WHAT IT IS?
Claudio Corallo isn’t just a chocolatier; he’s a purist, a rebel, and a visionary. An agronomist from Florence, Corallo remains the only one in the world to carry out the entire chocolate-making process in one place.
His chocolate is crafted on the tiny African island of São Tomé and Príncipe, where he controls every step of production. Corallo grows his own cacao beans, ensuring that each bar captures the unfiltered essence of the cacao plant. His philosophy? No added vanilla, no excessive sugar—just pure cacao.
His chocolate is in its most raw, unadulterated form; a sharp contrast to the sugary, flavour-masked products dominating the global market. This is a bold and luxurious antidote to the decline of taste in today’s chocolate industry.
WHY IT´S COOL?
- Single-origin artisanal production: This plantation is home to abandoned cocoa plants of the same strain brought by the Portuguese in 1819. Manual cultivation and pruning are employed without plant protection products, following an approach similar to that of winegrowers, with a strong emphasis on the quality of the raw material.
- Pure chocolate is NOT(!) sour: After years of research, Claudio discovered that the sourness in chocolate is not a natural characteristic but rather a result of mistakes during the production process. As a result, his chocolate is naturally sweet without any additives, allowing customers to enjoy the purest and healthiest chocolate available.
- Better for everyone: In 1998, journalist Richard Swift visited Ghana to meet with cocoa growers and was surprised to learn that local people had never tasted chocolate. This highlights the chocolate industry’s exploitation of both humans and the environment. In contrast, Claudio Corallo employs 200 workers, ensures them fair wages, and utilizes low-carbon footprint techniques. Moreover, his commitment to pesticide-free farming sets a powerful example of zero-pollution and sustainable practice to chocolate production.
WHY IT HAS FUTURE GROWTH POTENTIAL?
In a world where people are more aware of the decline of taste, Claudio Corallo’s chocolate is a symbol of authenticity and flavour.
As people become more health-conscious and concerned about the environment, his pure, minimally processed chocolate fits our desire for natural products that are good for both our bodies and the planet. With a growing demand for ethical sourcing and our connections to food becoming deeper and infused with meaning, Claudio Corallo’s chocolate is set to thrive. It appeals to a generation that values transparency, quality, and sustainability. This is more than just a product; it’s a movement.
Moreover, Claudio infuses authenticity and personality to the world of chocolate-making. When people buy his products, they know they’re getting chocolate crafted by a true artisan—someone who lives and breathes his craft. It’s like buying a painting directly from the artist who painted it instead of from a big and faceless paint-selling company. Today’s world claims for hearts and faces, and Claudio Corallo is definitely one of them when it comes to chocolate production.
And a curious fact: before producing it, Claudio never liked chocolate. Even today, he does not like any chocolate except his own!
Resourced links
- https://www.esquire.com/it/lifestyle/food-e-drink/a46484636/claudio-corallo-cioccolato-cacao/
- https://www.cibotoday.it/storie/personaggi/claudio-corallo-cioccolato-sao-tome.html
- https://www.corriere.it/buone-notizie/21_maggio_17/rivoluzionario-cacao-circolare-sostenibile-sociale-dire-che-non-mi-piaceva-2ececb06-b70f-11eb-ba17-f6e1f3fff06b.shtml
Rahim Ennassiri
Carl Rohde
Katie