Kilombero Valley, Tanzania 70% - Drinking Chocolate

This vibrant, bean to bar, craft drinking chocolate began with organic cacao beans grown by the dedicated farmers of Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Then in our little foundry, we crafted the cacao together with only one other ingredient; organic cane sugar, to create a chocolate that showcases the harvest’s extraverted personality.

Two ingredients, nothing else. Delight in every sip. Enjoy.

Made from ground 70% dark bean to bar chocolate, with exciting tasting notes of ripe stone fruits.

Foundry Drinking Chocolate is delicious made with water, milk or the plant based milk of your choice.

The drinking chocolate is packaged in a home compostable resealable pouch.

Net weight: 250g or 1kg

Ingredients: Organic Cacao Beans & Organic Cane Sugar. 

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free and Vegan.

Making tips: We recommend using a milk warmer/frother, a coffee machine steam wand or a stick blender. The Milk Frother from Kmart is our favourite, you can see it here.

Origin Information 
Kokoa Kamili is based in the rural village of Mbingu, meaning "Heaven" in Swahili, in Tanzania's Kilombero Valley, Morogoro Region. Surrounded by fertile land and close to the Udzungwa Mountains, the region provides an ideal environment for growing exceptional cacao beans.

The Kilombero Valley is recognised for its rich biodiversity and is home to wildlife including elephants, primates, and numerous bird species. As agriculture expands, local conservation organisations continue to work alongside communities to reduce human-wildlife conflict and protect these important ecosystems.

Unlocking the Potential of Tanzanian Cocoa
Tanzania has the natural conditions to produce world-class cacao, thanks to its favourable climate, fertile soils, and cacao genetics. Historically, however, cacao was sold as a commodity, with little reward for quality. Farmers had limited incentive to invest time in careful fermentation and drying, resulting in inconsistent bean quality.

Kokoa Kamili was established to change this. By focusing on quality at every stage of post-harvest processing, the company helps farmers earn better prices while introducing premium Tanzanian cocoa to craft chocolate makers around the world.

Working Directly with Farmers
Kokoa Kamili purchases fresh, wet cacao beans directly from smallholder farmers immediately after harvest. Farmers receive payment straight away and earn more than they typically would by fermenting and drying the beans themselves.

Beans are purchased at the farm gate, at the central fermentary, and through local buying stations in surrounding villages. By buying directly—without agents or middlemen—Kokoa Kamili offers transparent pricing, uses certified scales, and helps reduce the time and cost farmers spend transporting their cacao to market.

This approach allows farmers to spend more time caring for their farms, pursuing other income opportunities, or simply reducing the workload associated with post-harvest processing.

Quality Through Careful Processing
All cacao is fermented at Kokoa Kamili's central facility using locally built fermentation boxes lined with banana leaves and rice bags. Beans are carefully monitored throughout the six-day fermentation process to ensure consistent quality and flavour development.

After fermentation, the beans are sun-dried for approximately five to seven days on custom-built drying tables. They are regularly turned to promote even drying before being hand-sorted and graded. Only beans that meet strict quality standards are selected for export.

Before shipment, approved lots are blended to create consistency across every export, ensuring chocolate makers receive uniform flavour and quality from the first bag to the last.

A Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Kokoa Kamili consistently prepare cacao beans that we love to work with, the flavour notes we can bring through with our roasting techniques and then the nuance can add with our melangeurs makes this one of our favourite origins to work with.