Made in the Valley: Molucca Craft Chocolate
Here's their recipe for success.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- At Molucca Craft Chocolate, it all starts with the beans brought in from around the world to this Fresno facility.
"We have three staple origins: Peru, the Indonesian and the Dominican Republic," said Radinal Latuconsina, Co-founder Molucca Craft Chocolate.
Latuconsina spends his days sorting, roasting and watching the bean turn into cacao nibs, which are turned into a liquid chocolate. "I think it comes down to ingredients. A lot of times we see ingredients that you can't pronounce. For us its just simple : cacao and sugar."
"This is Indonesian. Yes, I have to sample it. Umm. It's very good. I can taste the richness," said Yohanes Makmur, Co-founder Molucca Craft Chocolate.
The pair started the business last January as a way to showcase their Indonesian roots. They were able to contract directly with farmers in several countries and say their chocolate comes with a greater cause. They say they're proud to do it in natural and healthy way.
"The recommended is 70 percent and higher so that's why we start our chocolate 70 percent of cacao content and we even make it higher to 85 percent and even 100 percent, which means sugar free," said Makmur.
Just one small batch will produce 60 bars of craft chocolate and in a month they can make up to 1,200 bars. Molucca sells its bars locally at speciality stores in the Valley. Online they've received orders as far away as Finland.
"This is our passion so it doesn't feel like work here," said Latuconsina.
A passion that comes in each bar of chocolate.
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