62% Dark Chocolate with Organic Cashews and Hazelnuts

Bean to Bar – Tabasqueño, Chiapas, Mexico

The creamy embrace of toasted dried fruit meets ancestral Zoque cocoa

Organic Dark Chocolate 62% Cashews and Hazelnuts by Karuna

Karuna's 62% Dark Chocolate with Cashews and Hazelnuts is a delicious and sophisticated creation that combines the intense character of Mexican Tabasqueño cocoa from the Sierra Madre de Chiapas with the buttery creaminess of organic cashews (13,5%) and the toasted elegance of the Tonda Gentile del Piemonte PGI hazelnut, considered the world's finest hazelnut for its aroma, crunchiness, and natural sweetness. This bean-to-bar chocolate represents Katya and Armin's interpretation of a plant-based milk chocolate: the finest cashew paste, stone-ground to a creamy, butter-like consistency, replaces cow's milk, creating a velvety smoothness and delicate sweetness that balances the bitterness of the 62% cocoa, while hand-roasted Piedmont hazelnuts add crunch, aromatic depth, and notes of toasted caramel that complete the sensory profile.

Tabasqueño cacao comes from the “Cacao Selva Tabasqueño” project, developed in collaboration with the indigenous Zoque people of the Chiapas region of southern Mexico. Discovered and supported by Original Beans, a pioneer in ethical ultra-premium cacao. The Zoque, one of Mexico's oldest pre-Columbian cultures with cocoa-growing traditions dating back over 3000 years, cultivate native varieties of Criollo and Trinitario cacao in traditional agroforestry systems called “cacaotales,” where the plants grow in the shade of “mother cacao” (Gliricidia sepium), tropical fruit trees, and palms, recreating the biodiversity of the original jungle. This ancestral approach protects the threatened rainforest, sequesters carbon, preserves habitat for endemic wildlife such as jaguars and quetzals, and provides a living income to communities who have been custodians of this sacred plant for millennia.

Once they arrive at Karuna's artisanal laboratory in Alto Adige, the Tabasqueño cocoa beans are gently roasted to develop notes of red berries, hazelnut, and sweet tobacco. They are then ground together with cashews and Piedmont hazelnuts during a long, days-long conching process that melds the ingredients into a perfect, silky, and smooth emulsion. The result is a chocolate with an enveloping and comforting aromatic profile: intense aromas of toasted nuts (hazelnut, almond, cashew), toasted cocoa, buttered caramel, and natural vanilla emerge on the nose. On the palate, the texture is creamy and melting, thanks to the cashew paste that creates the typical smoothness of milk chocolate made without the use of animal derivatives. The sweetness is balanced and never cloying, the bitterness of the cocoa is present but gentle, and the finish is long, with a lingering hazelnut praline finish and a pinch of sea salt (0,09%) that enhances all the flavors, creating depth. Silver medal at the Academy of Chocolate Awards 2021, a prestigious recognition that celebrates the excellence of this vegan chocolate, which has nothing to envy the best traditional milk chocolates.
 
 
 

The roots of Mexican cocoa lie in the Olmec and Mayan civilizations

Mexico is universally recognized as the birthplace of chocolate, the land where it all began thousands of years ago when the first Mesoamerican civilizations discovered the extraordinary properties of wild cacao beans and began cultivating, fermenting, and transforming them into the sacred beverage that would conquer the world. The oldest archaeological evidence of cacao use dates back to the Olmec civilization (1500–400 BC), considered the mother culture of Mesoamerica, which inhabited the tropical lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico in the present-day states of Tabasco and Veracruz. Chemical analyses of Olmec ceramic residues have revealed traces of theobromine dating back to 1900 BC, demonstrating that cacao was already being consumed in some form almost 4000 years ago, likely as a fermented beverage made from the sweet pulp surrounding the beans.

Today, projects like “Cacao Selva Tabasqueño,” supported by Original Beans, are revitalizing this ancient legacy, allowing the descendants of the world’s first cocoa farmers to benefit economically from the resurgence of the fine chocolate market, closing the historical circle in an ethical and sustainable way.
 
 
 

Choosing Cashew and Hazelnut Chocolate means eating excellence.

62% Dark Chocolate with Cashews and Hazelnuts is an extraordinary nutritional powerhouse that combines the benefits of dark cocoa with the properties of oily nuts. 62% cocoa provides abundant polyphenolic antioxidants (flavanols) with cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects, essential magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, the stimulant theobromine, and compounds that improve mood and concentration. Organic cashews (13,5%) are among the most nutritious nuts: rich in cardioprotective monounsaturated fats similar to olive oil, they provide high-quality protein (the chocolate contains a whopping 12g of protein per 100g, an exceptional value for chocolate), magnesium, phosphorus, zinc essential for the immune system and fertility, copper for red blood cell production, and vitamin K for bone health.

Cashews also contain anacardic acid, a phenolic compound with antimicrobial and potentially anticancer properties according to preliminary studies, and tryptophan, an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin and contributes to a sense of well-being. The Tonda Gentile del Piemonte PGI hazelnut adds additional omega-9 monounsaturated fats, antioxidant vitamin E that protects cell membranes from oxidation, B vitamins (B1, B6, folate) essential for energy metabolism and nerve function, manganese for bone metabolism, and phytosterols that help reduce the absorption of dietary cholesterol.

The combination of cocoa, cashews, and hazelnuts creates an exceptional lipid profile: over 70% of the total fat is beneficial unsaturated fatty acids (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), while the saturated fats are primarily stearic acid from cocoa butter, which does not raise LDL cholesterol. The 9g of fiber per 100g supports intestinal health, satiety, and glycemic control. The high protein content (12g per 100g) makes this chocolate particularly satiating and suitable as a pre- or post-workout energy snack. The pinch of sea salt (0,09%) not only enhances the flavor but also provides trace minerals. This vegan chocolate demonstrates how it's possible to create nutritious, ethical, and extraordinarily delicious treats without compromising on taste or health.
 
 
 

Best Uses: 62% Dark Chocolate, Cashews, and Hazelnuts

• ENERGY SNACK AND TASTING WITH HOT DRINKS
  Enjoy this creamy chocolate as an energy snack mid-morning or afternoon, accompanied with Peù Kornesha Organic Coffee 250g, cappuccino of Organic Oat Milk 1L. Also perfect as a post-workout reward thanks to its high protein content. Pair with fresh fruit (pears, apples, oranges).
• CREAMY INGREDIENT FOR VEGAN SWEETS AND DESSERTS
  Melt chocolate to create ultra-creamy ganache for filling cakes, cupcakes, tarts nutsUse as a base for chocolate mousse. Chop and incorporate into cookies, homemade granola, or bars with oat flakes  e peanut cream.
• SPREADABLE CREAM AND TOPPING FOR DELICIOUS BREAKFASTS
  Melt chocolate and mix it with cashew butter to create a Nutella-like vegan spread to enjoy on Five Grain and Seed Bread , crepes of 500g organic whole buckwheat flour  . Grate on oat porridge, or 500g organic Greek yogurt with banana Melt to create chocolate sauces to pour over ice cream or grilled fruit.

The Producer: Karuna

Karuna, Katya and Armin's life project, supported by their family (Lorenz on design, Roman on graphics), represents pioneering excellence in the bean-to-bar movement in Alto Adige. Born from a passion sparked almost accidentally during a trip to India in 2014, Karuna is now an international benchmark for premium artisanal chocolate that celebrates global cocoa terroirs, biodiversity, indigenous communities, and creative innovation. With obsessive research, obsessive selection of ultra-premium organic fair-trade cocoa, complete control over roasting and conching, and an ethical vision that permeates every decision (from farmer support to compostable packaging), Katya and Armin create award-winning chocolates that demonstrate how sensory excellence is inseparable from social and environmental responsibility.
 
 
 

Ingredients

Cocoa beans* (Mexico, Chiapas), raw cane sugar*, cashews* (13,5%), Tonda Gentile del Piemonte PGI hazelnut* (8,5%), cocoa butter*, sea salt (0,09%). Minimum cocoa 62%. *from certified organic farming. Contains nuts.
 
 
 

Nutritional Values ​​(average values ​​per 100g of product)

• Energy: 2371 kJ / 572 kcal
• Fat: 44 g (of which saturated: 24 g)
• Carbohydrates: 36 g (of which sugars: 24 g)
• Fiber: 9 g
• Protein: 12 g
• Salt: 0,1 g

 
 
 
Tasting notes: Roasted nuts (cashews, hazelnuts), roasted cocoa, buttered caramel, natural vanilla
 
 
 
Certifications and awards: Certified Organic, Bean to Bar, Fair Paid Cocoa, Vegan, Academy of Chocolate Silver Winner 2021, Eco-friendly, compostable, plastic-free packaging
 
 
 

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