Taza Chocolate is a Mexican-inspired stoneground, organic chocolate manufacturer based in
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81,045 people. With an area o ...
, United States. The factory was founded by Alex Whitmore in 2005 and is home to over 40 different products that can be found in 2,800 retail stores across the country.
History
Alex Whitmore founded Taza Chocolate in 2005 after a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, where he first encountered stone ground chocolate.
After building out a factory space in Somerville, Massachusetts, in 2006, Whitmore acquired a mix of traditional and vintage machinery, including stone mills from Oaxaca,
an Italian
winnower
Winnowing is a process by which chaff is separated from grain. It can also be used to remove pests from stored grain. Winnowing usually follows threshing in grain preparation. In its simplest form, it involves throwing the mixture into the ...
from Dominican Republic, and a Barth Sirocco roaster from Italy. The cacao beans were initially bought from brokers, but Whitmore later traveled through Central and South America and the Caribbean in search of farmers who could work directly with him. Whitmore and his co-founder and wife, Kathleen Fulton, have maintained a
Direct Trade
Direct may refer to:
Mathematics
* Directed set, in order theory
* Direct limit of (pre), sheaves
* Direct sum of modules, a construction in abstract algebra which combines several vector spaces
Computing
* Direct access (disambiguation), ...
relationship with every cacao grower from where they source the cacao beans.
Taza Chocolate is sold across the United States and in certain countries abroad.
Direct trade process
Taza Chocolate uses Certified USDA
organic, non-GMO
cacao. The company has developed
Direct Trade
Direct may refer to:
Mathematics
* Directed set, in order theory
* Direct limit of (pre), sheaves
* Direct sum of modules, a construction in abstract algebra which combines several vector spaces
Computing
* Direct access (disambiguation), ...
relationships with small certified organic cacao growers. These trade relationships are between the company and the grower without intermediaries. Taza Chocolate pays them more than the Fair Trade minimum price for cacao.
Products
![Chocolate Mexicano Discs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Chocolate_Mexicano_Discs.jpg)
Taza sells a variety of chocolates in bars and discs, including:
The Amaze Bars: Stone ground chocolate combined with other flavors
*Wicked Dark
*Cacao Crunch
*Coconut
*Coconut Almond
*Espresso Buzz
*Maple Pecan
*Deliciously Dark
*Raspberry Crunch
*Sea Salt Almond
*Toffee, Almond & Sea Salt
*Seriously Dark
*Wicked Dark w/ Coconut
*Wicked Dark w/ Ginger
*Wicked Dark w/ Toasted Quinoa
Chocolate Covered Treats: Almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts covered in stone ground dark chocolate
Chocolate Mexicano Discs: Rustic, organic dark Mexican style chocolate discs
*Cacao Puro
*85% Super Dark
*Chipotle Chili
*Cinnamon
*Coffee
*Guajillo Chili
*Salted Almond
*Vanilla
Origin Bars: Minimally processed stone ground bar
*70% Dark Dominican Republic
*80% Dark Dominican Republic
*87% Dark Bolivia
See also
*
List of chocolate drink
References
External links
Official website
{{Chocolate beverages
American chocolate companies
Organic chocolate
Companies based in Massachusetts
Food and drink companies established in 2006
Mexican chocolate
Brand name chocolate
American companies established in 2006
2006 establishments in Massachusetts