Taza Chocolate

Taza Chocolate is a chocolate maker based in Somerville, Massachusetts. It makes chocolate from bean to bar and centers its identity on traditional Mexican stone-ground methods, organic cacao, and minimal processing. The company describes its chocolate as bold and rustic, with a distinctive gritty texture intended to preserve the cacao’s bright, fruity flavors. Founder and CEO Alex Whitmore says that his first taste of stone-ground chocolate came while traveling in Oaxaca, Mexico. Inspired by that experience, he set out to make this style of chocolate in Massachusetts, learning to hand-carve granite millstones for the process. He officially launched Taza in 2005 with his wife, Kathleen Fulton, who designed the company’s packaging and is its Chief Design Officer. Taza’s range includes chocolate discs, bars, mini bars, and chocolate-covered products, as well as gift assortments. Products and flavors shown on the company’s site include Oaxacan-inspired discs in Guajillo Chili, Cacao Puro, Cinnamon, and Vanilla, along with flavored dark chocolate bars such as Orange and Raspberry Crunch. The company’s process includes roasting and winnowing cacao beans, grinding the nibs in hand-carved granite mills, blending the chocolate with organic cane sugar, and then either grinding the chocolate again for discs or using a roll refiner for bars. The brand also emphasizes its sourcing standards. Taza says it established the first third-party certified Direct Trade Cacao Certification program by a U.S. chocolate maker. It describes maintaining direct relationships with cacao farmers, paying a premium above the Fair Trade price, and partnering with producers that respect workers’ rights and the environment. Its online store sells products directly to customers, and its website also points to retail distribution. The supplied sources do not identify a parent company or owner.

Taza Chocolate’s origins are tied to founder Alex Whitmore’s experience tasting stone-ground chocolate while traveling in Oaxaca, Mexico. According to the company, the rustic intensity of that chocolate inspired him to create a chocolate factory in Somerville, Massachusetts. To reproduce the style, he learned to hand-carve granite millstones. Taza officially launched in 2005, with Whitmore’s wife, Kathleen Fulton, joining the venture and designing its packaging; she is identified by the company as its Chief Design Officer. The company’s production method is built around stone grinding and restrained processing. At its Somerville factory, Taza roasts organic cacao beans, removes their shells, and grinds the resulting cacao nibs into chocolate liquor using hand-carved granite millstones. Organic cane sugar is mixed in. For its Chocolate Discs, the chocolate receives a second gentle grind to retain a gritty texture; for bars, the company uses a roll refiner to produce a somewhat smoother result. The chocolate is then tempered, deposited into molds, chilled, demolded, and packaged. Taza presents this method as a way to let the character of the cacao remain prominent. Ethical cacao sourcing is another part of the company’s stated identity. Taza says it was the first U.S. chocolate maker to establish a third-party certified Direct Trade Cacao Certification program. It describes direct relationships with cacao farmers, paying a premium above the Fair Trade price, and working with producers that respect workers’ rights and the environment. The company also describes its chocolate as made with organic, Direct Trade Certified cacao. Taza’s products include stone-ground chocolate discs and bars, mini bars, chocolate-covered items, and gift assortments. Its Oaxacan Sampler, for example, includes discs in Guajillo Chili, Cacao Puro, Cinnamon, and Vanilla flavors. The company’s website offers direct online purchasing and describes its products as reaching customers through its store and retail outlets. The supplied sources do not establish an ownership change, a parent company, or a public listing.

• 2005

  Taza officially launches

Organic, minimally processed stone-ground chocolate with bold flavor and texture, paired with a farmer-focused Direct Trade cacao sourcing approach.

• Oaxacan Sampler

  Gift set of four Mexican-style chocolate discs in Guajillo Chili, Cacao Puro, Cinnamon, and Vanilla flavors.

• Orange 50% Dark Chocolate

  A dark chocolate offering listed among the brand’s best sellers.

• Raspberry Crunch 70% Dark Chocolate

  A flavored dark chocolate bar listed among the brand’s best sellers.

• Chocolate Covered Almonds 55% Dark Chocolate

  Chocolate-covered almonds listed among the brand’s best sellers.

1. 1Taza Chocolate | Organic Stone Ground Chocolate for Bold Flavortazachocolate.com
2. 2About Taza – Taza Chocolatetazachocolate.com
3. 3Taza Chocolate Oaxacan Sampler Gift Settazachocolate.com
4. 4Our Process – Taza Chocolatetazachocolate.com