Fruition Chocolate was founded in 2011 by Bryan Graham and is based in Woodstock, USA. The company is known for stone-grinding cocoa beans as a means, Bryan says, of accentuating their inherent flavor. Fruition Chocolate won the gold medal for “Best in Competition” at the 2016 International Chocolate Awards. In this episode, Bryan tells us about his pastry chef training, the story behind the Corazon de Dahlia bar and how the proceeds help children in Peru, and about recreating flavors in chocolate that he loved in his youth.

Please join us in tasting the Corazon de Dahlia Milk Chocolate Quinoa Crunch bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information on Fruition, head to their website (www.tastefruition.com), and use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount from now until October 15, 2017. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.

Fruition Chocolate was founded in 2011 by Bryan Graham and is based in Woodstock, USA. The company is known for stone-grinding cocoa beans as a means, Bryan says, of accentuating their inherent flavor. Fruition Chocolate won the gold medal for “Best in Competition” at the 2016 International Chocolate Awards. In this episode, Bryan tells us about his pastry chef training, the story behind the Corazon de Dahlia bar and how the proceeds help children in Peru, and about recreating flavors in chocolate that he loved in his youth.

Launching October 6, 2017. Please join us in tasting the Corazon de Dahlia Milk Chocolate Quinoa Crunch bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information on Fruition, head to their website (www.tastefruition.com), and use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount on all products, including the Corazon de Dahlia Milk Chocolate Quinoa Crunch bar, from now until October 15, 2017. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.

Theo Chocolate was founded in 2006 by Joe Whinney and Debra Music and is based in Seattle, USA. The company is known as being the first organic, fair-trade certified, bean-to-bar chocolate maker in North America, and offers chocolate made with beans from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Peru, as well as confections and caramels. In this episode, Joe tells us about experiencing Mayan cocoa drinks and working on cacao farms as a young conservation volunteer, the many ideas he had to support these farmers that eventually led to building the Theo factory in Seattle in 2005, and why organic certification is important to them.

Please join us in tasting the Bread and Chocolate bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information on Theo, head to their website (www.theochocolate.com), and use code “slowmelt” for a 50% discount on their fantasy bar line, including the Bread and Chocolate bar, from now until October 15, 2017. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.

Theo Chocolate was founded in 2006 by Joe Whinney and Debra Music and is based in Seattle, USA. The company is known as being the first organic, fair-trade certified, bean-to-bar chocolate maker in North America, and offers chocolate made with beans from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Peru, as well as confections and caramels. In this episode, Joe tells us about experiencing Mayan cocoa drinks and working on cacao farms as a young conservation volunteer, the many ideas he had to support these farmers that eventually led to building the Theo factory in Seattle in 2005, and why organic certification is important to them.

Launching September 22, 2017. Please join us in tasting the Bread and Chocolate bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information on Theo, head to their website (www.theochocolate.com), and use code “slowmelt” for a 50% discount on their Fantasy Bar line, including the Bread and Chocolate bar, from now until October 15, 2017. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.

Cailo Chocolate was founded in 2016 by the Castillo and Carniello families and is based in Perth, Australia. The bean-to-bar producer sources its cocoa beans from the Bocas del Toro region of Panama and is known for small-batch chocolate bars that incorporate ingredients indigenous to Australia, such as ooray, lemon myrtle and mountain pepper. Hear from co-founder and chocolate maker Mark Carniello about his “aha” moment in Santa Barbara, California, shipping beans to the remote coast of West Australia, and bringing awareness to native foods through his flavor inclusions.

Please join us in tasting the Ooray bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information on Cailo, head to their website (www.cailochocolate.com), and use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount on all products, including the Ooray bar, from now until October 15, 2017. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.

Cailo Chocolate was founded in 2016 by the Castillo and Carniello families and is based in Perth, Australia. The bean-to-bar producer sources its cocoa beans from the Bocas del Toro region of Panama and is known for small-batch chocolate bars that incorporate ingredients indigenous to Australia, such as ooray, lemon myrtle and mountain pepper. Hear from co-founder and chocolate maker Mark Carniello about his “aha” moment in Santa Barbara, California, shipping beans to the remote coast of West Australia, and bringing awareness to native foods through his flavor inclusions.

Launching September 8, 2017. Please join us in tasting the Ooray bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information on Cailo, head to their website (www.cailochocolate.com), and use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount on all products, including the Ooray bar, from now until October 15, 2017. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.

Cacao Hunters was founded in 2013 by Carlos Ignacio Velasco and Mayumi Ogata and is based in Popayán, Colombia. The company is dedicated to finding, preserving and promoting heirloom varieties of cacao in indigenous and post-conflict regions of Colombia. Currently, it supports more than 1,500 families growing cacao throughout the country. In this episode, Carlos tells us about his start in the coffee industry, finding “hidden treasures” in cacao varieties that have been hidden for years in the Colombian jungles, helping local farmers grow and sell better cacao, and the Japanese elements of his packaging design, inspired by his business partner Mayumi.

Please join us in tasting the Arhuacos 72% bar and apologies for the slightly fuzzy audio from inside the chocolate factory. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information on Cacao Hunters, head to their website (www.cacaohunters.com), and use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount on all products, including the Arhuacos 72% bar, from now until October 15, 2017. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.

Cacao Hunters was founded in 2013 by Carlos Ignacio Velasco and Mayumi Ogata and is based in Popayán, Colombia. The company is dedicated to finding, preserving and promoting heirloom varieties of cacao in indigenous and post-conflict regions of Colombia. Currently, it supports more than 1,500 cacao families growing cacao throughout the country. In this episode, Carlos tells us about his start in the coffee industry, finding “hidden treasures” in cacao varieties that have been hidden for years in the Colombian jungles, helping local farmers grow and sell better cacao, and the Japanese elements of his packaging design, inspired by his business partner Mayumi.

Launching August 25, 2017. Please join us in tasting the Arhuacos 72% bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information on Cacao Hunters, head to their website (www.cacaohunters.com), and use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount on all products, including the Arhuacos 72% bar, from now until October 15, 2017. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Marou, Faiseurs de Chocolat, was founded in 2011 by Vincent Mourou and Samuel Maruta and is based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The company is the first artisan chocolate maker based in Vietnam, and works in close collaboration with farmers, cooperatives and cacao experts to make Vietnamese chocolate a widely recognized origin for gourmet chocolate. In this episode, Sam talks about experiencing “chocolate withdrawal syndrome” when traveling as a French youth to Japan, the kismet timing of meeting his co-founder on a jungle trek in Vietnam, and the frustrations of organic certification processes.

Please join us in tasting the Dak Lak 70% bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information, head to their website: www.marouchocolate.com. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.

Marou, Faiseurs de Chocolat, was founded in 2011 by Vincent Mourou and Samuel Maruta and is based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The company is the first artisan chocolate maker based in Vietnam, and works in close collaboration with farmers, cooperatives and cacao experts to make Vietnamese chocolate a widely recognized origin for gourmet chocolate. In this episode, Sam talks about experiencing “chocolate withdrawal syndrome” when traveling as a French youth to Japan, the kismet timing of meeting his co-founder on a jungle trek in Vietnam, and the frustrations of organic certification processes.

Launching August 11, 2017. Please join us in tasting the Dak Lak 70% bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information, head to their website: www.marouchocolate.com. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.