Cargill has announced that it is expanding its Veliche™ line with two dynamic, Signature Origins dark couverture chocolates.

This will make Cargill one of the only gourmet chocolate suppliers to bring flavours of El Salvador and the Democratic Republic of Congo to chefs around the world.

As only small quantities of cocoa beans are produced in El Salvador, those that do grow in its “rich, volcanic” soils are “highly prized”.

To make the country’s flavours accessible to chefs, Cargill partnered with the third-generation cocoa famers of the Hacienda San José Real de la Carrera.

Wim Bastiaens, Cargill’s Gourmet and Distribution Director said: “In developing our new Signature Origins products, we searched the cocoa-growing regions of the world to bring chefs chocolate with unique flavour profiles that truly stand apart from current gourmet offerings.

 “Our Usulután 65 Signature Origin dark couverture chocolate from El Salvador and Okapi 65 Signature Origin dark couverture chocolate from the Democratic Republic of Congo are the result – gourmet chocolates that will surprise and delight consumers’ palates.”

Nearly 12,000 kilometres east, Cargill discovered the Okapi Cooperative in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which produces an herbaceous cocoa with flavours of spices and dried fruits.

These unique cocoa beans will be grown exclusively for Cargill and used to craft its Okapi Signature Origins dark couverture chocolate.