Sale price Price $11 Regular price

Zorzal Comunitario

Dominican Republic

70 2022

Dandelion Chocolate

Tasting notes: chocolate-covered cherries, fresh milk, and black tea

These cocoa beans come from a collection of farms surrounding Reserva Zorzal, a bird sanctuary perched on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. The sanctuary protects Bicknell’s thrush, an endangered bird that migrates all the way from Vermont to winter in the Dominican Republic each year. Sales of cocoa produced on and around the sanctuary fund the Reserve’s conservation efforts.

We share this cocoa with our Dandelion Japan team. We are thrilled to explore the flavor potential of these beans, while supporting the reserve’s mission. Trevor opts for a light roast to preserve fruity, herbaceous notes characteristic of Zorzal Comunitario cocoa.

Ingredients & Allergens
All of our single-origin chocolate is made with just cocoa beans and sugar; no added cocoa butter, lecithin, or vanilla. Our chocolate is free of soy, dairy, eggs, and gluten, and it is made in a factory that does not process nuts.
Weight
2 oz (56 g)
Learn More
Learn more about our cocoa beans and sugar — the region, the farms, and the producers.
Kosher icon

Kosher

Gluten free icon

Gluten
Free

Nut free icon

Nut Free

Vegan icon

Vegan

Direct sourced icon

Direct
Sourced

Kosher icon

Two
Ingredients

+

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About Zorzal Estate, Dominican Republic

Reserva Zorzal is a 1,019-acre organic cacao farm and bird sanctuary located in a moist, broadleaf-rainforest region of the northern Dominican Republic. Charles (Chuck) Kerchner co-founded Reserva Zorzal and Zorzal Cacao (a.k.a. Cacao del Bosque S.R.L) in 2012, hoping to prove that a for-profit business could be a viable, economically sustainable driver of environmental conservation.

Chuck and his co-founders (Jamie Phillips, Jesus Moreno, Jaimie Moreno, Angelica Moreno, and Sesar Rodriguez) bought a relatively undeveloped 412-hectare (1000-acre) piece of land in the mountains of the Duarte Province. They divided it into Reserva Zorzal (the bird sanctuary) and Zorzal Estate (the farm) to protect a critical habitat and simultaneously grow high-quality cacao. While Zorzal Cacao processes and sells estate-grown cacao under the name “Zorzal Estate,” the company also buys freshly harvested beans from neighboring farms, ferments them, and sells them, under the name “Zorzal Comunitario.”

Unlike many origins where we source beans, the Dominican Republic has a thriving national cocoa industry, and Chuck supports and retains staff through continual education. When travel is possible, Dandelion runs annual customer trips to visit Zorzal and the Zorzal team.