Bar of the Week: Amano Madagascar

Region: Madagascar
Cocoa Content: 70%

The Amano Madagascar bar has been with us since the day we opened. In celebration of some new additions to their line of bars, the Cuyagua using beans from Venezuela and the Indonesian Jembrana, we've decided to spotlight these bean to bar chocolates that are made in America. The guys behind Amano, Art Pollard and Clark Goble, stopped by during our grand opening week in July and held a tasting with their Madagascar bar and the Venezuelan Ocumare. While both were well received, the Madagascar was by far the more popular choice. Creating this bar was not easy though, and it took Art almost 10 years and a little persisting from his business partner to share his chocolate with the world. It's a good thing he did because the company is growing daily while still staying true to its name, which in Italian means "by hand" and "they love". Quality over quantity is always the best recipe for chocolate making success.

Fun Fact: The new Amano packaging features artwork commissioned by various artists. The picture on the new Madagascar bar was done by Bavarian-born artist Wulf Barsch, and the original painting hangs in Amano's Utah-based factory.