Amazonian Vanilla Aged - Harvest 2022 (73.5%) - Signature

The bright fruitiness of our 2022 harvest merges effortlessly with the aromatic profile of Ecuadorian Vanilla odorata, forever changing our perspective on vanilla. For most of To’ak’s history, we never seriously considered adding vanilla to our chocolate. Since fine flavor cacao already contains hundreds of naturally occurring aroma compounds, adding vanilla felt unnecessary, even distracting. Then we discovered aging, now one of our favorite forms of experimentation. We found that chocolate behaves almost like a living material, slowly exchanging and transforming aromas when exposed to carefully selected ingredients. And the possibilities are seemingly endless. Years ago, a friend of To’ak returned from Madagascar with several exceptional vanilla beans. Curious, we started a few aging experiments and then largely forgot about them. As time passed, we tasted vanilla from different origins before realizing something surprising: One of the most exciting vanillas we encountered wasn’t from Madagascar—it was growing right here in Ecuador. The Slow But Rewarding Work Behind Ecuadorian Vanilla That discovery eventually led us to the Upano Valley near Macas, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. There, producers Noemí and Christian have been working to rescue native vanilla species before they disappear. Changes to the landscape, including years of volcanic activity from Sangay and shifting river systems, have made native vanilla increasingly difficult to find in the wild. Every rescued plant represents a piece of Ecuador’s natural heritage. Among the species they cultivate is V. odorata, a native vanilla species found in the Ecuadorian Amazon that immediately caught our attention. Vanilla is an orchid, and a remarkably demanding one. Each flower opens for only a single day. If not pollinated during that brief window, no vanilla pod will form. Much of this delicate work is performed by hand. After pollination, the pods remain on the vine for roughly 10 months before harvest, followed by another four to five months of traditional curing. During this time, the vanilla slowly transforms. The beans darken, soften, concentrate their aromas, and reveal their character. One of the most striking characteristics of Noemí and Christian’s odorata is the natural frosting that develops during curing. This occurs when vanillin migrates to the surface of the bean and crystallizes, a phenomenon associated with high concentrations of vanillin. Interestingly, when they applied the same curing process to odorata sourced elsewhere in Ecuador, the same crystallization did not occur. Its flavor profile is equally distinctive, offering notes of red berries, citrus, tropical fruit, and soft caramel. The Vanilla Aging Experiments As we continued experimenting, we aged several of our Rain Harvest editions with V. odorata, comparing harvests from 2021, 2022, and 2023. The clear winner was Rain Harvest 2022. The bright fruit character of the 2022 harvest seemed to merge effortlessly with the aromatic profile of odorata. Neither ingredient dominates. Instead, they create something entirely new together. This edition ultimately changed our perspective on vanilla. We see it now as a noble ingredient with its own terroir, history, and personality. In the right context, vanilla can reveal new dimensions within fine cacao. Two Treasures from Ecuador This chocolate brings together two rare treasures from Ecuador: heirloom Nacional cacao and native Amazonian vanilla. It’s the result of years of experimentation, a remarkable rescued orchid, and a harvest that happened to meet it at exactly the right moment.