a little about us ...
We Make Bean-to-Bar Chocolate
We're Dandelion, a bean-to-bar chocolate maker in San Francisco's Mission District. For over ten years, we've been turning cocoa beans and organic sugar into single-origin dark chocolate. We’re part of the New American Chocolate Movement of small-scale chocolate makers building specialized machines and rethinking chocolate-making practices to reclaim the depth of flavor in chocolate. As a bean-to-bar maker, we first source our own beans, then sort, roast, crack, winnow, melange, temper, and mold each bar we make.
Just Two Ingredients.
That’s All.
Our chocolate bars are made of just two ingredients, cocoa beans and organic cane sugar, so that the quality and flavor nuances of the beans shine. We don’t add cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla, flavorings, or preservatives. With a light hand and minimalist approach, we aim to highlight different cocoa origins' distinctive flavor notes — from classic fudge to tangy fruit.
We Visit Each Origin to Build
Lasting Relationships
When sourcing cocoa beans, we look for good flavor and good people. Building trust is at the heart of what we do, and relationships are reciprocal. In addition to seeking flavorful cocoa, we’re also interested in what our cocoa producers need from us — feedback on a new fermentation process, upfront capital to offset a bad season, or connections to other chocolate makers to grow business. Each year we publish the stories, numbers, and practices of our producers in our annual Sourcing Report.
We Visit Each Origin
to Build Lasting
Relationships
When we look for cocoa beans, we look for good flavor and good people. Building trust is at the heart of what we do, and relationships are reciprocal. In addition to looking for good cocoa, we’re also interested in what our cocoa producers need from us — feedback on a new fermentation process, upfront capital to offset a bad season, or connections to other chocolate makers to grow business. Each year we publish the stories, numbers, and practices of our producers in our annual Sourcing Report.
We Work With Collaborators &
Chocolatiers Worldwide
While chocolate makers produce chocolate from cocoa beans, chocolatiers use finished chocolate to create truffles, bonbons, candy, and confections. Since we don’t add emulsifiers or extra cocoa butter to our chocolate, working with it requires extra time and attention. As a result, making truffles or chocolate-covered cocoa nibs with our chocolate can be especially challenging. Our collaborators remain undaunted, inventing new recipes and products each year. We celebrate their talents and share these crafted treats with you.
See Our Chocolate Making in
San Francisco
If you’re in San Francisco, we invite you to stop by our café and factory in the Mission District to sip hot chocolate and watch our chocolate makers turn cocoa beans into chocolate bars.
Join Us Virtually or in Person, and Experience Chocolate From a New Perspective
Our expert Chocolate Educators share their perspectives on tasting single-origin chocolate, making chocolate and truffles, and savoring chocolate in new ways. Our public and private classes are available for individuals, families, and group events.