To'ak: From Rare Ecuadorean Cacao into Luxury Chocolate

To’ak Co-founder Carl Schweizer, Co-founder Dennise Valencia & Cacao Growers — Co-founder Carl Schweizer, Co-founder Dennise Valencia & Cacao Growers photo credit To'ak

After Carl Schweizer finished his bachelor study of Graphic Design and Communication in Quito, he went to work with like-minded clients and did volunteer work that aligned with his values. But it was a chance encounter with a fellow volunteer that led to the creation of To’ak. Shares Schweizer, “Dennise Valencia was finishing her Bachelor of Local Sustainable Development and was also volunteering for the Movement of Social and Solidary Economy in Ecuador. She met Jerry Toth at the doorstep of an NGO that protects mangroves at the coast of Ecuador. The door didn’t open, and Jerry dropped some papers. They started to chat and realized that they had many interests in common. In the afternoon the three of us met for a coffee.”

From Coffee to Cacao

Recounts Schweizer, “Jerry shared his story of founding the not-for-profit Third Millennium Alliance (TMA) and the reserve in 2007, his passion for cacao, and that with the inheritance of his grandfather he would like to found a chocolate brand. He envisioned the ‘iPod of chocolate’, a product of great quality, positive social and environmental impact and great design. We became a passionate team overnight, started our research and a few months later we agreed to be partners.”

Cacao & Collaboration

TMA became an important collaborator for To’ak (whose name reflects words for “earth” and “tree” from two Indigenous Ecuadorean languages). TMA focused on forest regeneration while protecting and restoring the most endangered rainforest on earth and managing the Jama-Coaque Ecological Reserve.

Shares Schweizer, “When Dennise and I met Jerry, he already had an extensive network of cacao growers and related experts throughout the country,” addding, “One of his contacts finally pointed us to a hidden valley in the backcountry of the Manabi province at the coast of Ecuador.”

Visiting there proved fortuitous. This region held some of the last surviving trees of 100% pure Nacional cacao, whose lineage links to domesticated cacao trees from 5,300 years ago. Famous for its flavor complexity plus floral aroma, growers can sell their regenerative dry Nacional cacao for approximately $7,300 per metric ton—more than twice the global median price for most cacao.

“It was almost extinct when we started our research,” Schweizer says. “We wanted to find this culinary treasure, considered it a heritage to humanity, and wanted to preserve and make chocolate with it. So, we went there and spent time with [the cacao growers].

“If you’re open, honest and keep your word you gain the trust of these people over time and a strong relationship is what growers in that region value the most. We made it together through the ups and downs, and mutual respect and friendship still hold us together.”

Cultivating Nacional Cacao

To’ak’s founders emphasize the importance of purchasing craft bean to bar and indigenous chocolate that has no link to deforestation, because more land is deforested for chocolate than for dairy, coffee, palm oil, soy, and sugar cane, combined.

But, early on, these Nacional cacao growers started to embrace the idea of having something exceptionally valuable developing on their land. Their agricultural practices actively help regenerate biodiversity disrupted by land clearing, slash-and-burn or commercial agriculture, and mono-cropping.

These growers also receive frequent training and support to improve their agricultural practices, increase yields, and preserve their natural environment while planting shade-grown cacao on previously cleared land. Their wages are three to eight times larger than Fair Trade wages and they have become ambassadors in Ecuador for the company’s work around preservation.

To’ak’s partnership with TMA affords endless benefits, too, Schweizer says. “We have a very professional partner to work with, on conservation and regeneration. We built the genetic bank of the Ecuadorian Nacional cacao variety in the reserve because To’ak doesn’t own land and the team at TMA has all the experience and the network to do something like that properly.

“We identified the potential for super-premium cacao but TMA super-charged all of it, including the social impact aspect. And they can execute and scale it in ways To’ak would never have been able to, on its own. On the cacao side of things, and it’s relation to the social and environmental impact side of it, we’ve become one big team.”

Multifaceted Operations

Head of chocolate quality and a self-proclaimed perfectionist, Schweizer says he has created and evolved To’ak luxury branding and identity as the company grows and develops. “I love learning about and exploring the endless realms of flavors the natural world offers, even beyond cacao and chocolate,” Schweizer says. “To’ak is a very interesting place to explore our passions. It’s fertile ground for innovation and change.”

Exceptional packaging artwork resulted from the company’s national competition which identified eight up and coming Ecuadorean artists. “They tasted each edition of the Alchemy collection and then picked their favorite and turned their tasting experience into a piece of art that we also make available on our website as fine art prints,” Schweizer says. “And we share 50% of the profit from every fine art print with the artists as a way to further support their work.”

Aging To’ak Chocolate

Palo Santo wood Copyright ©️ 2021 by To'ak International Inc.

Aging plays a significant role in creating To’ak chocolate. “We do most chocolate aging in a whisky-maker kind of approach, where the vessel contributes most additional flavor notes,” Schweizer says. “Think of whisky aged in an ex-Chardonnay cask that obtains some of the apricot, pineapple, vanilla and oak notes from the wood, and the spirit that previously aged in it. We do the same thing, with chocolate.

“There is also the oxygen-aging approach, where chocolate compounds evolve over time by reacting with oxygen. It’s like letting a bottle of Pinot Noir age several years until it reaches its peak profile, thanks to the constant evolution this small amount of oxygen has generated while trapped inside the bottle, since it was originally sealed. Our 100% bars are a good example of this. Some, we have aged for years.” Read more about the barrel aging chocolate phenomenon.

Creating the World’s Most Prized Chocolate

Tasting Nacional cacao is not like tasting chocolate. “When it comes to the visual aspect of a cacao bean, think about a lychee,” Schweizer says.

“You would enjoy the pulp around the bean, which tastes like a tropical fruit bowl with the sweetness of a mango and the acidity of tamarind, but at the same time it’s not comparable. It’s simply delicious. You can also enjoy it as a juice. The bean that’s left in your mouth, when all the pulp is gone, is the actual cacao bean that we use to make chocolate.”

To’ak creates the ‘world’s most expensive chocolate,’ priced from $16 to $490 USD. “Once it was clear that a luxury approach was the strategy we considered, for To’ak, I envisioned a very bespoke brand,” Schweizer says.

“Our customers are foodies, fine goods connoisseurs (whisky, wine, cheese, cigars, etc.), and mid- to high-income individuals who look for something authentic and special, often for a gift, but also for their own indulgence. Most of our [current] customers are in the U.S., followed by Europe and Asia. Our high cost is the best way we have identified – so far – to make our whole undertaking viable.”

Looking Ahead

Celebrating a decade of operation this year, To’ak anticipates exploring production of more affordable products as well as more elaborate ones. “We plan to launch a new, more affordable collection, reach more people in more countries, and grow corporate gifting,” Schweizer says. “We will also expand our social and environmental impact dramatically, including a pioneering biodoversity-purchase model for cacao growers.

“What is the price of a rare and exceptional whisky with a truly unique story? Or the price of a unique piece of art? Usually there is no limit. It comes down to building a community of people who value what you have to offer and support your vision. The simplest way to support us is by enjoying our chocolate. It’s as easy as that.”