In 1986, Valrhona created the world’s bitterest chocolate using 70% cocoa. It was quite an achievement! This heightened cocoa
content required a complete rethink of how things were done. This is when we started to select cocoas with absolute precision,
because with such a low proportion of sugar there was nothing to mask imperfections. Cocoa was therefore selected according to its aromatic profile in order to create balanced blends with a unique flavor. Guanaja immediately revolutionized the market and became a benchmark product. Its name, Guanaja, is a nod to the first cocoa beans given to Christopher Columbus when he washed up on the Caribbean island of Guanaja on July 30, 1502.

Guanaja is a subtle blend of cocoa aromatic profiles typical of Trinidad, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Madagascar. These profiles are blended to obtainGuanaja’s unique and consistent flavor, which is both bittersweet and elegant. This blend, impeccably produced since 1986, is a showcase for genuine prowess and skill.

Guanaja shook up conceptions of flavor and technique in the industry. I don’t think anyone at Valrhona could have guessed what an impact the arrival of a chocolate like this would have in terms of technique. Thanks to this tool, Valrhona has opened up the field of possibilities.

Frédéric Bau, PASTRY EXPLORER VALRHONA

SENSORY PROFILE

Guanaja’s forceful tanginess and its comforting notes of bitter cocoa nibs call and respond like the warm, harmonious tones of woodwind instruments intermingling with celebratory song and the gentle rhythm of a percussion section.