was from 2 small farms that imported the Heirloom cacao trees back in the early 1900s. The cacao trees are planted in low intensity farming techniques and have supported the clearing of invasive weeds and contributed to a return to native flora and fauna.
In January 2016, To’ak's cacao was designated Heirloom by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund. To’ak also has social and environmental objectives in mind. Their product is organic and fair trade and they partner with the Ecuador-based rainforest conservation foundation Third Millennium Alliance. To’ak and the foundation are currently working together to preserve this endangered cacao variety by DNA grafting and planting of new seedlings in a protected area in Ecuador To'ak co-founder, Jerry Toth, has written a Nacional cacao conservation blog which serves as an extensive guide for environmentally friendly cacao cultivation techniques based on permaculture.
Additional activities
The company provides lodging accommodations at its rural farm, named Finca Sarita. The company has also been involved with Washington State University, in a partnership involving the research of tannins.
