85% PISA
With half the amount of sweetener as its 70% dark little cousin, this extra dark bar is still miraculously not nearly bitter in the way we might expect from an 85% dark chocolate bar.
And still, as in all our bars, there are only two ingredients: organic cacao, organic unrefined sweetener (raw Colombian sugarcane, aka panela, in this case). No lecithins/emulsifiers, no gums, no flavors or extracts, no added cocoa butter, no milk fat (*gasping at the thought*), and as our grandmother often told us, no shenanigans.
Just high-quality, single-origin cacao, gently caressed with the splash of sweetener that reveals its radiantly full-bodied flavor.
Did we mention this bar tastes kinda like a chocolate-covered blueberry?
Organic Haitian cacao, organic cane sugar.
Made in a fully vegan, gluten-free facility powered by 100% renewable wind energy.
PISA, or Produits Des Iles SA, is at the forefront of transforming the cacao processing and export landscape in Haiti. Before PISA stepped in, the norm in Haiti was for large exporters to buy unfermented, dried, low-grade cocoa from smallholder farmers at prices that didn't meet even the commodity market standards. This all changed in 2013 when PISA introduced a centralized processing facility, the first of its kind in Haiti, marking a significant shift in the country's cacao production.
Their vision was inspired by Haiti's neighbor, the Dominican Republic, known for its high-quality organic cacao. Under the guidance of Aline Etlicher and Fenise Pierre Antoine, PISA set out to mirror this success in Haiti. Their approach is inclusive, working with over 1,000 organic-certified smallholder producers, including 495 female producers in 2022 – a standout figure among a traditionally male-dominated industry. They buy wet cacao directly from these farmers at premium prices, process it centrally to enhance its quality, and then sell it as a superior product in the specialty cacao market.
PISA also played a pivotal role in establishing APROCANO, a producer association that oversees technical assistance and certification programs. Despite the considerable political and social upheavals in Haiti, especially in 2022, PISA persists in its remarkable mission to deliver top-notch organic Haitian beans to the craft chocolate market. Their cacao continually stands out, with a flavor profile that spans notes of classic chocolate, to almond butter, blackberries, blueberries and vanilla cream. We also love to note, thanks to the wonderful annual transparency reports from our sourcing partner Uncommon Cacao, that 95% of the central fermentation facility’s power is sourced from renewable solar.
