It’s Like Visiting Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, Only…

Have you ever had Taza chocolate? If not, you should. Founded and operated in our very own Somerville, Massachusetts, Taza Chocolate (after the Spanish una taza de chocolate, or a cup of chocolate) is the only stone-ground chocolatier in the United States, employing a traditional Oaxacan stone mill to process their organic cacao beans. These very beans are sourced from a cooperative in the Dominican Republic, which harvests from sustainable tree stock called La Red Guacanejo. Moreover, they use organically- and biodynamically-grown cinnamon (not cascia) and whole vanilla beans from a small Costa Rican plantation, “Villa Vanilla”.

Demonstration at Taza Chocolate location. Held in the man's hand is the actual stone used to pulverize the cacao beans to size. | Photo courtesy of flickr user snowpea&bokchoi

This unique process differs from the European chocolate-making in that there is no “conching” step, which slowly melts the chocolate to obtain the smooth texture we’re most familiar with. Instead, the stone-milling yields a gritty, raw, very pure chocolate, where you can individually detect flecks of the cacao bean, sugar, vanilla bean pod, and possibly any of the other additions they offer: guajillo chili peppers, cinnamon, coffee bits, yerba mate grinds, almonds… It’s absurdly delicious.

Lucky for you (and the reason for this post!), you can learn more about this process and experience it first hand during one of their factory tours, which have only recently become available:

Thursdays at 4pm
Fridays  at 4pm
Saturdays at 1pm and 3pm

Note: The tours require reservations and cost approximately $10, but they’re totally worth it. Samples provided… Because we all need more chocolate post-Halloween.

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