Taza Chocolate

Taza Chocolate is a relatively new brand on the chocolate market.  The company is based in Massachusetts and makes stone ground chocolate which is offers in a variety of flavors/configurations.  The stone ground chocolate is made using the method of traditional Mexican stone ground chocolate.

Taza's chocolate is unique - but so is the whole company from the products to their packaging.  The company makes a very distinct organic stone ground chocolate it sells in the form of a small disc.  The disc chocolate is sold in beautifully simple packaging that resembles wax paper in form.

The packaging for Taza's chocolate discs is so simple it makes it unique and it stands out on store shelves from a distance.  People are intrigued and want to know what the product is - its a very successful form of packaging.

Taza uses post-consumer recycled materials for its packaging whenever possible and all of their packaging and shipping supplies are 100% recyclable.

The company was founded by Alex Whitmore and Larry Slotnick (of Zipcar fame) with a simple goal make wonderful minimally processed chocolate in the Mexican stone ground style.

The chocolate is delicious.  Larry sent me some samples to try and boy is it good.  If you've never had stone ground chocolate its a totally different experience.  The chocolate looks like any other chocolate but its taste and texture is where it really shines.  The texture of Taza Chocolate in your mouth is initially almost gritty but has it develops it turns into a wonderfully pure and rich chocolate experience.

I especially liked their latest Chocolate Mexicano Stone Ground Chocolate with Guajillo Chili. 

A number of companies are combing chocolate with chilies but none are doing what Taza did with this combination.  The chocolate is warm and satisfying in the mouth with a slight hint of the Guajillo Chili its like a fine wine - the flavors are perfectly balanced.  A fine wine is a good analogy for Taza's Chocolates - their experience in chocolate making from Alex is akin to a french wine's master wine maker - that kind of talent sets the product aside from the rest.

Taza Chocolates are available directly from the company or a wide range of specialty food retailers across the country including Whole Foods Market.  I'd recommend checking their products out - in addition to the new Chili blend, my favorite is the Chocolate Mexicano with vanilla bean.