KESSHŌ Black Sesame White Chocolate Bar

55 gram bar - Austin, Texas

The first impression of this bar is the aroma—nutty, roasted sesame rising gently from the bar, layered with the buttery sweetness of white chocolate. On the palate, it begins with cream and caramel tones before the sesame asserts itself: deep, earthy, almost savory, with a slow-building richness that lingers on the tongue. The interplay is striking. The lightness of cocoa butter against the grounding intensity of roasted seeds, creating a chocolate that feels both familiar and unexpected.

This bar embodies what KESSHŌ stands for: transformation, harmony, and memory crystallized in flavor. Black sesame is celebrated for its depth and elegance in Japan, where founder Liang did her pastry training. By weaving it into chocolate, the founders honor that tradition while refracting it through their own craft, creating something that is neither wholly East nor West but uniquely their own. It is a bar that invites reflection, a reminder that chocolate can be as much about story and philosophy as it is about taste.

Cocoa Butter Origin: Peru
Additions: Roasted black sesame seeds
Awards Include: Gold - 2024 Academy of Chocolate, Bronze - 2024 International Chocolate Awards (Americas)