Vanuatu might not have made it to the list of 18 winners, but being in the top 50 entrants shortlisted for the 2017 Edition of the International Cocoa Awards is in itself a marvelous achievement
Mabong and Moli have helped put Vanuatu on the global cocoa map for fine chocolate.
The two men celebrated with the winners today as they received Certificates of Recognition at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris, France.
Their cocoa bean samples were among the initial 166 samples submitted from 44 cocoa producing countries.
Every two years, this unique Programme spearheaded by Bioversity International and Event International recognizes quality, flavour and diversity of cocoas according to their origin.
“It is the highest reward for the Salon du Chocolat to be with Bioversity International at the origin of this unique Programme that gathered so many great and indisputable international experts in the world of cacao. Our initial wish was to create a direct link between chocolate makers and producers for reciprocal enrichment, in the qualitative aspects of chocolate and cocoa with all the benefits they entail. Today our wishes are fulfilled. A big thank you to all the team and all those that participate with passion”, comments Francois Jeantet, Creator of the Salon du Chocolat.
After a first physical quality evaluation, accepted beans were carefully processed into liquor and untempered chocolate for blind sensory evaluation by a panel of international experts who are part of the Cocoa of Excellence Technical Committee. Following this evaluation, the best 50 samples were selected and processed into tempered and moulded chocolate (following the same recipe of 66% cocoa) for sensory evaluation by a broader panel of 41 chocolate professionals.
“Never before has there been such an assemblage of superb cocoas as we have had expressed as chocolates in these 2017 Edition of Cocoa of Excellence. The flavour evaluation has been both daunting as well as exhilarating. There is more outstanding flavour and diversity from more countries than ever before. The Technical Committee and the additional Jury have performed superbly. We continue to believe that the Cocoa of Excellence as well as the International Cocoa Awards will shine the spotlight of flavours, craftmanship and diversity on these farmers and bring real, meaningful value to them for their beans,” says Ed Seguine, Cacao Cocoa and Chocolate Advisors/Guittard Chocolate.
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