The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Grand Jury Finalists of the 1st Mexican Cacao Country Support Competition, the 1er Concurso Nacional de Chocolate Mexicano, which was judged in Mexico and also by our international pool of judges and Grand Jury during October 2023.
The winners were announced on 17 November 2023 in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico as part of the Festival del Chocolate Tabasco in person.
As with all live ceremonies, there were several heartwarming moments when winners gathered on stage, proudly holding their certificates and Gold winners expressing their gratitude towards the hard work of cacao farmers and their teams.Â
Judges
The judging panel included our regular judges from Mexico, along with many of our IICCT alumni and other specialists from the local area and members of our international Grand Jury panel.
All judging was anonymized, including the Grand Jury final session, where Golds, Silver and Bronze prizes were awarded by private voting according to the Grand Jury rules.
Grand Jury Finalists
The Grand Jury Finalists are the entries that made it through to the final Grand Jury round, following an initial technical Selection round and a main round of judging. The Finalists are the nominations from which the Grand Jury select the prize winners, through private voting.
While listing as a Grand Jury Finalist is an achievement in itself, it does not necessarily indicate that the entry will receive a prize.
The 2023 Mexican Cacao Country Support Competition Grand Jury Finalists are:
(In score order within each category)
Plain/origin bars
Plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Casa Bosques Chocolate (Mexico) – Pure Dark Chocolate 74% (88.98)Moonch Cacao (Mexico) – Amargo 74% (Blanco Finca Frida) (88.78)
Wolter (Mexico) – Aguaselva 72% (87.58)
Culto Cacao (Mexico) – 80% Organic Cacao and Coconut Sugar (84.68)
Micro-batch – Plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Finca la Rioja 73% (89.68)Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Finca la Rioja 73% – Reserva 2022 (88.76)
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Flor de Un DÃa 70% (88.34)
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Soconusco 71% (87.76)
Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 74% (87.36)
Chocolate Hacienda los Abuelos (Mexico) – Abuelo 74% Cacao/ Hacienda el Recuerdo. (87.20)
Metiche (Mexico) – 75% Cacao Las Delias (87.20)
Silvia Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РLev̻lez Chocolate Tabasco-chiapas 73% (87.12)
Theobromus (Mexico) – Agrofloresta 70% Tabasco (87.00)
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Soconusco 71% – Reserva 2022 (86.94)
Ecom (Mexico) – Pakal Villa Comaltitlán (86.92)
Animä Cacao (Mexico) – 70% Cacao Blanco Jaguar (86.79)
Silvia Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РLev̻lez Chocolate 75% Trinitario (86.52)
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Chontalpa 70% (86.20)
Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – Chocolate Cobertura 70% Soconusco (86.02)
Theobromus (Mexico) – Finca la Rioja 70% Chiapas (85.89)
Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 70% Cacao Trinitario Cooperativa Rayen (85.87)
Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 69% (85.66)
Saraabi (Mexico) – 70% Acapetahua Saraabi (85.63)
Mucho Chocolate (Mexico) – Huimango Fermentado (85.54)
KoKov (Mexico) – Tzama Caocao (85.13)
Animä Cacao (Mexico) – 70% Cacao Criollo Finca Cuatro Hermanos (84.19)
Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 65% Agua Selva (84.19)
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Flor de Un DÃa 70% – Reserva2022 (84.14)
Mil534 (Mexico) – Mil534 Chocolate 72% Almendra Blanca (83.94)
Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Tulipán 72 – Kakaw Museo (83.88)
Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 70% Cacao Criollo Finca la Rioja (83.64)
Mazorca Negra (Mexico) – Almendra Blanca 74% (83.40)
MANADA (Mexico) – Chocolate 75% Cacao Criollo (83.20)
Ecom (Mexico) – Balam Huehuetan (83.19)
Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – 73% Cacao de Comalcalco, Tabasco (83.11)
Silvia Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РLev̻lez Chocolate 70% Almendra Blanca (82.82)
Tierra Kakao (Mexico) – Selva Intensa 73 (82.72)
High % plain/origin dark chocolate bars (85% and over)
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Soconusco 100% (88.24)Tropidelico Xocolatl (Mexico) – Puro Cacao – Tropidelico Xocolatl (87.88)
Animä Cacao (Mexico) – 85% Cacao Soconusco “el Hular” (83.01)
Plain/origin milk chocolate bars
SÃij Chocolate Ancestral (Mexico) – Chocolate Amargo 72% Cacao Leche d Cabra (81.27)Micro-batch – Plain/origin milk chocolate bars
Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) Р65% Cacao Criollo Grupo Pakal con Leche (86.56)Silvia Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РLev̻lez Chocolate 47% con Leche (86.24)
Cielo Dentro Chocolate (Mexico) – Pixan 45% con Leche de Cabra (84.94)
Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Milk 45% (82.11)
BINZ CHOCOLATES (Mexico) – Barra con Leche 39% Cacao. (81.24)
Plain/origin chocolate bars with alternative ingredients
Culto Cacao (Mexico) – 73% Organic Criollo Cacao &Coconut Sugar (88.58)Culto Cacao (Mexico) – 71% Organic Cacao Organic Coconut Sugar (88.22)
Tierra Kakao (Mexico) – Nayeeche 63% Cacao & Pataxte (87.90)
SÃij Chocolate Ancestral (Mexico) – Pataste 78% con 75% Cacao (87.60)
Theobromus (Mexico) – 50% Coco (87.06)
Moonch Cacao (Mexico) – Amargo 70% Mezquite RC (84.11)
Plain/origin white chocolate bars
BINZ CHOCOLATES (Mexico) – Barra Chocolate Blanco 34% Cacao. (86.38)Wolter (Mexico) – Chelo Caramelo (82.81)
Flavoured bars
Dark chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Pitaya de Mayo 58% (89.88)BINZ CHOCOLATES (Mexico) – Barra 70% Cacao con Chile Pasilla Mixe (89.70)
Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – 73% Tabasco con Sal de Manantial (88.02)
Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 70% Cacao con Chile (87.89)
Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – Spicy Hibiscus Combinada (87.87)
Mucho Chocolate (Mexico) – Chocolate Esquisito 1868 (86.88)
Cielo Dentro Chocolate (Mexico) – Eos – 70% con Azafrán y Naranja (86.65)
Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Sangre Azteca – Kakaw Museo (86.61)
Mazorca Negra (Mexico) – Naranja y Sal de Gusano 70% (86.58)
Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – 73% Tabasco con Mezcal Reposado (85.80)
Jangala, Cacao & Selva (Mexico) – Chocolate Sal de Gusano de Maguey 70% (85.80)
Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – 73% Chiapas con Mezcal Joven (85.50)
Verde Brisa (Mexico) – Verde Brisa – Frutos Rojos (85.36)
Buendia cacao (Mexico) – Honey / 70% Quinta Tulipan (85.32)
Saraabi (Mexico) – Saraabi 60% Especiado (85.10)
Mil534 (Mexico) Р68% Cacao con Tequila Extra A̱ejo (84.79)
Wolter (Mexico) – Chicatana 72% (84.75)
Rito Chocolateria (Mexico) – Rito Chocolate con Rosita de Cacao (84.73)
Tropidelico Xocolatl (Mexico) – Tropidelico Xocolatl Vainilla 70 (81.20)
Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 67% Mezcalero (80.36)
Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Metiche (Mexico) Р74% Cacao With Cempas̼chil & Almonds (88.15)Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) Р70% Cacao Criollo con Pepita y Sal (87.50)
Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Mole 62% – Kakaw Museo – Rioja y Rancho (87.48)
Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 73% Cacao Criollo con Pox (87.46)
Mucho Chocolate (Mexico) – Mucho Goldenberry (87.22)
Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 65% Five Spice (86.73)
Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 70% Cacao con Nibs (86.44)
Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 60% con Granos de Café (86.09)
KoKov (Mexico) – Kóx Jonjolin (86.03)
Ecom (Mexico) – Pakal Villa with Nibs (85.70)
Rito Chocolateria (Mexico) – Reina Negra Pataxtle-nibs.By Rito (85.70)
Jangala, Cacao & Selva (Mexico) – Lavanda y Polen y Hinojo 70% (84.98)
KoKov (Mexico) – Hibiscus 70% (84.89)
Mazorca Negra (Mexico) РAlmendra Blanca 74% y Nibs Garapi̱ados (84.06)
Mil534 (Mexico) – 70% Chile Morita & Tortilla Tatemada (84.03)
Caramela (Mexico) – Darks Habanero (83.80)
Rito Chocolateria (Mexico) – Reina Negra Chocolate (82.90)
Wolter (Mexico) – Memorias Mexicanas 74% (82.90)
CM Cacao (Mexico) – Xanath, Christian MartÃnez CM Cacao (82.88)
Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 70% Cacao Garapiñado Enchilado (81.30)
Dark chocolate bars with a filling
Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Dark 71% Tamarind (88.51)Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Dark 71% with Chile Poblano (87.02)
Mazorca Negra (Mexico) – Jalea Red Globe 70% (82.72)
Milk chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) РLeche y Vainilla 52% (88.54)Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) РLeche y Caf̩ 58% (86.04)
CM Cacao (Mexico) – Luke, Christian MartÃnez CM Cacao (80.77)
Milk chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
BINZ CHOCOLATES (Mexico) – Barra con Leche 39% Cacao y Avellanas. (80.69)Caramela (Mexico) – Chocolate de la Abuela (80.62)
Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Milk 45% Orange y Chipotle (80.59)
White chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa White 35% Caramel (84.48)White chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Caramela (Mexico) – Hawaii (88.90)Mil534 (Mexico) – Chocolate Blanco con Pimienta Rosa (87.54)
Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Taxcalate Blanco 41 – Napana y Motelar (86.00)
Caramela (Mexico) – Cafe Latte (85.30)
Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Dry Fruits (85.14)
Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Almond and Caramel Chocolate (84.86)
Moonch Cacao (Mexico) – Caramelizado con Nibs de Cacao (84.60)
White chocolate bars with a filling
BINZ CHOCOLATES (Mexico) – Barra Chocolate Blanco 34% y Pistache (83.27)Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Wolter (Mexico) РTrufa de Ron (88.30)Silvia Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РTrufa de Tequila (88.24)
Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón de Curuba Tulipán 72% (88.16)
Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Trufa Napaná de Pixtle y Polvillo (87.54)
CM Cacao (Mexico) – Clementina, Christian MartÃnez CM Cacao (86.80)
BINZ CHOCOLATES (Mexico) – Bombon Atlaquetzalli (86.60)
Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón Tropidélico X Romero 70% (85.74)
Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles
Wolter (Mexico) – Bombon de Mezcal (85.65)Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles
Caramela (Mexico) – Carajillo (84.94)Moonch Cacao (Mexico) – Bombón Romero y Naranga Agria (Chaco) (84.73)
Unflavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Trufa Clásica (90.58)Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling
BINZ CHOCOLATES (Mexico) – Bombon de Pixtle y Chocolate con Leche. (87.30)Silvia Guédez Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón Mango, Mezcal y Sal con Chapulin (82.67)
Nuts
Dark chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Cacao Garapiñado Napaná con Chocolate (85.55)Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Garapiñado Picante con Chocolate (83.84)
Nut based pralines with milk chocolate
Caramela (Mexico) – Milks Pistache (85.15)Caramela (Mexico) – Dulce de Leche (83.84)
Caramela (Mexico) – Milks Macadamia (81.92)
Milk chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Cielo Dentro Chocolate (Mexico) – Pistache con Chocolate de Leche de Cabra (86.72)Caramels
Milk chocolate enrobed caramels
Caramela (Mexico) – Apple Pie (85.24)Others – fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc
Combination enrobed fruit pastes, jellies/gelée
Silvia Guédez Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón de Frambuesas (82.50)Dark chocolate enrobed whole fruit
Silvia Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РManguitos Enchilados con Chocolate (84.73)Spreads
Spreads with dark chocolate (no milk powder)
Culto Cacao (Mexico) – Hazelnut & Organic Cacao spread (85.56)Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – Pataxte and Cacao Nibs Spread (85.04)
Culto Cacao (Mexico) – Macadamia & Organic Cacao Spread (84.62)
Ingredients from cacao
Cocoa Powder
Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Cacao en Polvo Hacienda Napaná (84.84)|||
