Definite Chocolate en Makaya Chocolat creëren een grensoverschrijdende chocoladecollectie

Vorig jaar is een nieuwe reeks pralines op het toneel verschenen, gecreëerd door Makaya Chocolat uit Haïti en Definite Chocolate uit de Dominicaanse Republiek (DR).

De twee bedrijven hebben deelgenomen aan het “Cocoa/Chocolate Binational Value Chain Project” dat gericht is op de verbetering van het concurrentievermogen van bedrijven in Haïti en de DR die in de cacaosector actief zijn.

Meester-chocolatiers Ralph Leroy (MAKAYA) en Jens Kamin (Definite Chocolate) ontmoetten elkaar tijdens een door Caribbean Export georganiseerde missie om de uitwisseling van ideeën en beste praktijken tussen mensen uit de sector te vergemakkelijken. Na verschillende virtuele uitwerkingsbijeenkomsten in februari en maart 2022 kwamen deze meesterchocolatiers in mei 2022 persoonlijk bijeen in het laboratorium van Definite Chocolate om hun gezamenlijke recept af te ronden en hun knowhow te delen; van de selectie van de cacaopeulen tot het temperen van de korrels, het roosteren en het verstandig mengen van de ganache.

Samen creëerden ze een chocoladecollectie die de geschiedenis van cacao uit beide landen combineert, terwijl ze recepten gebruiken die biologische inheemse ingrediënten, zoals koffie, cashewnoten en pinda’s, en gemeenschappelijke tradities benadrukken.

Dit initiatief werd gefinancierd door de Europese Unie en uitgevoerd in samenwerking met de Haiti Jazz Foundation en Caracoli via hun gastronomische component van de Binationale Culturele Dialoog.

De collectie werd op 9 juli 2022 door de twee chocolatiers gepresenteerd tijdens het “2e Dominicaanse Chocoladefestival” dat in Santo Domingo werd gehouden in het winkelcentrum Ágora Mall. De lancering was een doorslaand succes dat duizenden mensen aantrok en het potentieel van binationale samenwerking en coproductie liet zien.

Deze speciale collectie werd ook gepresenteerd op de Salon du Chocolat Show in Parijs, Frankrijk, in oktober 2022, als onderdeel van de promotie-inspanningen van deze Binationale Cacao-/Cocoladewaardeketen. De internationale aandacht en de acceptatie door het publiek was vrij groot, waardoor de collectie uitverkocht raakte.

De co-creatie van een Binationale chocoladecollectie tussen een Haïtiaans en een Dominicaans bedrijf is de eerste in zijn soort. De twee landen delen hetzelfde landoppervlak van het eiland Hispaniola, dat de inheemse naam “Quisqueya” draagt en in de Taíno taal “moeder van alle landen” zou betekenen. De drie chocoladerepen in deze collectie zijn geïnspireerd op de namen van de stamhoofden (caciques) van de eilanden die heersten over de vijf chiefdoms (cacicazgos) die nu cacaoproducerende provincies zijn:

Guacana, geïnspireerd op Guacanagaríx, opperhoofd van Marien (Noord-Haïti en Noordwest DR): een chocolade verrijkt met een snuifje koffie uit onze bergen.

Guario, geïnspireerd op Guarionex, opperhoofd van Magua (centrale regio van het eiland): een chocolade gevuld met pindaganache.

Caya, genoemd naar het opperhoofd Cayacao, uit de cacicazgo van Higüey (een ander deel van het eiland dat cacao produceert, in de oostelijke punt): een heerlijk geparfumeerde chocolade met cashewnoten en verrijkt met stukjes noot.

Vereniging van ambachtslieden Ciudad Corazon

COUNTRY:

Dominican Republic

COMPANY PROFILE:

The Association of Artisans Ciudad Corazón aims to increase the participation of artisans in the productive sector. The association aims to achieve comprehensive development that manifests in improving the standard of living and consolidating the artisanal activity as a generator of better jobs and higher incomes.

PRODUCTS:

MARCHANTAS DOMINICANAS – are made with a clay base, clothed in different fabrics, and the head is adorned with a cane hat or turbans, cane wallets and provisions such as fruits, made with mud, coffee seeds, cane brooms, and miniature baskets. They can be used for home decoration, as a souvenir and as a paper step. The marcher represents the Dominican culture. It is a home service that peasant women provided (brought to the door of their home) – a marketable product, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and some household items.

Fatima Polanco 3 Stijlen SRL

WEBSITE:

https://Fatimapolanco.com

COUNTRY:

Dominican Republic

COMPANY PROFILE:

3 Estilos is a store that basically sells handmade accessories made by artisan women. The company offers personalized accessories for wholesale clients on a contractual basis and provides design training to artisans.

PRODUCTS:

Fatima Polanco 3 Estilos SRL designs and manufactures handmade accessories utilizing multiple materials and different techniques. The hand-embroidered accessories are made with natural gemstones (especially our Larimar and Amber Dominican stone, and pearls), semi-precious stones and other different components. The company offers personalized advisory in the choice and design of accessories for weddings and special celebrations.

Caribische Ambachten

WEBSITE:

https://www.caribbean-craft.com/

COUNTRY:

Haiti:

COMPANY PROFILE:

Caribbean Craft is dedicated to promoting through exports the beauty of Haiti. We focus on sharing with the world the creative and positive aspects of our country by showcasing the beautiful craftmanship of our country’s artisans. As a centre of artistic creativity and inventiveness, Haiti is exemplified by the vibrant traditions and continuation of self-taught painting with colorful style and lines.

Caribbean Craft strives to find ecological uses for recycled material.
The renowned “oil drum art” is made from recycled steel drums;
the trendy papier maché comes from empty cement bags and starch made from locally grown arrowroot.

PRODUCTS:

Caribbean Craft designs beautiful goods from recycled material to make your home uniquely enjoyable. Inspired greatly by nature our collections light up your interior, bringing it to life.
Preserving our cultural heritage Caribbean Craft shares with the world our rich culture letting our artisans design contemporary and modern pieces drawing from our ancient and traditional techniques.

Proagro Dominicana, EIRL

WEBSITE:

http://www.proagrodominicana.com

COUNTRY:

Dominican Republic

COMPANY PROFILE:

PROAGRO DOMINICANA, EIRL located in Santo Domingo Oeste, Dominican Republic was incorporated since 2005. The small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) is dedicated to the production of 100% natural dairy powder preparations with a staff experienced in the management of agribusinesses. The company’s packaging plant ensures that the product is transformed in a controlled environment and the high-tech equipment and machinery processes the product in an automated manner.

PRODUCTS:

PROAGRO DOMINICANA, EIRL’s product line includes:

  • Prepared fortified dairy powder made with Dominican cocoa for schools (breakfast) and private brands supermarket chains
  • Organic bitter cocoa for private brands supermarket chains
  • Instant mix of milk plus organic cocoa under the brand La Criollita for local market and export to Russia and USA and
  • La Criollita chocolate for the preparation of hot and cold drinks.

Geo Wiener SA/Cafe Selecto

COUNTRY:

Haiti

COMPANY PROFILE:

GEO WIENER SA/CAFE SELECTO is a 4th generation family business specializing in coffee/cocoa export and processing. The company also produces peanut butter and chocolate for the local market.

PRODUCTS:

The company’s products include:
• Roasted coffee: cafe selecto, cafe towo
• Roasted and flavored coffee: mokafe
• Peanut butter: towo
• Chocolate: azaka and choko towo
• Sirop de grenadine
• Essence de vanille”

Recursos Globales, SRL

Website:

http://cocoamae.com

Country:

Dominican Republic

Company Profile:

Recursos Globales, SRL is a family-owned business established in 1994. Since 2004 the company has exported fruits and vegetables to Canada, Europe, United States and Japan. The firm’s products can be found in most supermarkets in the Dominican Republic (DR) and the company would like to export to other Caribbean islands as well.

Recursos Globales, SRL has been in the cocoa sector for a long time and has recently created a new product – Organic cocoa powder and nibs, to give the Dominican and Caribbean consumers the opportunity to have a pure, organic, cocoa product, without additives or sugar. The company also wanted to debunk break the myth that if the product is organic then it is expensive.

Products:

The cocoa products produce by Recursos Globales, SRL include Organic cocoa powder tariff code: 1805.0000 and Organic cocoa nibs tariff code: 1801.0000.

ODEFCAGA (Organisation pour le Développement de la Filière Cacao de la Grand’ Anse)

Country:

Haiti

COMPANY PROFILE:

ODEFCAGA is a legally registered association with the Social Affairs and Labor Ministry of Haiti with six cocoa cooperatives, totalling 2,500 producers, 60% of whom are women. ODEFCAGA’s main focus is the production and export of high-end fermented cocoa beans and each of the cooperatives has a fermentation center. ODEFCAGA is governed by an eleven-member board supported by a five-member executive committee that oversees the day-to-day management and operations of the organization.”

The objective of the association is to strengthen the cocoa value chain in the Grand ‘Anse. ODEFCAGA therefore provides experts who train and provide technical support to actors and stakeholders of the cocoa value chain. Members have benefited from various trainings in; cocoa production, cocoa processing (chocolate production), business management, marketing, access to credit etc…”

One cooperative has already obtained organic certification while ODEFCAGA aims to achieve the same labeling for all six member cooperatives. To create jobs and diversify revenue sources for women cooperative members, ODEFCAGA is currently finalizing the construction of a chocolate workshop in Jérémie, the capital city of the Grand’Anse, where conventional cocoa will soon be processed into chocolate bars.

PRODUCTS:

ODEFCAGA’s focus is the production and export of high-end fermented cocoa beans.

Fédération des Coopératives Cacaoyères du Nord (FECCANO)

COUNTRY:

Haiti

COMPANY PROFILE:

Fédération des Coopératives Cacaoyères du Nord (FECCANO) is a fair-trade cocoa cooperative founded in 2001 and located in the North Department of Haiti. FECCANO consists of a network of eight cooperatives of small producers and specializes in the treatment and the marketing of cocoa beans.

The cooperative treat and market products (cocoa trees) from the members of the farmers cooperatives of the North Region to produce good quality cocoa for export worldwide to the most demanding importers such as France, USA etc. FECCANO business model is to ensure economic stability and prosperity for all partners in the supply chain and help improve the lives and cocoa farms of small holders. Some of the activities include market research, storage, and shipping to ensure the highest industry standards.

PRODUCTS:

FECCANO products include fermented cocoa beans certified to bio and fair-trade standards. The average annual production is currently estimated at 300 tons (12 containers), with an annual growth rate of approximately 20%.

Savons Des Iles

WEBSITE:

https://www.savonsdesiles.com

COUNTRY:

Haiti

COMPANY PROFILE:

Savons des Iles is a small woman-owned company which manufactures handmade and natural soaps for the pleasure of a clean bath experience to all its clients. At Savons Des Iles each bar is made, cut, and wrapped by hand. In addition to soap, the company offers other handmade products such as: salt and sugar scrubs, bath salts, lotions, odor neutralizers, candles, deodorants, etc.

Savons des Iles makes soaps using the slow cold process method, which means no external heat is used so the goodness of the natural ingredients are preserved as much as possible. All other products are also made with vegetable oils, naturals clays and additives and the raw materials are supplied from reputable vendors. Also, the organic ingredients purchased are not tested on animals. Savons des Iles products are available on the website: www.savonsdesiles.com and at a local Store in Pétion Ville.

PRODUCTS:

Savons des Iles most popular facial and body bars are our Black, Oats and Milk, Citronelle soaps. The Black Soap – HS No 340111- contains activated charcoal, hence its color, and renowned bentonite clay, oils to form the base, and rich butters. The soap has a wonderful blend of essential oils. It is full of skin-loving ingredients and the stellar ingredient is Organic Haitian Castor Oil. This bar is free of sulfates, synthetic colors, parabens and Triclosan.

Angel Touch

COUNTRY:

Haiti

WEBSITE:

http://www.angeltouch-beauty.com

COMPANY PROFILE:

Angel Touch was established in 2016 in Nathania Dominique’s (owner) kitchen with the purpose of helping others by crafting unique formulas. Today Angel Touch is a small cosmetics atelier specializing in the manufacture of skin, hair and body care products for women and men 25-60 years of age. Through its meticulously formulated creations, Angel Touch aims to trigger a unique sensorial and spiritual experience for its enthusiastic devotees, contributing to their well-being by connecting them to a range of positive emotions.

Over the years the company has created a complementary line of products consisting of aromatic candles, air & linen fresheners and diffusers. In its quest to provide a holistic experience of wellness, Angel Touch has developed the concept of the Wellness Café which combines healthy eating, a spiritual cocoon and the zen creativeness of its personal care product line. More than a company, Angel Touch is a lifestyle.

PRODUCTS:

Angel Touch’s main products are body lotion, body scrub, body oil, body wash, body soap, shampoo and conditioner, hand soap, facial scrub, tanning oil, face oil, hair oil and face serum.

Laboratorio Capilo Español, SRL

COUNTRY:

Dominican Republic

WEBSITE:

http://www.labcapilo.com

COMPANY PROFILE:

Laboratorio Capilo Español, SRL manufactures of hair care products and oils for body and hair care. The oils are a blend of the natural oil and mineral oil or soybean oil (both bought from local suppliers).

PRODUCTS:

Laboratorio Capilo Español, SRL’s products include, shampoo, conditioners, hair treatments, relaxers, and oils.