Vegan Chocolate Challenges Solved In South Florida

Finding tasty vegan chocolate in South Florida can be hard. But with a little reading through this blog you can find out my three favorite single-origin vegan craft chocolate makers. They all support and work directly with cacao farmers by paying Fair Trade prices. They also all support the environment by only buying from small cacao growers. 

Cao Chocolate Truffle, Coa Chocolates, Miami, Fla.
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

My three favorites are: Miami-based  Cao Chocolates, Stuart-based Castronovo Chocolates and Ecuador-based Pacari Chocolates.

Ricardo Trillos, owner and chocolate maker of Cao Chocolates,
Miami, Fla.
Copyright 2018 by Helen A Lockey

Cao Chocolates, established in 2009, became Miami-Dade County's first bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker in the county. Venezuelan born Ricardo Trillos and his wife Anelith, started their venture as a hobby and soon transformed it into a company. They are passionate about their chocolate and their process of sourcing beans to make single-origin vegan chocolate bars (chocolate made with just one type of bean).

Their chocolate bars are certified Vegan, Kosher Parve, and Fair for Life. Their bars are 100 percent gluten-free and contain no soy, no dairy, no nuts, and no wheat. 

They know how to bring huge flavors out in their single origin bars.

You can find their bars and other chocolate items online at http://www.caochocolates.com

Or you can visit their storefront at: 9800 SW 77th Av Miami FL 33156 (near Pinecrest). 

They are open Mon.-Fri. from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sat. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Their phone number is (305) 879-0281

Their bars sell online for $8.

You can also find Cao Chocolates on Instagram, FaceBook, and Twitter. 

Amazonas Rare Cacao Collection chocolate from Castronovo Chocolates, Stuart, Fla.
Copyright 2018 by Helen a Lockey

My next favorite is Castronovo Chocolates , established in 2013, by Denise and Jim Castronovo. They became Martin County's first bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker. Their dark chocolate is made without dairy and sweetened with organic, kosher parve sugar. 

They have won multiple awards for their chocolate in both the United States and Internationally in London. 

Denis Castronovo, owner and chocolate maker of Castronovo
Chocolates, Stuart, Fla.
Copyright 2018 by Helen A Lockey

They also craft milk chocolates but are very careful about keeping their two styles separate. "We have a lot of customers that are sensitive to dairy so we make sure our equipment is very clean, says denis Castronovo.

Their single-origins dark chocolates bring the best of the bean out to your taste buds.

All of Castronovo Chocolates are also Nut-Free and Soy-Free.

You can buy their bars online at : http://www.castronovochocolate.com

Or you can go to their storefront location at: 555 Colorado Avenue in Stuart, FL 34994

They are open Mon.-Fri. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sat. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Their phone number is (561) 512-7236

In their store the dark chocolate single-origin bars start at $9. Online their bars range in price from $10 to $14 plus shipping. But if you buy over $75 worth of products shipping is free in The United States

You can also find Castronovo Chocolates on FaceBook, and Twitter.

Pacari Organic Chocolate, Ft. Lauderdale Vegan Festival,
Copyright 2017 by Helen a Lockey

Pacari Chocolate is my next favorite even though they are not based in South Florida. Instead they are an Ecuadorian based organic single origin bean-to-bar craft chocolate company that was established in 2002. But even though they are not based here their chocolates can still be tasted and bought at many chocolate and vegan festivals in South Florida.

Their bars have won numerous chocolate awards here in the United States.

Pacari prides themselves in having their chocolate making factories within a few miles of their source farms in Ecuador. They also love educating their farmer friends in ways to improve their organic processes to improve the flavor of their Arriba Nacional cacao beans (the only bean Pacari uses).

Their bars are certified USDA organic, Kosher Parve, RAW Cacao, Deneter (biodynamic) and Vegan. Their bars are also Soy-Free, Dairy-Free, and Gluten-Free.

You can buy their bars online at https://pacarichocolate.us

Pacari also produces Raw-Vegan chocolate bars. 

Their online chocolate price ranges from $6.20-$15.00 a bar.

You can also find their bars at select Whole Foods Markets.

You can also find Pacari Chocolate on Instagram, Pinterest,  and Facebook (in Spanish).

Produce Marketing Association's Delicious Fruit Choices

Fruit is a plant's sweetest gift to humanity. And at the yearly Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Fresh Summit Convention & Expo growers from all over the world come together to show off their fruit and vegetable produce. But the Fresh Summit is not limited to just showcasing produce. It is also about bringing together people from all aspects of the produce industry from the tiniest seed producer to the largest logistics company.

PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando, Fla.
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

During my most recent year of attendance, in Orlando, I came across several fascinating fruits: HBF International Kiwi Berries, SunBelle biodynamic cranberries, Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit and Frutiryes Golden Berries. Some were grown in North America and some were grown in South America.

HBF International Kiwi Berry, PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando Fla.,
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

The first delicious fruit starts with HBF International Kiwi Berries grown by Hurst's Family Farm, based in Oregon. These fruit, grow on vines, look exactly the same inside as kiwifruit except they are the size of concord table grapes and like grapes they can be eaten whole, skin and all because they have a fur-less skin. Their skin ranges in color from green to one with pink blush on green. When I had them they had been dipped in chocolate. I have found them sold at Whole Foods Markets.

SunBelle GreenBelle Biodynamic Organic Certified non-GMO
cranberries, PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

Next are GreenBelle Biodynamic Organic certified cranberries by SunBelle . These sustainably grown and harvested fruit were real treat to discover especially when I researched what it meant to grow biodynamic produce (beyond organic standards). They were deliciously tart.

Zespri's SunGold Kiwi, non-GMO and certified organic,
PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

Another impressive fruit, grown by Zespri, was a non-GMO SunGold Kiwifruit certified organic. When I lived in Australia I would kiwi fruit whenever I could, they were delicious. But when I came to live in Florida I could not find a single fruit I enjoyed to eat until I got to try the golden ones at the PMA Fresh Summit. They were sweet and refreshing and did not leave my tongue tingling like their greener cousins. These are sold at COSTCO stores.

Golden Berry, a.k.a Cape Gooseberry, PMA Fresh Summit,
Orlando. Copywright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

Then last but by no means least came Golden Berries (Physalis peruviana) also known as Cape Gooseberry. These fruit are in the same plant family as tomatillo, the fruit with an outer papery skin. But Golden Berries are smaller and more delicious, at least according to me. They are grown in Columbia by Frutireyes and other countries, and imported by various companies including SunBelle .

The real delicious property, to me, about golden berry happens when they are dried. They become the tart kings and queens of fruit and pair beautifully with chocolate and ice cream, yum. I found them at Publix Supermarkets and Whole Foods.

PMA Fresh Summit is all about several days of educational seminars, produce trends predictions presentations, parties and exposition floor booth visits that leave participants leave getting a better idea of what is happening in the worldwide produce industry.

I look forward to seeing what the PMA Fresh Summit Convention & Expo has in store for next year's event.

Biodynamic Certification Origins And Standards

Biodynamic practices and principles have been around for almost a century. They are a style of farming that uses organic growing methods, sustainability ideas and harmonious environmental practices. They also go beyond organic practices and beyond farm applications. The philosophy extends into biodynamic communities where all individuals come together as a community to help each other prosper.

Biodynamic sustainability practice of planting marigolds near kale plants,
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

Biodynamics started in the 1920s with Dr. Rudolf Steiner in Austria when farmers, who were struggling with poor land conditions, came to him for help. Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, a colleague of Dr. Steiner, later brought the practices to the United States in 1930s.

The standards of biodynamic certification, according to Demeter International, are—promote sustainable farming practices and prohibit synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics (unless to treat sick animals), genetically engineered seeds, sewage sludge as a fertilizer, artificial ingredients, and other inputs that can be used in conventional agriculture and food processing.”

This means using manure from the fields to make fermented compost, along with herbs and minerals that would be put back on the fields.  There is also the practice of planting flowers between rows of vegetables to either give off scents in the soil to keep ground insects away from eating the roots or to attract flying predatory insects to keep pest insects away eating the tops of the plants.

The farmers strive to as healthy a farm as possible sourcing from within the farm as much as possible.

Today the biodynamic concept goes beyond the soil. It looks at the balances of the ecological, social and economic stability of the farm.

Biodynamic certification differs from a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic certification because the whole farm has to be certified whereas under organic certification not the entire farm needs to be certified.

The one downside to biodynamic produce is that it costs more than organic because there are very few producers of this style of agriculture today in the United States (US). 

The US branch is called Demeter Association, Inc., a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 1985. You can go to Demeter USA website and find out more of how to purchase these wonderfully nutritious and environmentally supporting produce items.