Brazil Bean to Bar Chocolate Week takes place once a year, every August. This year marked its 5th edition, and I had the pleasure of being invited to join.
I landed in São Paulo on the 13th, and the days that followed were a whirlwind of visits, conversations, and discoveries—each one adding a new layer to my understanding of Brazilian specialty chocolate market.
On the first day, we had a packed schedule with four factory visits. We began at Luisa Abram, a maker we’ve worked with since opening our store. After showing us around and sharing her work with wild cacao, Luisa offered a taste of two origins still in development. I was surprised when she explained that bringing a new origin to life takes years—at least five—before it can become its own chocolate bar.
Our second stop was Baianí, a tree-to-bar maker we also carry at the shop. Although we’ve worked together for a while, it was my first time visiting their factory. Earlier this year, Tuta had mentioned their work on a single-varietal bar using their BN-34 cacao, a Trinitario variety from Bahia. This time, he finally had it ready for us to taste!
Next, we headed to Mission Chocolate. I hadn’t yet met Arcelia, the maker behind the brand, so I was looking forward to it. Originally from the U.S., she moved to Brazil years ago to pursue her dream of making bean-to-bar chocolate in a country of origin. Listening to her speak about her journey, the challenges of starting out in Brazil, and her mission was inspiring—you could listen to her for hours.
Our last stop of the day was Mestiço, another tree-to-bar maker we’ve worked with since the beginning. One particularly interesting project Rogerio from Mestiço is leading involves changing their fermentation protocols. Instead of the traditional approach, they’ve developed an anaerobic fermentation method, and all their beans will now go through this process.
Day two was spent at the event venue, meeting with Brazilian chocolate makers, tasting their products, and exploring potential collaborations.
On the third day, we finally visited the Brazil Bean to Bar Chocolate Fair itself. For me, the highlight was meeting João Tavares, a cacao producer from Bahia. Back in 2010, he was the first Brazilian farmer to be recognized at Salon du Chocolat in Paris, receiving the Cocoa of Excellence Award. João’s cacao was also my very first introduction to bean-to-bar chocolate, so meeting him felt extra special.
Now that I’m back in Denmark, I cant wait to see what new exciting new projects will materialize! ; )
Me enjoying my Imperial Stout infused with Purus river cacao beans at the end of my trip — a special collaboration between Luisa Abram and Trilha Brewery in April. So happy I managed to get the last two bottles!