The coffee business shares many similarities with that of chocolate. In each, the subject at hand is the seed of a tropical fruit that is carefully harvested, fermented, dried and roasted. They’re even grown in similar regions, and, in some cases, by the exact same people.

At Mammoth Espresso, we’re fortunate to work with the folks at Acalli Chocolate, a New Orleans chocolate maker producing world-class, bean-to-bar chocolate. This bean-to-bar process means owner Carol Morse and her small team work with farmers at origin to build relationships and directly source cacao. She then uses a roaster to separate the inner beans from their husks, and grinds it in a stone wheel grinder for days before tempering the chocolate to perfection. This all happens in Carol’s workshop in Gretna, before the chocolate is hand delivered to her retail partners throughout New Orleans.

Acalli Chocolate’s Carol Morse on a sourcing trip in Mexico

We’ve carried Acalli Chocolate bars since opening in March of this year. New Orleans residents and visitors alike have responded positively to the quality of Acalli’s bars, and also their unique story delivering bean-to-bar chocolate right here in New Orleans. We’re now excited to offer a new bar from Acalli that is available immediately in our shop: the Barataria Blend, which is available with or without cacao nibs and sea salt.

The Barataria is a blend of El Platanal and Norandino Tumbes cacao from Peru. It is a dark, 81% chocolate blend with a deep, fudgy profile with subtle red berry notes. With cacao nibs and sea salt, the Barataria has a pleasing crunch and added complexity. The Barataria is made from organic cacao, Louisiana cane sugar and sea salt.

These new bars are available in a smaller size than what we’ve offered previously in the shop, and also at a lower price point, so you can enjoy a quick chocolate snack along with your coffee or tea. We absolutely love them and we know you will too.