Guatemala chocolate maker Carlos Eichenberger of Danta Chocolate produces some of the best chocolate I’ve tasted. And if the feedback I’ve received from my customers is any indication, it’s not just me. His bars have a level of depth and complexity rarely found in foods other than the finest wines and cheeses; they have obvious terroir.
Carlos sources his beans from two of Guatemala’s top plantations and in his processing pulls magnificent flavors from the already excellent cacao.
I’m honored to have the opportunity to interview Carlos–perhaps to learn a few secrets–certainly to learn about passion, persistence, and the art of the artisan chocolate maker.
Rich: How did you get interested in bean-to-bar chocolate production and how did you get started?
Carlos: I got interested in bean-to-bar chocolate production when an industry insider told me I was insane to attempt to make my own chocolate at -gasp- home! Only after I discovered John Nanci’s site Chocolate Alchemy (www.chocolatealchemy.com) did I find out that it wasn’t only feasible, it was a relatively simple process. Additionally, the fact that I live in Guatemala, arguably one of the first if not the first place to domesticate cocoa production, made things much easier for me to get started, as the biggest obstacle for most artisan producers, the availability of good-quality, decently-priced cacao, was a given. Initially my intention was not a business endeavor — it was more for educational purposes and to give away the chocolate as holiday gifts.
I began by purchasing a small 10-lb Santha grinder/refiner and peripheral equipment from Chocolate Alchemy and doing the first batches in my kitchen. Once I tasted success in the form of some delicious 70% pure cacao chocolate (no added vanilla, lecithin or cocoa butter) made with beans bought at a local market, and received many requests to purchase it, I converted a spare room in my home for production. Since then I work exclusively with two of Guatemala’s top cacao plantations, Finca Las Acacias and Finca Los Ujuxtes (pronounced “los oo-hoosh-tays”). Acceptance was pretty much immediate and all of my initial batches sold out very quickly. This gave me the encouragement to make a larger investment, and start construction on a dedicated production and sales facility, which became operational in October.
What makes your chocolate so remarkably complex? I’ve had many excellent chocolates, but Danta’s bars have uncommon depth.
I honestly don’t think it’s anything I do with the chocolate, but rather the cacao itself. I’m convinced that most of the highly coveted Venezuelan Criollo strains came originally from southern Mexico and Guatemala, in particular [the] Porcelana [strain]. This is all very well documented in Sophie and Michael Coe’s The True History of Chocolate. Even though in modern times many strains of higher-yielding and less prone to disease foreign cacao have been introduced to Guatemala, there is still a very strong Criollo component which shines through in the finished chocolate as those very complex nuances you mention.
Another possibility for this level of complexity -absent in mass-produced chocolate-could be in the roast profiles that I use, which can be best described as minimalist. Normally I roast the beans only until a light “baking brownie” smell starts emanating; the second indicator is when the husk comes off easily from the roasted bean. The roast then gets stopped immediately and the cooling process started. I try to avoid over-roasting as that is exactly what normally drives off the complex aromas and flavors and leaves only a “pure chocolate” taste.
Finally, I credit the use of plantation-specific cocoa butter. Most chocolate manufacturers use deodorized cocoa butter in their chocolate, as it’s much less expensive than having to press butter from each origin. The problem with this is that instead of augmenting that particular cacao’s flavor, it dilutes it. In Danta’s case, I press butter from the same top-quality beans that go into the chocolate, roasted in the same minimalist manner. This showcases each plantation’s particular flavor especially well, and enhances the flavor and aroma of the beans used in the chocolate.
What’s next for Carlos Eichenberger and Danta Chocolate? Where are you going and what do you hope to get out of it all?
It is my intention to settle in this niche for a period of time, say 3 or 4 years, and once I’m comfortable the plan is to expand internationally. New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona are the targets for eventual chocolate domination.
I’m quite certain that this endeavor will be what allows me to leave my mark on the world, a legacy that lives on long after I’m gone, and something that will provide employment for a good amount of people, including the younger generation of my family.
So more than just obtaining personal fulfillment, I intend to use this as a vehicle that will contribute to the reduction of poverty and the improvement of living conditions for many families in Guatemala. This will be done by paying higher than average wages, and paying a premium for cacao which is exclusively earmarked for funding special social programs for the farm workers, among other things.
I’m a fervent believer that cacao, which once was our region’s original source of wealth and prosperity, will again come to the forefront by providing much better than just survival-level incomes, as production levels increase and our cacao once more becomes the most coveted.
Thank you so much Carlos! And best wishes with the growth of Danta Chocolate!
You’ll find information about Danta Chocolate online at www.DantaChocolate.com or in Guatemala City at
5 Avenida 6-49 Zona 14
Inside the “El Campo” parking lot
Guatemala 01014
In the United States, you can purchase Danta Chocolate directly from Dancing Lion Chocolate.