To’ak Chocolate

To’ak’s Vintage 2014 edition aged for 3 years

In ancient times, chocolate was considered sacred and noble. Then in the industrial era it was commodified and mass-produced. To’ak is working to restore chocolate to its former grandeur and push its boundaries to new horizons. Its mission is to transform the way the world experiences dark chocolate, elevating its making and tasting onto the level of vintage wine and aged whisky.

To’ak sources its chocolate from the extremely rare Ecuadorian cacao variety called “Nacional,” which traces its genetic lineage back at least 5,300 years. Believed to be on the brink of extinction, To’ak found a valley with 100-year-old cacao trees that have been confirmed by DNA tests to be 100% Nacional. To’ak’s chocolate is highly terroir-driven, and in some cases it is aged like whisky. Each bar is presented in a handcrafted Spanish Elm wood box that has the individual bar number engraved on the back. The box includes proprietary tasting utensils and a 116-page booklet that tells the story of the provenance of To’ak chocolate and provides a guide to dark chocolate tasting. To’ak’s flagship edition was aged for 3 years in a French oak cognac cask and retails for $365 per bar. Organic and Fair Trade certified. In January of 2016, To’ak’s cacao was designated Heirloom by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund (HCP).

DNA-verified 100% pure Nacional tree in Piedra de Plata, estimated at 100-120 years of age

To’ak chocolate has been featured in Forbes, L.A. Times, Wine Spectator, Fortune Magazine, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Süddeutsche Zeitung, TV channels such as BBC, CNBC, CNN, and FOX, and dozens of other publications across five continents. The Restaurant at Meadowood, one of only 12 restaurants in the U.S. to earn Three Michelin Stars, features To’ak chocolate in its most innovative cuisine.

From earth to tree to bean to bar, To’ak Chocolate is produced entirely in Ecuador. Founded by Jerry Toth and Carl Schweizer. 

Learn more at www.toakchocolate.com.