Kilombero Valley, Tanzania 70%

Under the watch of Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains, the dedicated farmers of Kilombero Valley produce exquisite organic cacao. We bring this cacao home to New Zealand to create a chocolate that is unapologetically extraverted.

In our little chocolate factory just north of Auckland, we accentuate the remarkable personality of these cacao beans by crafting a chocolate that bursts open with notes of pineapple, mixed peel and rich, dark fruit cake.

While Kilombero Valley, Tanzania may seem to ignite a fanfare of flavours, it’s simply its origin talking – plus organic cane sugar and our obsession for preserving the flavours of provenance.

And because your senses are unique, you may discover characters and aromas others may not – that’s the magic of Foundry Chocolate.

70g

From the 2025 vintage.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao Beans & Organic Cane Sugar. No added cacao butter, lecithin or vanilla.

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan and 100% Plant Based.

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.