Taza

Circular chocolate milled in granite

Taza chocolate has very special taste and texture, created by processing the cocoa beans between granite millstones. Such millstones have been used for centuries in cocoa growing areas in Oaxaca, Mexico. The different processing method gives Taza chocolate its strong taste whilst minimally changing the temperature and structure of the cocoa. The aim is to leave the complex natural cocoa aromas intact, to be fully tasted and enjoyed in the finished product.

Taza founder Alex Whitmore discovered the granite-milling of cocoa in Mexico. He was so impressed by its rustic intensity that he decided to start a chocolate factory in Somerville, Massachusetts (USA) based on the same process. A molinero in Oaxaca taught him how to make the granite millstones (by hand!). In 2005, Alex and his wife Kathleen Fulton sold the first Taza bars, shaped in the form of a millstone.

From the start, Taza pioneered ethical cocoa chains, fostering direct relationships with the cocoa farmers and paying them way higher than Fair Trade. In return, the farmers respect human rights for their workers and farm organically, without any chemical pesticides or fertilizers.