Bisou Vanuatu Chocolate Reviewed
ChocoCheck reviewed the Bisou Vanuatu 76% cacao bar, sourced from a Berkeley-based maker and purchased at a local farmer's market. The bar is described as "fairly bitter" with subtle notes of vanilla and fig that emerge on the palate, with a persistent aftertaste carrying complex bitterness. The review points to www.bisouchocolate.com for more information.
- The Berkeley-based chocolate maker, Bisou, was founded by former San Francisco bike messengers Eli Curtis and Tracey Britton, who were inspired by artisanal European chocolate and started experimenting with making their own in 2006. - Vanuatu, a Pacific archipelago, is an emerging origin for high-quality "fine flavor" cacao, which has been cultivated there for nearly 200 years after being introduced by settlers in the 1800s. - The cacao from Malekula Island, a primary source in Vanuatu, descends from rare Amelonado trees and has developed in the wild without the introduction of new genetic material, contributing to its unique flavor. - Bisou's "American style" 76% bar is made with only two ingredients: cocoa beans and sugar, intentionally leaving out added cocoa butter to create a bold and silky expression of the cacao itself. - The company practices direct sourcing, working with a network of over 50 farmers and paying up to ten times the industry standard for high-quality, rare beans. - Curtis and Britton are the company's only two employees, producing a modest amount of chocolate—around two hundred pounds a month—in their Berkeley facility. - Bisou prioritizes ethical and sustainable practices, sourcing from farmers who use fair labor and providing feedback to help them perfect the crucial fermentation and drying processes that develop the beans' unique flavors. - The volcanic soil of Vanuatu's islands imparts a distinct and rich flavor profile to the cacao, often characterized by notes of red fruits, spice, and tobacco.
