Our Story
Inspired by my love of coffee, I travelled to South America and found myself on the slopes of Machu Picchu. On a small coffee farm in Quillabamba in the Cusco Region I was offered a hot chocolate. It was different to anything I had ever tasted – it was transformative. With a great balance of sweetness and bitterness, full of aroma and complexity, I was left craving more. I wanted to recreate this flavour experience and bring it home for others to enjoy.
This experience began my exploration into the world of chocolate.
My upbringing fostered a respect for the slow, thoughtful creation of high-quality and natural products. Growing up in Bosnia, I would assist my grandmother roasting coffee beans, then spend weekends with my dad creating fresh homemade cosmetics or picking up wild berries for homemade preserves.
I was drawn to a career in the coffee industry where years of tastings meant I developed a well honed palate and came to understand and appreciate the complexity of flavour profiles.
This combination of a love for quality produce, a commitment to ethical sustainable living and an in depth knowledge of coffee all came together for me at that moment in Peru and propelled me into the world of chocolate. I was driven to explore the globe for the finest quality cacao, to create a chocolate product that would reflect my philosophy.
Nomad Chocolate presents chocolate in the purest form possible, free of fillers, emulsifiers, additives and GMO. It is a labour of love and a product I am immensely proud of. I hope you enjoy tasting it as much as I enjoyed my journey in creating it -
Nadja Malovic
ORIGIN & INGREDIENTS
At Nomad Chocolate we search the world for the finest ingredients to create truly unique, quality and delicious chocolate products. From our Dominican Organic drinking chocolate created with Trinitarian beans sourced from small farms located across the Dominican Republic to our house blend from West Africa, our chocolates embody the unique flavour profile of the cacao beans farmed in each region.
Our partners work hard to choose beans from areas that provide ideal conditions to develop a quality product and are committed to the programs that are vital to improving the livelihoods of farmers and their communities.
Our chocolates reflect our clean-living philosophy, made only from premium ingredients, they are free from soy, fillers and any other emulsifiers. All products are Vegan and Dairy, GMO & Gluten Free. Where possible all ingredients are certified organic.
ECUADOR
Much like the grapes that go into making wine, Arriba beans at one elevation will have a different flavour to the same type of beans grown elsewhere in the country. With more than eight different growing regions from the farms in the Amazon Jungle, to the vast stretches of coastline and the foothills of the Andes, Ecuador offers a variety of fine cacao flavours that would excite any chocolate connoisseur. The dark chocolate flavours vary from fruity and floral to earthy with hints of rum and tobacco. During our visit, we met with a number of cooperatives who work with small farms, helping them improve farming practices, encouraging experiments in fermentation processes and improving yield. We are happy to work with those cooperatives and contribute to positive impact of cacao farming.
Africa
The incredible depth and diversity in the flavours of cacao from West Africa is a result of the hot African weather, sunny days and rich and damp soil. Interestingly cacao is not native to the African continent. It was brought home by Tetteh Quarshie from a Spanish colony in 1879. Owing to the extreme suitability of both soil and climate, the cocoa- growing tradition began. Ghana began to export cocoa in 1891, and is now one of the world’s leading exporters. The Ghana Cocoa Board set up by the government in 1947 to oversee the development of the growing industry, means Ghana is now well known for its excellent quality and consistency. The Ivory Coast and Ghana together cultivate more than half of the world´s cocoa. Ninety percent of the farmers in this region rely on cocoa as their primary income. We partner with the companies that have a commitment to the programs that are vital to improving the livelihoods of farmers and their communities, programs that encourage education and support women in cacao farming.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
With over 100 years of history cultivating cacao, The Dominican Republic develops the famous Trinitarian cacao Beans, what are considered to be the highest quality organic cacao plants in Central America. Due to favourable climatic conditions, abundant water supply and rich soils, the tradition of cacao farming has developed to become a huge industry. This immeasurable experience in farming and handling coupled with The Dominican Republic’s ideal climate yields top quality organic produce.
We are proud to partner with a supplier that echoes our sustainability ethos, cooperat- ing with farmers who cultivate cacao organically, meaning no synthetic fertilisers or pesticides are used in the farming processes. Alongside their work with small farms in the Dominican Republic they are attempting to expand the positive social impact of organic cacao farming by sponsoring the development of an additional 2000 ha. cocoa plantations in alliance with small farmer associations of other regions in central and South America such as the Magdalena, Cesar and Guajira provinces in northern Colombia.
