Kuná's Bean-to-Bar 100% Ecuadorian Chocolate: A Blend of Quality, Social Responsibility, and Biodiversity Founded in 2012 by Maria Fernanda Andrade and Luis Manuel Leon, Kuná has emerged as one of the finest chocolate brands from Ecuador. This chocolate brand stands out for its unique blend of social responsibility, cooperation with indigenous peoples, attention to biodiversity, organic farming, and quality. Maria and Luis are known for their enthusiasm, passion, and commitment to quality, which has helped Kuná win numerous awards, including the main prize at El Salon del Cacao y Chocolate Ecuatoriano in its very first year of existence. Kuná's chocolate is made using high-quality cocoa harvested by the indigenous Kichwa peoples from Archidona in the Amazon of Ecuador. The Kichwa cultivate cocoa of exceptional quality from the Amazonian jungle, some of which are grown in the UNESCO biosphere Sumaco. In addition, Kuná sources beans from the Unión de Asociaciones Artesanales Eloy Alfaro de Esmeraldas to produce chocolate with higher cocoa percentages. Kuná's history is closely tied to the Asociación Wiñak, a cooperative founded by the Kichwa peoples. By choosing Kuná's bean-to-bar 100% Ecuadorian chocolate, you can enjoy the delectable taste of Ecuadorian cocoa while supporting social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and fair trade practices.
This chocolate bar is made with a special blend of 55% cocoa from the Dominican Republic and Ghana (ABOCFA cooperation), conched with liquefied Bench Maji coffee beans from Ethiopia. The Arabica plant, known for its rich history and distinct flavor profile, is roasted by Caffè a Casa in Vienna and paired perfectly with crispy roasted cocoa nibs.
Cocoa from Dennis Bodie The cocoa used by PURE Chocolate is supplied by Dennis Bodie. A farmer in a hamlet in the middle of the John Crow Mountains called Tom’s Hope (in Fellowship in the parish of Portland). To find Bodie’s farm, you really need the help of the locals. There are no street names, no house numbers, nor does the farm have a name. Dennis Bodie owns the farm. It is his pride and joy; he has pledged his heart and soul to his farm, does not go on holiday but, he says, enjoys the sound of the stream and nature around him every day. His cocoa is a cross between Criollo and Trinitario, fermented and dried by hand. In chocolate making, what happens at harvest and after is crucial. Thanks to the special process, the extraordinary cocoa taste of the original cocoa beans is preserved as best as possible.
About the roaster (translated from their about page). We are Oleksii and Svitlana — typical milli-, micro-, nano-entrepreneurs, but very atypical fanatics of our craft: coffee roasters and baristas from Cherkasy. Coffee lovers to the core. But how did we get here? In 2014, we moved to Canada. With a background in journalism, I started looking for work in the field and even wrote a little for a diaspora publication. But the feeling that I was on the right path never came — my soul felt restless. And then the World Barista Championship happened to us. We even intentionally applied for a U.S. visa just for this event. After all, our good friend, Dima Hrekhov — two-time Barista Champion of Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates (2014) — made it to the world finals, and we wanted to sit in the audience and cheer for him. I still smile remembering how the border officer interrogated us: What kind of competition is this, coffee making? Is this a joke? Well, if it was a joke, it was the kind that changed everything — the performances impressed me so deeply that I decided, without hesitation, to go into coffee. Our first coffee shop, with dark-as-night Italian roast. My first milk steaming. Espresso calibration. Six months polishing my English, gaining a bit more confidence. Then — JJ BEAN Coffee Roasters. Let me tell you, that place was a dream: a family-owned, socially oriented business (supporting both the local community and coffee farms), with its own roastery, direct trade, and a barista school. Through hard work, I grew from a barista to a manager. And all this time, Lyosha had my back and inspired me at every step. He was the first in our family to enter the hospitality industry internationally: bartender and sommelier at JW Marriott (UAE), administrator at Yoshi (Ukraine). With our collective (and far from modest) experience, a thought arose: Why don’t we start our own business? And not overseas, but at home? Our intentions were serious. From Vancouver Airport, we began a six-month journey across Latin America (yes, six months!). We visited coffee farms, saw with our own eyes where and how coffee grows, what shapes its flavor, picked cherries, learned about the lives of farmers and their families — and most importantly, how much effort it takes for coffee to end up in your cup. I’ll be honest: all of this had to settle in our minds. Because after living abroad for more than five years, returning home is a big, brave step. Then Abu Dhabi entered our story — thanks to the same friend you remember. He was opening an incredible coffee shop, DRVN Coffee, with collectible cars and championship-level coffee standards. This is where Lyosha switched into full gear. From brand book to roasting — he had never been so multifunctional in his life. We recruited staff, trained teams, built SOPs, found suppliers — our minds were constantly orbiting around coffee. Today, Lyosha is responsible for all roasting at About Coffee. He tames all those graphs, temperatures...
Do not overheat in the microwave or heat without water. Do not use on a direct fire. Wash with care. Do not use abrasive cleansers or steel wool. Sudden temperature change may break or shatter the product. While the glass is hot, do not pour cold liquids into it and do not place it on a wet cloth or a wet surface. Product size and shape varies in each item due to manufacturing process.
