Amano Artisan Chocolate facts for kids
 |
|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Orem, Utah |
|
Key people
|
Art Pollard |
| Products | Confectionery |
Amano Artisan Chocolate is a company in Orem, Utah, that makes special chocolate. They are known for making "bean-to-bar" chocolate. This means they control the whole process, from the cocoa bean to the finished chocolate bar.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name "Amano" comes from an Italian word. It means "by hand" and "love." This shows how much care they put into making their chocolate.
How Amano Started
Art Pollard started Amano Artisan Chocolate in 2005. It began in Orem, Utah. For his first batch, he used special white cocoa beans. He got these rare beans from Villahermosa, Mexico. Until 2015, Amano focused on making "single-origin" chocolates. This means all the cocoa beans for one bar came from just one place.
Unique Chocolate Making
Amano was the very first chocolate maker in Utah. Their factory is in Orem, Utah, which is very high up. It's about 4,774 feet (1,455 meters) above sea level. The company believes this high altitude helps the chocolate taste better. It helps during a step called "conching," which mixes and smooths the chocolate. Amano was also the first company in the U.S. to use a rare cocoa bean. This special bean is called the Chuao bean, and it comes from Venezuela.
Amano's Delicious Products
Amano makes their chocolate bars in small amounts. They use older machines, which lets them watch and control the flavor as they make it. Their way of making chocolate uses ideas from Italian and French candy making. Amano's chocolate often has a lot of cocoa in it, usually 70%. They get their cocoa beans from places like South America, Central America, Africa, and Oceania.
Amano's chocolate is also certified as "kosher-dairy." This means it follows special food rules. Besides chocolate bars, they also make big bags of chocolate coins. These are often used by chefs for cooking and baking.
Awards and Recognition
Amano was the first American company to win a Gold award at the Academy of Chocolate Awards. They won it for their dark chocolate. In 2009, a chocolate expert named Martin Christy listed Amano as one of the top eight bean-to-bar chocolate companies in the world. Amano was the only American company on his list.
See Also
