Benns Ethicoa has launched a limited edition bean to bar chocolate. The Merdeka blend is the first ever bean to bar chocolate that combines two high quality cacao beans from two of the best cacao farms in Malaysia.
We chose cacao beans from Sungai Ruan Pahang & Panchor Malacca not only because of its fine flavors but also in recognition of their effort in cultivating high quality cacao beans. Mr Koh Ah Kau who manages & owns a cacao farm in Sungai Ruan has been passionately cultivating fine flavor cacao for 30 years. His experience has led him to become a well respected figure within the cacao farming industry. Mr Simon Ting is a passionate & brave young farmer who dived into cacao farming in 2015. Learning everything from scratch, his hard work paid off as his cacao beans are now currently used by some of the famous artisanal chocolate brands in Malaysia.
The 63% blend was created in celebration of Malaysia's 63th birthday.
Sungai Ruan cacao beans have a strong character and an acidic profile. There are strong flavor notes of burnt almonds and blackcurrant. Panchor cacao beans on the other hand exhibit a very different taste profile. It has a more subtle character of milky & creamy flavor notes with low acidity. A blend of 63% dark recipe creates a sweeter flavor profile of moderate acidity, a milky middle note & a very surprising gingery note!
