Domori Chocolate

Chocolate from Italy is among the best in the world today. Some of these exquisite creations also come from the world of Domori, in which fine cocoa plays a major role. His enthusiasm for it gave rise to the vision of presenting it worldwide and creating new taste experiences.
Gianluca Franzoni spent three years in the cocoa fields, experimenting with the beans and focusing in particular on their processing. His heart also beat for the rare Criollo cocoa, with its unique variety of flavors and creaminess. The protection and preservation of these cocoa varieties are of the utmost importance to him.
With this passion, he founded the company Domori, named after the statues on St. Mark's Square in Venice, which symbolize cocoa and coffee for him. The name "Domori" translates from Venetian as "two walls" and was chosen out of love for 17th century Venice, which was characterized by trade, travel and adventure. Today, the company's main site and production facility is located in None. There, Nacional, Criollo and Trinitario cocoa is processed into exceptional chocolates on the border with Turin. The cocoa is sourced from plantations in South and Central America, with Venezuela playing a special role. Each supplier is selected with great care. Franzoni personally selected the producers for the high-quality cocoa by traveling himself. By working closely with the plantation owners and workers, a high standard of quality can be guaranteed. In addition, the employees and biodiversity on site are supported. It is also possible to take full advantage of the opportunities to influence the taste of the bean during cultivation and fermentation at an early stage.
Normally, cocoa farmers' wages are heavily dependent on the world market. The prices for their beans fluctuate greatly and are often barely enough to survive on. Domori's cocoa farmers, on the other hand, benefit in many ways. A fair price is set jointly, which covers the cultivation costs and enables the workers to be paid a fair wage. There are no fluctuations like those on the world market at Domori.
Domori promotes the training of plantation workers in order to ensure consistent quality and to give the workers more knowledge about their environment. This results in new perspectives and more sustainable and profitable cultivation.
This is particularly important for the Criollo cocoa beans. These cocoa trees are susceptible to fungi and pests and yield less than other varieties. They require partial shade and special care in order to produce the world's best cocoa beans.
Criollo is known for its round, sweet and above all aromatic taste. Unlike other types of cocoa, it completely lacks tannin, a substance that normally causes a slight bitterness and sometimes even a furry feeling on the tongue. The result is a chocolate that melts wonderfully smoothly, is incredibly aromatic, only subtly bitter and barely sour.
Domori bars are generally made using only cocoa mass with a minimum content of 70% and cane sugar. Additional ingredients such as soy lecithin or extra cocoa butter are superfluous for this aromatic and delicate creation. However, there are now also different varieties with a lower cocoa content and few additives, which can be used in a variety of applications. The award-winning chocolates are particularly exceptional and are a tribute to the expertise and performance of Franzoni and his employees. Examples include the Porcelana, Chuao and Guasare varieties.

Award-winning chocolates

Another excellent variety of Criollo cocoa is Chuao, named after its main place of origin. The white beans are naturally sweet and therefore require hardly any other ingredients. Only 70% massa di cacao and 30% of the best raw sugar are used for the multi-award-winning chocolate bar. The result is a melt-in-the-mouth bar that tastes of hazelnut, dulce de leche and exotic fruits such as lucuma or mamey. In addition to the pronounced roundness and sweetness, a subtle acidity can also be tasted.

Guasare is also known as the mother of the Criollo, as it is a very original form that is still grown at Domori today and has therefore been preserved. It also provides the cocoa for Domori's Guasare 70% chocolate. Its taste is very fine and without acidity. It is accompanied by notes of almond, caramel, rose and cream.

The Porcelana variety is named after the appearance of its cocoa beans, which are translucent and reminiscent of porcelain. It is a Criollo with notes of nuts, cream, vanilla and bread crust. As a Criollo, it is round, with an intense sweetness and no acidity.

Criollo

Criollo is a unique cocoa variety with many fantastic flavor and texture characteristics. Although it accounts for less than 0.001% of the global harvest due to its difficult growing conditions and low yield, Franzoni and the Domori company have worked tirelessly to prevent the disappearance of this noble species.
Franzoni began searching for other Criollo varieties early on and thanks to his scientific commitment, various subspecies have been rediscovered and cultivated. Through a new project at the Hacienda San José in Venezuela together with the Franceschi family, cocoa trees were bred in tree nurseries and cultivated on plantations with shade-giving plants. Over 10 such species have already been identified and successfully replanted thanks to their commitment and passion for the rare Criollo cocoa. Domori is in the global spotlight for its outstanding chocolate made from the best fine cocoa. It is made from cocoa beans of fine varieties such as Criollo, Arriba or Trinitario. The wide range of couvertures and some of their other products are available both online in the store and directly on site in Adliswil. So you can make your own melt-in-the-mouth pralines and chocolate bars at home.
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of cocoa with Domori. The company sets an example for unique indulgence through its motivated employees with passion and creativity.
The company was founded by Gianluca Franzoni in 1993 and he still shows his love for fine cocoa today. After studying economics in Venezuela, he came into contact with the world of cocoa and was immediately fascinated by its cultivation and processing. He was particularly fascinated by the fine cocoa varieties.

Thanks to its exquisite and delicate taste, it is undoubtedly one of the most exquisite varieties.
Domori relies on local efforts on cocoa plantations to obtain high-quality cocoa, combined with internal quality assurance. Before each delivery, two kilos of cocoa beans are taken as a sample, analyzed in the laboratory and cut open to check the degree of fermentation. Only deliveries with at least 70% optimally fermented beans are accepted. A chocolate is made from the sample and tasted by experts to ensure an extremely high standard of quality. For each type of bean, tests are carried out to determine which process is best able to develop its rich, highly aromatic notes. For example, the ingredients, how long and hot the beans are roasted and the conching time are adjusted. This results in incredibly diverse chocolates, whether with notes of red fruit, banana and citrus fruit aromas or notes of cashew nuts and honey.

Can I use normal chocolate instead of couverture?

Tempering requires a little patience and skill at first, so the question quickly arises as to whether a standard chocolate bar would serve the same purpose. When baking or preparing a fluffy chocolate mousse, this is largely possible. As it is not essential for the pure chocolate to appear as a shiny coating in the end product, it does not matter whether it has been properly heated and cooled. The consistency of the chocolate mass is often not decisive either, so chocolate bars can be an inexpensive alternative here.
However, when it comes to depositing and filling pralines, homemade chocolate bars or even an Easter bunny, couverture is essential. It is perfect for icing fine treats, as it flows well and then has a perfect sheen. The use of conventional chocolate would result in a considerable loss of appearance and taste, and it is often difficult to remove the hardened mass from the polycarbonate molds. Unfortunately, it then has to be melted out with hot water.
Therefore, if you want to make cakes with chocolate pieces or a simple mousse, you can also use chocolate bars. If you are making luxurious pralines, melt-in-the-mouth ganache or shiny coatings, it is crucial to use couverture.
We explain here how to temper and process couverture correctly to achieve a shiny and crisp finish. We also show you how to use the inoculation method in your own kitchen. You can find more tips on tempering on our blog and if you would like to try it out with a guide, we recommend our tempering course.

The seeding method involves adding stable crystals in drop form to the melted mass. First, two thirds of the required couverture is melted at 45 °C to dissolve all the fat crystals. After cooling the mass and adding fresh couverture, new stable crystals can form. Stirring dissolves the pieces and distributes them evenly in the warm mixture.
This is why this method is known as the seeding method. Solid, colder couverture pieces with stable crystals are added to a liquid couverture without stable fat crystals in order to inoculate it. It is then brought to the specific optimum temperature. Dark couverture with a high cocoa mass content should be heated to 32-33 degrees, while lighter varieties only need around 28 degrees. The optimum temperature is usually also indicated on the packaging. You can find more useful tips and tricks on our blog.
It is practical, but not absolutely necessary, to have a tempering device available. In our online store, various temperature control units, from devices for home use to professional use, can be conveniently delivered to your home. These appliances make the process easier by maintaining the desired temperature. This allows you to devote yourself fully to making delicious chocolate bars or fine pralines.
It is also very easy to heat the chocolate mass over a water bath, but you should always keep an eye on the thermometer. 

Light and dark couverture are perfect for cakes, bars, desserts and many other recipes.
The possibilities are endless with chocolate! From pralines, chocolate bars and elaborate decorations to delicious chocolate mousse and sweet chocolate cake. If you're as crazy about chocolate as we are, but you're not sure how to make it, why not come to our instructive courses? Here you'll learn how to whip up all these treats at home, sometimes using all chocolate and sometimes using just a little for maximum flavor. If you're still looking for an idea for your next sweet creation, you're sure to find it here.