Madecasse 67% Dark Chocolate, 2.64pz (75g). Mellow and subtle. It starts off with a sweet vanilla - banana aroma. Apple and pear flavors give way to berry notes with the impression of whipped cream. It ends with a long, memorable vanilla and toffee finish. There's an amazing warm vanilla note through the whole range of tasting that sets this bar apart. Ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar and cocoa butter. TASTING NOTES



 PLANET POSITIVES:

+ Organic farming methods

+ Fair trade cacao

+ Tree-to-bar in the country of origin to maximize local economic value

PROFILE: Madecasse

Madecasse, pronounced mah-DAY-cas, has the unusual distinction of producing “tree-to-bar” chocolate right in the country of origin. Made entirely on the African island of Madagascar from fresh local ingredients, these bars take on the rich terroir of this agricultural sanctuary. Located much further south from the equator than most cocoa growing countries, they are blessed with a unique climate and growing conditions. These conditions lead to unparalleled vibrant flavors in the chocolate. Madagascar has a long heritage of patient, small-scale farming that uses only natural mulch and composts for fertilizer.

Started by two former Peace Corps volunteers, Madecasse works closely with farming cooperatives to provide access to training and equipment as well as encourage sustainable agriculture. As a result, they are expanding the market for rural farmers and providing the local economy with 4x the income of fair trade cocoa -- an important mission considering the immense beauty of the Madagascan eco-system and that this is one of the poorest nations in the world.