70% Karkar Island bar made by Kasama Chocolate in Canada on a purple gradient background

70% Karkar Island

by Kasama Chocolate in Canada

"This chocolate is made from heirloom Trinitario cacao beans grown on the volcanic Karkar Island off the north coast of Papua New Guinea. The beans from this estate, where cacao trees mingle with coconut palms, have a unique and multilayered aroma profile with notes of blackberry, plum, and molasses."

kasamachocolate.com

Bar

Front of 70% Karkar Island bar made by Kasama Chocolate in Canada
Back of 70% Karkar Island bar made by Kasama Chocolate in Canada

The 70% Karkar Island bar is made by Kasama Chocolate, a Vancouver-based chocolate brand. This particular chocolate is made from heirloom Trinitario cacao beans grown on the volcanic Karkar Island off the north coast of Papua New Guinea. The beans from this estate, where cacao trees mingle with coconut palms, have a unique and multilayered aroma profile with notes of blackberry, plum, and molasses. The ingredients in the bar include organic cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar, and cacao butter.

Type
Dark
Percent
70%
Weight
55g
Dimensions
143mm
69mm
7mm
Ingredients
Cacao Beans
Organic Unrefined Cane Sugar
Organic Cacao Butter
Facility Allergen
Nuts

Packaging

Front of 70% Karkar Island bar made by Kasama Chocolate in Canada package
Back of 70% Karkar Island bar made by Kasama Chocolate in Canada package
Type
Box
Dimensions
147mm
89mm
9mm
Wrapper
Clear Bag
Marketing Terms
Award-winning
Handmade
Bean to Bar
Source

Maker

Kasama Chocolate was founded by four friends, Vince Garcia, Stefan Klopp, Dom Voser, and Oliver Koth-Kappus. They started making homemade chocolate bars as a hobby using cacao beans from Garcia's family plot in the Philippines. After learning how to make chocolate through trial and error, they turned their hobby into a home-based business in 2015. They initially sold their products at farmers markets, craft fairs, and specialty shops before opening their own retail space on Granville Island in 2021.

Name
Kasama Chocolate
Production Country
Canada

Origin

Kasama Chocolate sources 40% to 50% of their ingredients from the Philippines, including cacao, durian, and mango. They have faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with disruptions in their supply chain. Despite these challenges, they have found ways to adapt and continue their operations. They have a very collaborative and inclusive company culture, which includes incorporating product ideas from team members and even customers​.

Region
Madang
Country
Papua New Guinea

How to Enjoy the Bar

You can consider fruits like blackberries and plums to complement its tasting notes, or other foods that pair well with dark chocolate, such as figs, grapes, currants, apricots, mango, bananas, tart sour berries like cherry, espresso beans, or red wine.