Sirene Chocolate Ch'Abil 65% Dark Milk with Cardamom

 

Ch’abil means “nice” or “good” in Q’eqchi Mayan. In the lush, mountainous region of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, you’ll find the indigenous Q’eqchi Maya farmers who grow a magnificent cacao bean. Their heritage traces thousands of years, back to chocolate’s probable origins in the ancient Mayan civilization, so clearly they have a bit of experience with cacao trees. This dark milk bar uses cardamom grown in the same region as the beans, with a bit of crunchy cacao nib added for texture. 

Winner of:

Silver 2023 International Chocolate Awards

Silver 2022 Academy of Chocolate

Silver 2021-22 International Chocolate Awards

Gold 2021 Academy of Chocolate

Bronze 2020 Academy of Chocolate

Bronze 2019 Academy of Chocolate

Silver 2019 International Chocolate Awards

Bronze 2018 Academy of Chocolate

Silver 2018 International Chocolate Awards

Ingredients: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, whole milk, cardamom

Sirene Chocolate is a award winning Chocolate Company based in Victoria BC. They start with a cocoa bean, and make chocolate out of it - but to tell the full story, it actually starts quite a while before that. The process really starts when they identify a farm they are interested in working with. They look at a variety of factors including whether they like the taste (ie quality) of the beans, whether they can pay the farmer directly, what working conditions are like at the farms and more. They consider their relationship with the farms as a working relationship between two small businesses: the small business that is Sirene, and the small business that is the farm. Equals working together trying to deliver the best chocolate possible to their customers.

Taylor Kennedy founded Sirene in 2013 after 18 years at the National Geographic Society. Kennedy was looking for a change in his life and was fuelled by a life-long obsession of wanting to know how life works. The long and persnickety process of making chocolate became a captivating obsession.

The whole process from bean to finished bar takes them about three weeks to a month, depending on the bean used. It is a detail-oriented process that demands their full attention the whole way along, and is deliciously, gruellingly fun.