For a century Asian cities bought their chocolate from Europe. A generation of small makers now roasts its own beans, and the bars taste of Sichuan pepper, kaya and hojicha.
Bean-to-bar means a maker buys cacao beans, roasts, grinds and tempers them, and sells the bar under its own name; it is the opposite of melting industrial chocolate. In Asia it arrived a decade ago and has become a scene.
The three
Minimal in Tokyo makes bars from cacao and sugar only, with tasting notes like a wine list; Conspiracy Chocolate in Hong Kong roasts Vietnamese beans and flavours them with Sichuan pepper and chrysanthemum; Fossa in Singapore makes bars with salted egg and kaya. All three run tastings and sell in the department stores.
The hotels catch up
The pastry kitchens of the Rosewood Hong Kong and the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo now name the origin of their chocolate on the tea menu, and the makers supply the boutiques. Use the Chocolate Pairing Finder to match a bar to a tea.
Frequently asked questions
What does bean to bar mean?
The maker processes the cacao beans from roasting to the finished bar, rather than melting bought chocolate.
