Taste the World in Chocolate: 6 Single-Origin Bars You’ll Find at NW Chocolate Fest
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For Dessert Lovers Who Love Their Chocolate Deep, Dark, and Mysterious. Chocolate pudding. Two words to a chocoholics heart. Are you obsessed with pudding, dark truffles, chocolate mousse, and deep […]
For Dessert Lovers Who Love Their Chocolate Deep, Dark, and Mysterious.
Chocolate pudding. Two words to a chocoholics heart.
Are you obsessed with pudding, dark truffles, chocolate mousse, and deep cocoa-forward desserts? Then you’re in the right place.
At the Northwest Chocolate Festival, single-origin chocolate is where dessert lovers can explore chocolate at its most pure — no distractions, no flashy infusions — just what chocolate tastes like when cacao is sourced from different corners of the world.
These bars are unblended, unmuddled, and all about letting the origin shine.
Welcome onboard, Your Chocolate Flight awaits.
Here are the top picks to build your “flavors that travel” tasting flight — one bar, one region, one deep dessert experience at a time:
1. Foundry Chocolate – Pichari Alta, Cusco, Peru
Maker: Foundry Fine Craft Chocolate
Travelling from: New Zealand
Bar to Try:
Origin: Cusco, Peru (Pichari Alta region)
Why It’s Worth a Stop: Foundry consistently nails balance — this bar hits all the deep, dessert-like notes of dark chocolate with a subtle dried fruit finish. A chocolate mousse lover’s dream. Plus Few makers highlight origin like Foundry does — it’s the perfect intro for first-timers into single-origin chocolate without any fuss.
Tasting Profile: Juicy, sweet tones—think mandarin or pear—before melting into delicate floral honey (almost grounding the sweetness that has just snuck up on you).
Ask the Maker: Curious what Peruvian cacao tastes like at altitude? Foundry works with beans from Cusco’s rainforest edge. Swing by their booth and ask how this impacts the flavor. Spoiler: they’re known for incredibly precise roasting and some of the cleanest origin expressions out there.
2. Semilla Escuela de Cacao y Chocolate – 70%
Maker: Semilla Escuela de Cacao
Travelling from: Mexico
Bar to Try:
Origin: 70% Dark Chocolate, Mexico
Why It’s Worth a Stop: It’s a rare treat to taste bars made by a team rooted in cacao’s cultural home — and Semilla is quietly reshaping what “made in Mexico” really means in fine chocolate.
Ask the Maker: Mexico is cacao’s homeland — but most people haven’t tasted bars made at the source. Ask Semilla about the difference between working with native Mexican cacao and teaching chocolate making in its place of origin. They’ll likely have stories about fermentation, farmers, and flavor shifts tied to tradition.
3. Hasnaâ Chocolat Grands Crus – Pérou 72%
Maker: Hasnaâ Chocolat Grands Crus
Travelling from: France
Bar to Try:
Origin: Peru Qori Inti 75%
Why It’s Worth a Stop: It’s rare to see a bar that blends origin integrity with that unmistakable French finesse — Hasnaa delivers on both
Ask the Maker: Hasnaa is known for their precision — and their sourcing. Ask about what drew them to this specific Peruvian origin. Do they work with cooperatives? Direct trade farms? Bonus: they may also share how their French-style approach (lower roast, longer conche) influences the final bar.
4. Nomé Chocolate – 63% Panamá
Maker: Nomé Chocolate
Travelling from: Panama.
Bar to Try:
Origin: 63% Panamá
Why It’s Worth a Stop: Nomé doesn’t just make chocolate — they craft edible portraits of Panama. From tropical fruit notes to art-inspired packaging, every bar is handmade in their own lab with no middlemen, no shortcuts, and a deep respect for local culture and ingredients.
Ask the Maker: Nomé’s mission is all about Panama-first. Ask how they work directly with small producers across different cacao regions — especially in Bocas del Toro — and how they turn that diversity into bars that reflect the country’s identity. You might even hear how each bar is designed to taste like Panama itself.
5. Terve Chocolate – Berau, Indonesia
Maker: Terve Chocolate
Travelling from: Indonesia.
Bar to Try:
Origin: Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Why It’s Worth a Stop: Terve is part of a new wave of Indonesian makers putting lesser-known origins like Berau on the craft chocolate map. If you’re curious about Southeast Asian cacao that’s made with total traceability — this is your chance to taste something truly rooted.
Ask the Maker: Ask Terve about their direct trade work in Berau, a remote region in East Kalimantan where they partner closely with local farmers. They’ll tell you how they process beans at origin and craft their bars entirely in Indonesia — a full bean-to-bar journey without leaving the archipelago.
6. Dandelion Chocolate – Semuliki Forest, Uganda
Maker: Dandelion Chocolate
Travelling from: San Francisco, USA.
Bar to Try:
Origin: Semuliki Forest, Western Uganda
Why It’s Worth a Stop: This bar really shows how direct sourcing + minimal processing can shine. Dandelion’s approach is pure: just cacao and sugar, which means the character of the Semuliki Forest origin truly stands out. It’s chocolate that lets the land speak for itself.
Ask the Maker: Ask Dandelion about their range of single origin bars and their work with Latitude Trade Co., a Ugandan exporter focused on farmer equity and quality. Dandelion’s transparency when it comes to sourcing from origin is second to none, giving space for the bars, the beans and the farmers to shine. For this bar, the beans are carefully fermented and dried at origin — bringing out unique character from this lush, lowland forest region.
Passport-Style Chocolate Tasting Route
Here’s your itinerary for a world tour of origin bars — no suitcase required.
Some flavors jump out at us, others take time. It all depends on what flavors you’re already familiar with.
- Start in South America – Kick things off with Foundry’s high-altitude Peruvian cacao, where the Andes meet the Amazon.
- Hop to Central America – Make a stop in Panama with Nomé Chocolate, where every bar is rooted in national identity and crafted without middlemen.
- Swing up to North America – Visit Semilla for chocolate made at the heart of cacao’s ancestral home: Tabasco, Mexico.
- Loop through Europe-meets-origin – Taste Hasnaa’s French refinement blended with Peruvian beans for a balance of style and substance.
- Touchdown in Southeast Asia – Land in Berau, Indonesia with Terve Chocolate, and discover a region rarely seen on chocolate shelves — crafted completely at origin.
- Finish in Africa – Try Dandelion’s Uganda bar, sourced from the Semuliki Forest and crafted in San Francisco using just two ingredients.
Each bar tells a different story — cultural, geographic, and deeply personal. This origin flight is your edible itinerary through the flavors and faces behind cacao and chocolate.
Planning Your Northwest Chocolate Festival Day
Here’s what you need to know to make your floral-tasting journey smooth and satisfying:
- What: The Northwest Chocolate Festival 2025
- Location: Meydenbauer Center, 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, Washington
- Dates: October 4–5, 2025
- Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (both days)
- Website: nwchocolate.com
For More details:
- See our headline article here: Northwest Chocolate Festival 2025: The Insider’s Guide for Chocoholics
- Check out our entire section dedicated to all things Northwest Chocolate here: Northwest Chocolate Festival 2025 Beanstalkr Guide
If you’re keen we’d love to see you at our session.
“Craft Chocolate: Flavors You Never Knew You Needed”. See here for details: Beanstalkr’s Session – Craft Chocolate: Flavors You Never Knew You Needed
See here for the full Northwest Chocolate Festival 2025 schedule: Northwest Chocolate Festival Schedule
Taste the World, One Origin at a Time
From the mountain air of Cusco to the rainforests of Berau and the deep-rooted traditions of Tabasco, these origin bars prove that chocolate is more than just sweet — it’s storytelling you can taste. Whether you’re a purist or a flavor chaser, this lineup is your passport to the global language of cacao.
Skip the airport. Go straight to the booth.
Tried any of these origin bars before? Which region are you most curious to taste this year? Let us know in the comments — or better yet, leave a flavor review on beanstalkr.com.
Want More Like This?
Want more tasting guides like this? Check out our Northwest Festival dedicated page and sign up as a chocolate eater for insider picks, single-origin deep dives, and chocolate reviews from every corner of the craft world. Thanks for traveling with us — see you on the festival floor.
Check out these other guides:
Savory & Spiced Chocolate Bars That Will Surprise You
From olives and brown cheese to BBQ-smoked cacao—these bars break every sweet rule (and still work). Perfect for culinary risk-takers and flavor thrill-seekers.
Read the Savory & Spiced Chocolate Guide →
Floral-Infused Chocolate Bars to Brighten Your Festival Day
Aromatic, elegant, and surprisingly complex. These botanical bars pair chocolate with rose, lavender, gorse, and more.
Explore Floral Bars at NW Fest →
Tropical Fruit Bars That Taste Like Vacation
Mango, guava, açaí, passionfruit—these bars channel sun-soaked flavors into every square. Summer in bar form.
Discover Tropical Fruit Bars →
Where to next?
If you’re off to the Northwest Chocolate Festival 2025, we recommend:
And if you’re curious, we recommend:
And if you’re still not so sure, check out what events or makers are in your area:
Talk Beans with us!
Got any questions? Feedback? Want to hi say? Reach out below – we’re always happy to chat!
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