Praline bowls from Laderach and others

In the home of the noble beans

If you want to make the best chocolate, you must first look for the best cocoa. And you can find that by traveling to the cocoa farmers in the growing areas. Recently, I met people from our chocolate family who I did not know yet. They live on Trinidad, a tropical island off the coast of Venezuela, and they share our passion: to make chocolate that is one of the best in the world.
In the center of the island, in the lush green hills of Montserrat, Jude Leesam showed me and my sons John and David all his pride: cocoa trees of the noble Trinitario, which grow here in the protective shade of banana trees and cedars. For some time now, Trinidads inhabitants have returned to their long-standing tradition and are once again enthusiastic about cocoa, and they are unique: fruity, earthy and strong is the cocoa from the Montserrat Hills, with aromas of vanilla, blackcurrant and black tea. Jude Leesam is one of 44 cocoa farmers on Trinidad from whom we source our beans. They are all family businesses that have joined forces to form a cooperative. They supply Läderach, but for us they are not just suppliers. We count them among our worldwide chocolate family, in whom we trust and for whom we want to take responsibility. Because the business with cocoa is not a perfect world, and not in all growing areas, the social conditions are as good as on Trinidad. So whenever possible we do not buy our beans from middlemen. We prefer to conclude long-term contracts with local people whom we know personally. With people who do not think in short periods, but in generations. Like us. Läderach is a family business out of conviction, and deeply rooted in the heart of Switzerland. My grandfather ran a bakery in the canton of Glarus from 1926, my father, the first chocolatier, started here in 1962 with the production of pralines and confectionery. I myself - and my children - grew up with the company and its development. With the help of people like Jude Leesam, Läderach now brings something new to the market: Pure Grand Cru chocolates made from the finest cocoa that grows on Trinidad. Or in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Brazil and Madagascar. Because not only the variety, but also the origin characterizes the taste: The climate, the air, the soil, the so-called terroir, have an effect on the aroma. And of course, every terroir includes the people who live there and their special cocoa tradition. Why are we bringing a Grand Cru line to the chocolate shops right now? Simple: Because we believe that we are ready now. For four years, we have been producing our chocolate from A to Z ourselves in the Glarusian town of Bilten. With the construction of our own chocolate factory, we wanted to gain control over every step - preferably from the cocoa tree to the shop counter. We learned a lot during that time. In the meantime we know exactly what we are looking for in the growing areas: on the one hand, for suitable cocoa varieties of the highest quality, on the other hand for people who fit in our chocolate family. Because they are reliable and think sustainably. And because they know how to grow the cocoa properly, ferment and dry before shipping the beans to us. Thats how we create something new together. The Rainforest Alliance environmental organization we work with helps farmers improve cocoa quality, generate higher incomes, and protect the environment. Its like in every family: everyone learns from each other, everyone contributes. During our trip, my sons and I met many people we were allowed to hear about. Enthusiastic cocoa farmers, but also scientists from the Cocoa Research Center on Trinidad, the world leader. And an architect who creates such wonderful chocolates with simple means that she is considered the chocolate queen of the Caribbean. Cocoa is much more than a raw material. Behind every good chocolate is people, families or entire villages with their stories. And we will tell you some of these stories from our big chocolate family in the future.

cocoa