FAQ
Is your chocolate vegan? Nut-free? Soy-free? Gluten-free? Dairy-free? Preservative-free?
Yes! Our products and kitchens are free of nuts, dairy, soy, gluten, eggs, and sesame. All of our products are plant-based and vegan.
Why did the bars change?
We are constantly striving to improve our chocolate. That's why in 2019 we launched our new, ChocoSol branded chocolate bars. The thinner shape enhances the flavour tasting experience of our stone-ground chocolate. The new packaging is fully omnidegradable and reduces the need for excess stickers and labels. Finally, we chose to simplify our offerings to have a single chocolate bar that can stand taller and prouder on the shelf.
Each bar is 75g of our best, stone-ground dark chocolate.
Where is your chocolate from?
We are bean-to-bar chocolate makers, meaning all our chocolates are made fresh from the raw cacao beans. Our cacao is roasted, winnowed, stone-ground, and tempered in our kitchen in Toronto, Ontario.
Our cacao is sourced directly from communities in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico. We also source from several ecological and social projects in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Guatemala. Check out the "Our Community" page to learn more!
Is your chocolate organic?
The cacao and other ingredients we use to make our chocolates are all grown and harvested organically, naturally, sustainably, and ethically. Many of our cacao origins are certified organic, including our Kallari beans, Zorzal beans, and Maquita cacao butter. However, organic certification is currently not feasible for many of our small-scale partner communities. This means that not all our ingredients are certified organic.
Is your coffee organic?
Our coffee is grown organically, though is not certified organic because of the small-scale nature of our partner communities. It is shade-grown, sustainable, ethical, and grown without the use of harmful chemicals.
Are your cacao and coffee Fair Trade?
No, we have instead taken the direct-trade route. This means we work directly with the producers in the countries we source from. We pay above Fair Trade pricing for our cacao, coffee, and other ingredients, and the money goes directly into the hands of the communities. For example, ChocoSol pays approximately US$2.50 more per kilogram of cacao than the FairTrade minimum price.
What is the date printed on my chocolate bar package?
We use the Julian (or ordinal) date system: yyddd. The 5-digit number you see printed directly on your package or on a white sticker refers to the production date of your chocolate or product. The first two digits refer to the year of production and the final three digits refer to the numerical day of the year (ex. 123rd day of the year).
What is the best-before time for your chocolate?
If stored at cool, consistent temperatures, our chocolates are shelf-stable with a recommended best before of 1 year after production.
Do note that after time or if exposed to temperature fluctuations (i.e. melting and cooling), your chocolate may begin to bloom (become cloudy, streaky, and rougher in texture) as the cacao fats and solids naturally separate. The chocolate is still perfectly safe to eat, though you may enjoy it best by melting, cooking, baking, or blending into drinks.
Help! My chocolate melted!
Chocolate is best stored dry and cool, like a dark cupboard or pantry. Try to avoid humidity and condensation! Our chocolate can be refrigerated in a sealed container as well - you’ll definitely want to take it out 1-2 hours before indulging to let it come back to room temperature. If there is white discolouration/film on your chocolate, do not fear! This chocolate is not stale or spoiled, it has simply lost its temper (crystallization) but is completely safe to eat! Some of our favourite ways to use bloomed chocolate is to blend it into hot or iced drinking chocolate, melt & drizzle on top of pancakes, cakes or ice cream!
What does "omnidegradable" mean and where should I dispose of the bag?
Can I still buy the 10-bar case of chocolate bars?
