Brazil nuts covered with 60% cocoa chocolate and fleur de sel
Geographical coordinates of the cocoa harvesting site: 2° 24′ 53″ S | 48° 8′ 60″ O
Origin of cocoa: Tomé-Açú - Pará - Amazônia - Brasil
Origin of chestnut: Acará-Açu - Rio Acará - Pará - Amazônia – Brasil
The nuts provided by the agroextractivist riverside community of Acará-Açu (Pará) are covered in 60% cocoa agroforestry chocolate from Sakaguchi and receive a special touch of sea salt to shine in any occasion. Surprising flavors that accompany the healthy and nutritious crunch of the nut, translating the strength of sustainability in the Amazon.
Since starting his brand, chocolatier and social entrepreneur César De Mendes has been initiating conversations and partnering with the aim of promoting sustainable production chains in the Amazon and generating value at the source. The Brazilian nut covered with chocolate and sea salt, from the "Povos da Floresta" (People of the Forest) line, combines the 60% Sakaguchi chocolate, where the cocoa is grown in an agroforestry system by Francisco Wataro Sakaguchi in Tomé-Açú, with the nuts collected by the agroextractivist riverside community of Acará-Açu, also in Pará.
One of the symbols of the state of Pará, the nut is processed by community leader Zeno Gemaque, who receives them fresh and in their natural state, collected by people from more than 200 families in the Acará River region. The fruits fall from the chestnut tree, the nuts are removed from the spiny husks, and under Zeno's hands, they reach a semi-artisanal factory in Acará-Açu, where the dehydration, peeling, and packaging process takes place. "The way Zeno treats the nuts ensures they arrive extremely fresh and crunchy, very flavorful," comments César De Mendes.
As for the cocoa used to coat them, it's grown in an agroforestry system by Francisco Wataro Sakaguchi in Tomé-Açú, Pará. Francisco is the son of visionary forest engineer Noburo Sakaguchi, who moved to Brazil in the mid-20th century and planted a forest from which more than 80 fruit-bearing trees are harvested today, with lush trees and remarkable biodiversity. The area serves as an example of regeneration through the agroforestry planting system after successive failures of previous generations in monoculture cultivation.
From the legacy of teachings and learnings passed down by his father, along with his profound knowledge of the forest and his connection to nature, Francisco Sakaguchi now considers himself an extractivist rather than a farmer. He applied "Natural Farming," a holistic system guided by the intrinsic wisdom of nature, to a significant portion of his property.
In the De Mendes factory in Colônia Chicano (Santa Bárbara do Pará), the nut is coated with a fluid 60% cocoa Sakaguchi chocolate. Delicate sea salt flakes are carefully added at the end of the preparation, enhancing the flavors of the nut and chocolate, which come together and linger in the mouth for a longer time. "It's a distinctive product, as it adds value to the nut chain and contains Sakaguchi cocoa from the agroforestry system," concludes the chocolatier.
OTHERS INGREDIENTS AND SUPPLIERS *
Chocolate (cocoa, brown sugar, and cocoa butter), Brazil nut, and sea salt.
Allergic: contains Brazil nut. May contain wheat, eggs, and milk.