60 gram bar - Toronto, Canada
Rich, fruit-forward, and deeply chocolatey, this 70% single-origin bar from SOMA is made with cacao grown by approximately 500 smallholder farmers in Uganda’s lush Bundibugyo region.
Most of the farms are just one to two hectares, with cacao grown on family land or plots leased from other farmers. After harvest, fresh cacao is brought to a central post-harvest facility in the village of Bumate, where fermentation and drying can be carefully managed. Its location at the base of the surrounding hills takes advantage of abundant sunshine while helping limit runoff during drying.
In SOMA’s hands, the cacao develops a wonderfully generous flavor profile. Raisin and fig notes bring a dark-fruit sweetness, while walnut, vanilla, and something reminiscent of chocolate cake make the bar feel rounded, rich, and inviting.
There’s a meaningful community story behind the chocolate, too. Chocolatemakers working with Semuliki Forest cacao can contribute an additional per-kilogram bonus that goes directly toward programs supporting the farmers who grow it.
Complex without being hoity-toity, this is the kind of 70% dark chocolate that makes a beautiful introduction to Ugandan cacao—and an easy bar to come back to.
Tasting notes: Raisins, Figs, Chocolate cake, Walnuts, Vanilla
Cacao Origin: Bundibugyo, Uganda
Style: Single-origin dark chocolate
