Choconuva
The two founders of Choconuva Simone Hoffmann and Juan Carlos Correa met in 2000 during a backpacking trip in Colombia. Simone Hoffmann wanted to stay only four months in Colombia. This turned into 9 months and their shared love of cocoa and chocolate.
Simone's father was a beekeeper and her grandfather a baker and confectioner. The trained specialist in confectionery technology got to know and appreciate chocolate and chocolates beyond the mainstream in unexpected quality in London and infected her husband with her love of chocolates and chocolate.
Juan Carlos Correa is a trained goldsmith and therefore has a great love of detail. He trained as a patissier, worked for Jamie Oliver as head patissier and learned the art of chocolate making from various masters in other European countries. Both successfully produced chocolates, which were praised in Georg Bernardini's book.
The television reported on 20.10.2020 about chocolate, among other things with a report about Choconuva on SWR3 from min 22:12
Bean-To-Bar Chocolate made in Saarland
Eventually, the two went into business for themselves. In the meantime they live in Germany in the beautiful Saarwellingen in the Saarland in the middle of the border triangle of Germany, France and Luxembourg. They have revived their grandfather's old manufactory and now make their own chocolates and pralines there, from bean to bar.
The cocoa beans come from Juan Carlos' homeland, Colombia. It is rare Criollo cocoa that ferments and dries on the farm. It is then shipped directly to Choconuva. The cacao comes from the west of Colombia about 350 km west of Bogota from an altitude between 900 and 1100 m above sea level. The town of la Esmeralda is located in the department of Caldas, on the banks of the Rio Cauca.
There are now several varieties of the Bean-To-Bar chocolate, three of which you can find in the store of Chocolats-de-luxe.com. 100% chocolate with no added sugar (sugar free), 70% dark chocolate and the 45% milk chocolate with a touch of bourbon vanilla and a pinch of salt. The chocolates are all single origin chocolates.
