April 20, 2008

Askinosie Chocolate

Askinosie Chocolate is another one of the many artisan chocolate makers that have been cropping up around this country. This time, the company comes from Missouri. All of Askinosie Chocolate bars are made in small batches, pressed from their own cocoa butter, and only utilize traceable single origin cocoa beans.

The founder, Shawn Askinosie, was "a criminal defense lawyer for nearly twenty years, who started making chocolate in his law office kitchen less than three years ago. After studying cocoa post harvest techniques in the Amazon and apprenticing under a master chocolate maker in Ecuador, Askinosie became committed to working directly with farmers in order to ensure the highest quality chocolate possible."

If you want to learn more about the back story, check it out here. As for the chocolate and how it tastes? We've heard that the Soconusco and San Jose Del Tambo are well balanced, smooth, buttery, but not super sweet.

Heads up and image from Cool Hunting