Choba Choba couvertures

What makes Choba Choba unique?

Choba Choba is a unique cooperation between cocoa experts and chocolate entrepreneurs. The company stands out thanks to its unique business model. In 2015, Bern-based Eric, Christoph and 36 cocoa farmers from the Huayabamba Valley decided to found Choba Choba - the first Swiss chocolate brand owned by cocoa farmers. Their aim is to support the local workers, the community and the country. They work as a global team in both Peru and Switzerland in Bern and pursue common interests. Common values and visions are of great importance and are shared and represented. Here, both responsibility and ownership are shared, as are successes and failures.

Cooperation with Peruvian cocoa farmers in Huayabamba

The prices for the cocoa are also set jointly by the farmers, which prevents fluctuations and at times allows them to demand twice as much money for their harvest as would be usual and possible on the world market.

They have a say in the development of the resulting chocolates and test together with the two Swiss managing directors until the optimum ingredients for the respective beans are found. They often create dark chocolates with a high proportion of cocoa mass and little cocoa butter. The couvertures also usually have few other ingredients, such as whole milk powder or raw cane sugar, so as not to mask the natural taste of the Grand Cru chocolate. A bar of chocolate is then tested a little more extensively to create special treats. This results in milk chocolate with hazelnuts, sweet chocolate creations with the subtle scent of caramel and blossom honey or dark bars with raspberry pieces.

In addition to the broad participation in the company, the local farmers' association, to which all participating farmers belong, receives 5% of Choba Choba's turnover each year for its own projects. In this way, Choba Choba is committed to truly fair trade in the Amazon region of Peru and strengthens the influence of cocoa farmers on the market.

Thanks to this special connection, the community of cocoa farmers and the Bern-based company are able to achieve together what each individual could not. Through a wealth of knowledge and commitment, a wide range of exquisite creations are produced. The beans of all the cocoa varieties grown are then transported from the farms in the Alto Huayabamba valley to the factories. There they are processed into chocolate, packaged and then sent on. Finally, they are brought to chocolate lovers all over the world via stores and online stores.

Where is cocoa grown?

Alto Huayabamba, Peru: the birthplace, home, living and working place of the farmers. Here, the farmers work passionately every day to ensure this first-class cocoa production and ultimately to be able to offer outstanding chocolate products.
Choba Choba chocolates are made exclusively from the cocoa beans grown on their farms in the Huayabamba Valley in the Peruvian Amazon. The cocoa-growing area extends over 120 hectares of plantations, and the farms are located along the Huayabamba River around villages such as Pucallpillo and Santa Rosa. This is where the cocoa beans are cultivated, harvested, fermented and dried. So everything happens in the upper Peruvian Amazon region.
The valley is an extremely valuable area whose soil and climatic conditions are particularly well suited to cocoa cultivation. Nestled between the foothills of the Andes and the Amazon basin is the Rio Abiseo National Park, in the center of which is the Gran Pajatén archaeological site. You may be familiar with this park as it has been recognized by UNESCO as a natural and cultural heritage site, putting it on a par with Machu Picchu. There are only around forty places in the world that have received this important and, above all, double distinction. In 2016, Choba Choba was delighted to welcome UNESCO's decision to create the Gran Pajaten Biodiversity Reserve. This reserve covers an immense area of more than 2.5 million hectares. Choba Choba plays a decisive role here, as the plantations are an essential part of this unique landscape. Choba Choba is therefore committed to ensuring ecologically sustainable cocoa production. Organic certification is not mandatory, although the requirements for this would be met, it is too expensive for some farmers.

But Choba Choba's activities do not end with cocoa cultivation. They run a foundation that supports three conservation concessions covering a total of over 9,000 hectares in the buffer zone of the reserve. In this way, they will continue to actively work on nature conservation in the future.

The cocoa that Choba Choba cultivates is undoubtedly deforestation-free, but Choba Choba also contributes significantly to the protection of the Peruvian Amazon and its valuable biodiversity in other ways.

What is represented?

The most important aspect of every product and every cocoa bean is, of course, quality. From the tree to the cocoa nibs, every single step of the process is strictly monitored by Choba Choba. This is the only way to produce the excellent quality couverture from which delicious and fair creations are made. They cultivate their organic cocoa in agroforestry systems under the guidance of their own team of agronomists and in cooperation with local and international experts. Choba Choba's responsible approach also helps to preserve biodiversity, protect water quality, increase soil fertility and reduce the risk of soil erosion.

The cocoa trees are harvested here all year round, with two main seasons standing out: the main harvest from May to July and a smaller harvest in October and November. Choba Choba's value chain is vertically integrated. This means that the cocoa farming families have complete control over the quality of their cocoa beans. From the cocoa tree to the post-harvest center, all processes are transparent. By synchronizing the harvest of all their farms every 15 days, they ensure that only fully ripe cocoa reaches their fermentation and drying facilities. There, thanks to their strict protocols and continuous quality checks by employees, they guarantee that the desired fermentation processes start and end at the right time, depending on the type of cocoa.

Choba Choba chocolate at miniSchoggi

We at miniSchoggi are delighted to be the first in Switzerland to be able to offer such a high-quality couverture from a fair source. The project of the almost 40 small farms in the Huayabamba Valley and the Bern-based company is exceptional. The equality and co-creation of cocoa farmers and Swiss entrepreneurs is unique in the industry, and we are particularly happy to be a part of it in this way!
The dark couverture is extremely versatile and guarantees the excellent quality that your creations deserve. As all the cocoa beans come from the same growing region, this couverture is particularly pure. The careful processing and dedication with which the cocoa farmers harvest, select and combine the beans with other ingredients results in unique flavors and exceptional aromas. This couverture is the perfect choice for everyone, from chocolate novices to the best Swiss chocolatiers.

Tempering high-quality dark couverture

To temper the couverture, heat two thirds of the desired amount to 45 degrees. Then leave the mixture to cool and add the remaining third of the couverture. Stir gently until the temperature reaches 28-29 degrees and then reheat to 31-32 degrees. When everything has melted, you can carry out a test. If the couverture hardens well, becomes firm and has a nice shine, it is correctly tempered and can be processed further. A tempering device is not absolutely necessary for this method, but it can be very useful. You can find a detailed description of the tempering process on our blog.

Use of the couverture

You can now use the tempered couverture to make your own pralines, produce chocolate bars and refine them individually with various ingredients or create elegant chocolate decorations.

For example, you can use a chocolate mold to create an elegant decoration that can then be placed on a small dessert. You can also create a fancy edge for your cake with light and dark chocolate.
Chocolate is particularly effective in praline fillings. With a dark ganache and some orange cream, you can conjure up delicious fruit truffles, while with pistachio marzipan and a pure, sliceable ganache, you can create exquisite sliced chocolates. Melt-in-the-mouth fillings with cherry or coffee are also very harmonious with the dark couverture.

Simple chocolate bars with a high cocoa content are also particularly elegant. For example, decorate a polished chocolate mold with splashes of golden cocoa butter and then pour in tempered couverture with a cocoa content of 71% or more. It is at its best when the thickness of the bar is rather thin. You can enhance your own high-quality chocolate by wrapping it in colored aluminum foil or a small cellophane bag.