The world’s best chocolate comes from the criollo variety of Venezuela, renowned for its complex and subtle flavor. Unfortunately, this variety, the original and purest variant of cacao, is fragile and has poor yields, making it expensive to produce. That’s why bars like Amedei Porcelana sell for more than $10 per tablet.
Fortunately, there are inexpensive alternatives. For those who live near that great South California institution, Trader Joe’s, run, don’t walk, to stock up on Chocovic Ocumare, which retails for a mere $1.79 a bar. Chocovic is based in Barcelona, and has a line of single-origin Southern American chocolates named in honor of their places of origin (Ocumare is a coastal cacao-growing district of Aragua state in Venezuela). Few people immediately associate Spain with chocolate, but the Spaniards are the ones who first imported the cocoa bean to Europe, and Spain obviously maintains a close relationship with Latin American nations which produce the best cacao (unlike the more industrial but lower grade stuff that comes from Ghana/Ivory Coast and South-East Asia).
As with all criollos, the Ocumare is relatively mild but has a very rich taste that lingers in the mouth. It may seem like sacrilege to use it for cooking, but when made into a ganache and poured as a frosting over a cake, it is simply phenomenal. Just make sure the cake in question is exceptional enough to deserve this truly regal treatment…
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Hi Majid. I feel like a drug addict who needs help with his supply.
This is by far my FAVORITE chocolate out there.. do you have ANY idea where I can find this stuff since Trader Joe’s stopped carrying it?
Thanks for any help,
-Adam
Last time I checked, you could buy it at Fog City News in San Francisco, but for $6. At that price, you might as well get Amano Ocumare.
Hi, I was last monday at the chocolate symposium in The Netherland as a chocolatier and retailer from bean to bars. This Ocumare from Chocovic was one of the best chocolate bars in the blindtasting. Wonderfull because I sell it now in my shop since a few weeks.
Also in the list where: Amadei, Pacari, CacaoBarry, Akesson’s, Valrhona, Original Beans, Domori, El Ceibo.
ChOcOhOliC Greetings from Belgium
Excellent choices indeed. Amedei is the best, but there is an American company called Amano that also makes an excellent Ocumare bar.
Met vriendelijke groet,
– Fazal
Hello Majid, last week I ordered the Selváticas range from Chocovic, about 200 bars of fine chocolate.
And gues wath? Since Barry Callebaut beeing the new owner (04-11-2009) of Chocovic, they stop producing chocolatebars because its not there main-business (read:have an eye to the main chance). Its a shame and pity cause!
New at my shop now is Bouga Cacao…Cocoa and chocolate from Ecuador…Hand-selected “Nacional Arriba” Grand Cru…More than fair: produced in country of origin.
Greeting from Belgium
Geert
Shame about Chocovic. That would explain why TJ no longer carries it. Arriba Nacional is interesting, and Ecuador’s efforts to improve quality are laudable. It’s no criollo, however, and falls short of the Venezuelan varietals in my opinion.