Craft Chilli Chocolate
We make it no secret, Chardy’s is all about chilli peppers, we adore them for their variety, their wonderful depth of flavour and that irresistible spicy heat. It’s always been a desire to explore the pandoras box of intense flavour possibilities from combining chilli peppers with our other great love, chocolate.
That led us to Kin & Co. Craft chocolate makers with a huge passion for chocolate and a touch of craziness. Their chocolate is bold and exciting, exploring unique flavour combinations whilst meticulously committed to quality and the expression of the humble coco bean. So quite simply a bunch of foodies got into a room together, and excitedly started sharing ideas and dreaming big. A collaboration founded in creativity, passion and intoxicating energy.
The chocolate we present is a direct result of this creative collaboration and it’s everything we dreamt of. We are so proud to present a range of craft chocolate that epitomises both Chardy’s and Kin & Co, bold, quirky, natural, unique and so damn tasty.
...from bean to bar
There really is a world of difference between craft chocolate and factory chocolate. In the process also known as Bean to bar a craft chocolate maker controls the entire production, taking direct responsibility for purchasing beans direct from the farmer rather than buying bulk from an agent. This not only means that the character of the bean is respected but it also ensures that the farmer receives a fair price for their crops.
We delve a little deeper in the faqs but there are many processes and shortcuts taken by factory producers to produce a consistent, homogenised product at a low price. Craft chocolate makers are at the other end of the spectrum focusing instead on quality. They don’t compete on price with the big factories in exactly the same way as a fine wine maker would never compete with a factory producing bulk wine for supermarkets. In a nutshell, on every level, craft chocolate is just better chocolate.
Chardy’s Chilli Chocolate is made from cacao beans farmed in the Sambriano Valley in Madagascar before being shipped directly to the Kin & Co. factory in Zaanse Schans.
...making chocolate
All Kin & Co. cacao beans are fermented and dried on the farm before being shipped to the Netherlands. They are then carefully roasted to develop the flavour before cracking and separating the cacao nibs from their shells.
The nibs then undergo a crucial grinding and aerating process using stone wheels known as conching to produce a silky smooth “cocoa liquor”. This process is so important and time consuming because it also neutralises the acids in the beans that produce a harsh, bitter flavour.
The liquor is then tempered, by gently heating and stirring which gives the chocolate its characteristic snap and shine.
At this point flavourings and spices are added before finally the chocolate is poured into moulds by hand to make chocolate bars.
Mole Dark Chocolate 70%
A rich dark craft chocolate made with cacao beans from the Sambriano Valley, Madagascar, combined with traditional Mexican Mole fruits, nuts and spices. Our Mole Dark Chocolate use Mulato, Pasilla, Guajillo and Ancho peppers for their wonderful earthy complexity, with Chipotle Morita for a touch of smoke and a pinch of Naga Jolokia for a, warming, kick of heat.
Chardy’s Chilli Chocolate is a “dream team” creative collaboration, between award winning chilli brand Chardy’s and passionate, craft chocolate makers Kin & Co. We are proud to present this unique chocolate. It’s a fusion of ideas and a shared love for bold exciting flavours, representing the dedication and passion of both Chardy’s and Kin & Co.
Ingrédients
cacao, sugar, cacao butter, raisins, chilli (mulato, pasilla, ancho, chipotle morita, guajillo, naga jolokia) pumpkin seeds, almonds, pepper, sesame seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, aniseed, cumin, oregano, salt
La nutrition
(per 100g)Energy 2828 kJ/676 Kcal, Fat 45g, of which saturates 44.2g, Carbohydrate 54g, of which sugar 41g, Protein 13g, Salt <0.1g
Allergens
Contains almonds et sesame seeds. Made in a facility that handles dairy and gluten.
€ 9.95
Aji Amarillo White Chocolate
Rich, decadent white chocolate is balanced with the spicy Aji Amarillo chilli pepper and a hint of toasted almonds. The wonderful Peruvian pepper is legendary for good reason, providing a complex, layered journey across the palate, as the creamy, fruity, nutty and spicy flavours evolve into a long lingering finish.
Chardy’s Chilli Chocolate is a “dream team” creative collaboration, between award winning chilli brand Chardy’s and passionate, craft chocolate makers Kin & Co. We are proud to present this unique chocolate. It’s a fusion of ideas and a shared love for bold exciting flavours, representing the dedication and passion of both Chardy’s and Kin & Co.
Ingrédients
cacao butter, buttermilk powder, beet sugar, toasted almonds, aji amarillo chilli (1%)
La nutrition
(per 100g) Energy 2300 kJ/585 Kcal, Fat 35.6g, of which saturates 21.1g, Carbohydrate 56.3g, of which sugar 48.5g, Protein 13.5g, Salt <0.1g
Allergens
Contains almonds et buttermilk powder (milk). Made in a facility that handles dairy and gluten.
€ 9.95
Notre histoire...
Nous sommes Duncan et Jeroen, un couple de gourmands, l'un originaire d'Angleterre et l'autre des Pays-Bas. Même si cela peut sembler un cliché, nous avons commencé l'aventure Chardy's plus par accident que par dessein. Tout a commencé après avoir bu quelques bouteilles de vin et décidé spontanément de faire une sauce piquante, comme vous le faites. La conversation avait porté sur le fait que les sauces piquantes existantes ne répondaient pas à toutes les attentes et nous avions eu une idée folle. Comme des scientifiques fous (légèrement ivres), nous nous sommes mis au travail.
Les résultats, quelques jours plus tard, ont été un véritable moment d'eurêka et, avec un timing inspiré, Jeroen a lancé sa phrase d'accroche : « Vous voyez, je vous l'avais bien dit, le vin est toujours la solution ».
La suite a été marquée par la pression des pairs et nous devons remercier un grand nombre de nos amis qui nous ont donné le petit coup de pied au cul dont nous avions besoin pour nous lancer. Nous les aimons et les remercions tous, car ils ont contribué à nous persuader qu'il serait tout à fait égoïste de ne pas partager notre sauce avec le monde entier ! Et nous voilà.
L'avenir est donc passionnant. Nous brûlons l'huile de minuit dans le laboratoire, travaillant sur des produits vraiment passionnants, que nous sommes impatients de partager.
Discussions en ligne
Dans les FAQ, nous essayons de répondre à certaines de vos questions les plus courantes. Si vous avez d'autres questions, ou si vous voulez passer nous voir pour une bonne tasse de thé et une discussion sur la fermentation, veuillez utiliser le formulaire ci-dessous ou nous appeler au +31 6275 22 333.
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FAQ's
Why is craft chocolate so special?
We have already touched upon this above but let’s get into a little more detail. If you look on the back of a bar of factory chocolate, apart from the long list of additives the first thing you should notice is that sugar often comes first. With a craft chocolate sugar will always come second. Sugar is infused to support the chocolate and not chocolate infused to support the sugar.
The reasons that factory chocolates use so much sugar is because they use industrial processes designed to make the chocolate more profitable, processes which reduce the flavour and require higher quantities of sugar to make the chocolate taste better. One example we have already mentioned is conching to reduce the acidity of the chocolate. This is a long and expensive process which can be shortened by washing the beans in an alkaline solution. Whilst this does bring huge savings it also washes flavour out of the beans. A craft chocolate maker would never do this because every process is not focused on profitability but quality.
Another reason is that craft chocolate makers source beans from farmers rather than agents who buy in bulk and blend beans. A blend of beans is much cheaper but also gives consistancy and this is important to factory chocolate. A craft chocolate maker works in a very different way because they let the beans, the weather, and the land define the product. In many ways chocolate can be described in terms similar to winemaking, single vintage or single estate.
Yes craft chocolate is expensive but they are very important reasons for this, the craft and attention to detail as well as supporting farmers rather than squeezing them.
Is your chocolate fairtrade?
We don’t subscribe to a fairtrade scheme quite simply because such schemes are designed to broadly regulate complex supply chains. We buy beans directly from the farmers, it’s the most simple supply chain because as a s we get to know the them and are sensitive to their needs. Our very reputation rests on a relationship of trust, ethics and mutual respect.
What additives do you use?
We actually don’t use any additives, our base chocolate is made only from four ingredients, cacao beans, beet sugar, cacao butter and with the white chocolate milk powder. Often soy lectin is often added to chocolate as an emulsifier to make it easier to move through machinery. Since all our chocolate is made by hand we don’t use need to use emulsifiers. As for some of the scary sounding additives used in the big chocolate factories, oh my god no!!
How long does it take to make a bar of chocolate?
About 3 and a half days with the majority of this time being spent in the conching process.
How long does craft chocolate keep for?
Chocolate doesn’t actually go off in the sense that it becomes dangerous to eat but the flavour like Mose products does change over time. Generally the less fat in the chocolate the longer you can keep it. We recommend up to 12 months for dark chocolate and 6 months for white chocolate.
What is blooming?
Blooming is where the fat in the chocolate separates from the cacao solids mostly because the chocolate is stored badly. There is nothing actually wrong with this, it doesn’t really affect the flavour of the chocolate but it does appear as white “blooms” on the chocolate. We recommend storing chocolate at a cool room temperature of around 20-22ºC.
Vos produits sont-ils végétaliens ?
Yes, and no. All our dark chocolates are vegan but our white chocolate contains milk solids so they are not vegan. We print on the back label when a specific chocolate is safe to eat for vegans.
Quelle est votre politique environnementale ?
We take our responsibility to the environment very seriously and implement wherever possible sustainable practices for our purchasing as well as waste management and circular practices. We always try to source ingredients locally and prefer suppliers who also work in this way. We try to find ways to use by products such as for example cacao shells by sending them to local farmers who use them for soil enhancement.
Vos produits sont-ils sans danger pour les personnes allergiques aux fruits à coque ?
Some of our chocolates contain sesame seeds and almonds and these of course should be strictly avoided by people with severe nut allergies. Some of our chocolate is nut free such as the Ghost pepper chocolate but since it is made in a facility that handles nuts it cannot be considered safe for people suffering from nut allergies.
Do you also make bon bons?
Yes, we wont give the game away but just follow is on instagram for a few announcements about this in the future.