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Hacienda Jeanmarie Chocolat

Carretera  416 Km 8.1 Bo, Aguada, Puerto Rico 00602
Tel: (939) 319-2049
“We follow permaculture principles, which simulate or directly utilize the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems. All our farming processes are done naturally and free of any man-made chemicals.” - Juan Echevarria Founder & CEO
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Copyright © 2024 Jeanmarie Chocolat – All Rights Reserved

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ABOUT JEANMARIE CHOCOLAT

Introduction (Video)

Our History

The Critics & Our Award Winning Chocolatiers

Reviews

FAQs

OUR STORE
Visit The Real Chocolate Store
LINKS
Where to Find Our Products
Recipes
Our Network of Farmers
JMC Chocolate Academy
WHOLESALE PARTNERS
CONTACT US
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Hacienda Jeanmarie Chocolat

Carretera 416 Km 8.1 Bo, Aguada, Puerto Rico 00602
(939) 319-2049

© 2024 Hacienda Jeanmarie Chocolat. All rights reserved.

ABOUT JEANMARIE CHOCOLAT

Introduction (Video)

Our History

The Critics & Award Winning Chocolatiers

Reviews

FAQs

SHOP
OUR STORE
LINKS
HOME | MAIN LANDING PAGE
Where to Find Our Products
Recipes
Our Network of Farmers
JMC Chocolate Academy
WHOLESALE PARTNERS
CONTACT US
Facebook Instagram

Hacienda Jeanmarie Chocolat

Carretera 416 Km 8.1 Bo, Aguada, Puerto Rico 00602

© 2024 Hacienda Jeanmarie Chocolat. All rights reserved.

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Our Chocolate is More than just candy! 100% High Quality Naturally Grown Cacao

I’ve always loved chocolate, I mean… who doesn’t? But I had no idea that on our parent’s farm, there were dozens of Cacao trees growing wild throughout the jungle area. Growing up in Puerto Rico I had seen Cacao plants before but nothing like these. The pods were huge and they had the most beautiful red and yellow colors. These trees were producing some of the most magnificent Cacao Pods I had ever seen.

These Cacao trees were growing wild in and amongst a variety of fruit trees. Papaya, Coconuts, Breadfruit, Mangos, Pineapples, Star Fruit, and others.  For me, this was a unique and special find. However, it wasn’t until I picked, fermented, and roasted the cacao beans from one of the wild trees that I discovered we REALLY had something special! Never had I ever tasted chocolate like this. The taste and aroma were specific and unique and certainly, one of a kind. It was at that point we knew that we had to share this with the world. – Juan Echevaría García

THE JEANMARIE CHOCOLAT TIMELINE

2009
THE BEGINNING
In 2009 Hacienda Jeanmarie made the bold move of switching from growing traditional green vegetables for local restaurants to nurturing and developing the best cacao trees in Puerto Rico. In his research into cacao in Puerto Rico, Juan encountered the Tropical Agroforestry Research Station (TARS) on the University of Mayaguez campus. They had been selecting cacao varieties that are adapted to the local climate in a long ongoing initiative that started in the 1970s; emphasizing strains that are resistant to diseases, and high yielding. What’s more, TARS was dealing with budget cuts when Juan discovered them and were unable to pay for employees to care for the TARS cacao plantation. Juan began cleaning the plantation and caring for the trees. Under the tutelage of a world expert on cacao, Dr Brian Irish, he began grafting, and propagating trees and learning everything he could about growing techniques. Eventually Juan continued the selection process that started at TARS on his own farm. In order to take the process further, he began including important characteristics to gain a fine and aroma cacao bean such as taste and bean size. This is where he began to develop the Jeanmarie cacao line.
2009
2015
THE NEXT STEP FORWARD

As more and more farmers joined Juan in his mission and began to put their hard work and trust in his plan, the idea of establishing a production facility for the Jeanmarie chocolate products was born. It was then Juan met a Canadian chocolatier, Francis Murchison and together they began to work on the next steps for Jeanmaire Chocolat.

2015
2017
STARTING OVER
In 2017 hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. At this point we had a 60 acre farm newly planted near our original farm Hacienda Jeanmarie. The newly planted land was torn apart by wind and multiple landslides. Although the losses were great, we worked hard alongside many other farmers and pushed forward slowly but surely to regain lost ground. We continued planting, adapting our cultivation techniques to increase resiliency in the face of another hurricane, and continued planning a factory launch once again.
2017
2024
2024 AND BEYOND

In 2021 Juan and Francis toured a potential production facility in the town of Añasco, Puerto Rico. The space was filled with washing machines and had previously been used to provide a place for local residents to wash their clothes during the extended power outages that followed Hurricane Maria. The warehouse was perfect for what they had planned and a contract was signed and they began the necessary renovations.  The warehouse renovations have been completed and the production facility is up and running as planned. In 2024, Jeanmarie Chocolat plans on moving forward with a line of chocolate products made available throughout Puerto Rico and the continental United States.

2024
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Jeanmarie Chocolat The Critics & Our Award Winning Chocolatiers

2024 BRONZE WINNER Denise Castronovo America & Canada semifinals for the International Chocolate Awards!

Denise Castronovo has won two awards at the International Academy of Chocolate Awards in London using JEANMARIE CHOCOLAT as her primary ingredient. Silver Winner of the Academy of Chocolate Awards 2020 Dark Bean to Bar under 80% Category. Bronze Winner of the Americas semifinals to the International Chocolate Awards 2022. This is a competition with more than 1600 samples from 49 countries. 

“This is what she had to say about the flavor profile ofJeanmarie Chocolat: Citrus, walnut, vanilla, and sometimes dates.

Edward Seguine World Renowned Expert & Founder of Seguine Cacao Cocoa & Chocolate

Edward Seguine, a chocolate expert with 40 years of experience in cocoa research and development and founder of Seguine Cacao Cocoa & Chocolate Advisors, visited the Jeanmarie Chocolate farm in Feb 2015. At that time he offered advice on how to increase the competitiveness and commercial opportunities of chocolate grown in Puerto Rico. During that visit he stated, “Puerto Rico’s opportunity is to segment and offer a distinguishable product.” and Jeanmarie Chocolat has done just that. Since that visit 9 years ago, Jeanmarie Chocolat has developed one of the most delicious and distinguishable chocolate flavor profiles in the world.

Monica Meschini CO-FOUNDER, The International Chocolate Awards

Monica Meschini is a curious gourmet with a passion for chocolate. She is a member of the ‘Association Cordon Bleu,’ a trained sommelier, and a founder of the International Chocolate Awards. With over 30 years of experience as a chocolate and tea taster, she organizes international events to support chocolate makers and producers worldwide. This is what she had to say about Jeanmarie Chocolat: Violet, Incense, Grappa, Milk/Toffee, Juniper, Quinine, Wood… ” It’s very good, I like it a lot, it’s a violet grappa and then a dulce de leche”

Denise Castronovo Ecopreneur, Chocolate Maker & Ecologist

Denise Castronovo has won two awards at the International Academy of Chocolate Awards in London using JEANMARIE CHOCOLAT as her primary ingredient. Silver Winner of the Academy of Chocolate Awards 2020 Dark Bean to Bar under 80% Category. Bronze Winner of the Americas semifinals to the International Chocolate Awards 2022. This is a competition with more than 1600 samples from 49 countries. 

“This is what she had to say about the flavor profile ofJeanmarie Chocolat: Citrus, walnut, vanilla, and sometimes dates.

Miguel-Mia Diaz Coffee Shop Owner - Rich Port, Virginia, USA

THE WINNER OF THE 9TH ANNUAL GREAT HOT COCOA WAR (2023), NORFOLK VA, USA

“We won with our recipe for Tres Leche Hot Cocoa with 100% Cocoa Bean from Jeanmarie Chocolat farm in Aguada, Puerto Rico.  Thank you Don Juan. We are not serving fake Cocoa like some other competitors. This is the real deal roasted here in Norfolk Virginia by us.”

Miguel is originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico.

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Excellent

Based on 55 reviews
Click here to see more review on Google
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According to the US Department of Agriculture…  “Produce can be called organic if it’s certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest.”  Use of the term “Organic” requires certification and that process is LENGTHY and EXPENSIVE.

The Steps to Organic Certification

1. Submit application—your Organic System Plan (OSP)
2. CCOF reviews application and OSP
3. Inspection
4. CCOF reviews inspection report
5. Certification decision
6. Annual renewal contract and inspection

So, no. At this moment we can not legally “say” that our cacao is organic, but what we can say is that it is naturally grown, in the mountains of Puerto Rico and, for more than 10 years, we never have and never will use ANY synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

Absolutely! We can package and send you pods anywhere in the world as long as you are willing to pay the shipping costs. In the United States, the cost for a flat rate box that holds approx 10 to 16 pods depending on size is $75.

That’s an easy one. The 100% cocoa powder is just that. 100% cocoa powder. Nothing more. The 55% cocoa powder contains 45% pure cane sugar. You’ll buy the 55% if you want to make pastries or other desserts and you don’t want to have to add sugar. The 55/45 split is the recommended blend for baking.

Our cacao varieties are carefully selected for their flavor and many of the blended varieties we have chosen have a lighter brown or reddish color in contrast to the most common strains of cacao that contain higher levels of bitterness and a darker brown color.

Along with the distinctive flavor profile of a specialized fine and flavor cacao we have worked hard over the years to develop the best possible fermentation process in order to bring forth the full potential of flavor reduce both bitterness and acidity.

Alkalizing cacao products is a chemical procedure to reduce acidity and bitterness that we don’t have to use because our strains of cacao and fermentation process make it unnecessary. Furthermore, the alkalizing process also reduces many key nutritional qualities of cacao as a superfood.

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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question? Check out our FAQs below. If you still have a question, please visit our contact page and send us a message.

According to the US Department of Agriculture…  “Produce can be called organic if it’s certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest.”  Use of the term “Organic” requires certification and that process is LENGTHY and EXPENSIVE.

The Steps to Organic Certification

1. Submit application—your Organic System Plan (OSP)
2. CCOF reviews application and OSP
3. Inspection
4. CCOF reviews inspection report
5. Certification decision
6. Annual renewal contract and inspection

So, no. At this moment we can not legally “say” that our cacao is organic, but what we can say is that it is naturally grown, in the mountains of Puerto Rico and, for more than 10 years, we never have and never will use ANY synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

Absolutely! We can package and send you pods anywhere in the world as long as you are willing to pay the shipping costs. In the United States, the cost for a flat rate box that holds approx 10 to 16 pods depending on size is $75.

That’s an easy one. The 100% cocoa powder is just that. 100% cocoa powder. Nothing more. The 55% cocoa powder contains 45% pure cane sugar. You’ll buy the 55% if you want to make pastries or other desserts and you don’t want to have to add sugar. The 55/45 split is the recommended blend for baking.

Our cacao varieties are carefully selected for their flavor and many of the blended varieties we have chosen have a lighter brown or reddish color in contrast to the most common strains of cacao that contain higher levels of bitterness and a darker brown color.

Along with the distinctive flavor profile of a specialized fine and flavor cacao we have worked hard over the years to develop the best possible fermentation process in order to bring forth the full potential of flavor reduce both bitterness and acidity.

Alkalizing cacao products is a chemical procedure to reduce acidity and bitterness that we don’t have to use because our strains of cacao and fermentation process make it unnecessary. Furthermore, the alkalizing process also reduces many key nutritional qualities of cacao as a superfood.

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Jeanmarie Chocolat CHOCOLATE BANANA ICE CREAM

Peel and chop 5 ripe bananas and place in the freezer. Once fully frozen transfer the banana chunks to the blender and add 2 TBSP of the Jeanmarie Chocolat 55% cacao powdered chocolate or whole cacao, and ¼ cup of milk or milk substitute. Blend until smooth and serve. You can freeze this and enjoy later.

***Hint: This can be done with any fresh or frozen fruit for a delicious smoothie or frappe

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Jeanmarie Chocolat TRUFFLES

MELT & MIX

1. In a bowl over a double boiler combine 2 parts the Jeanmarie Chocolat 55% cacao powdered chocolate and one part liquid (milk, milk substitute, coffee, or fruit puree). For example, 150 grams powdered chocolate 75 milliliters liquid.

2. Stir or whisk until fully melted set aside to cool. Once the bowl is no longer hot cover the mix and refrigerate overnight or until firm.

ROLL

3. Fill a shallow plate or Tupperware with Jeanmarie Chocolat 55% cocoa powder or Jeanmarie Chocolat pure cocoa.

4. Scoop out a teaspoon of your firm cooled truffle mix into the palm of your hand and roll into a ball. This will leave a melted layer both on the ball and on your hands, don’t worry this helps the recipe!

5. Once the ball is rolled place it in the cacao/powdered chocolate and roll it around until covered. Repeat until all the mix has been rolled and covered. Taste and enjoy!

***Truffles should be kept refrigerated in a covered container and should keep for a week or so. They will firm up more over time and will stay delicious!  Tip:  Experiment with different ingredients to top the truffles such as crushed walnuts or shredded coconut. If you’re expecting company feel free to bring the truffles out of the fridge a half hour or more before serving (not in direct sunlight) you’ll find the tasting experience even more delicious.

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Jeanmarie Chocolat HOT CHOCOLATE

Place 1 tsp Jeanmarie Chocolat whole cacao powder in a cup, half fill with hot water and stir until fully melted. Top off with milk or more warm water and sweeten to taste. For the Jeanmarie Chocolat 55% cacao powdered chocolate use 2 tsp.

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Jeanmarie Chocolat BAKING

Substitute Jeanmarie Chocolat whole cacao powder with cocoa powder in any recipe. For recipes that call for semi‐sweet or bittersweet chocolate you can substitute in the Jeanmarie Chocolat 55% cacao powdered chocolate.

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