The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners 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.
Winners in this competition are not however eligible to enter the World Final 2023 as this Cacao Country Support Competition is not part of the International Chocolate Awards’ main competitions.
The 2023 Mexican Cacao Country Support Competition Winners are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
Plain/origin bars
Plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Gold: Casa Bosques Chocolate (Mexico) – Pure Dark Chocolate 74% (89.0)
Silver: Moonch Cacao (Mexico) – Amargo 74% (Blanco Finca Frida) (88.8)
Silver: Wolter (Mexico) – Aguaselva 72% (87.6)
Micro-batch – Plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Finca la Rioja 73% (89.7)
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Finca la Rioja 73% – Reserva 2022 (88.8)
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Flor de Un DÃa 70% (88.3)
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Soconusco 71% (87.8)
Silver: Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 74% (87.4)
Silver: Chocolate Hacienda los Abuelos (Mexico) – Abuelo 74% Cacao/ Hacienda el Recuerdo. (87.2)
Silver: Metiche (Mexico) – 75% Cacao Las Delias (87.2)
Silver: Silvia Guédez Chocolatier (Mexico) – Levêlez Chocolate Tabasco-chiapas 73% (87.1)
Silver: Theobromus (Mexico) – Agrofloresta 70% Tabasco (87.0)
Bronze: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Soconusco 71% – Reserva 2022 (86.9)
Bronze: Ecom (Mexico) – Pakal Villa Comaltitlán (86.9)
Bronze: Animä Cacao (Mexico) – 70% Cacao Blanco Jaguar (86.8)
Bronze: Silvia Guédez Chocolatier (Mexico) – Levêlez Chocolate 75% Trinitario (86.5)
Bronze: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Chontalpa 70% (86.2)
Bronze: Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – Chocolate Cobertura 70% Soconusco (86.0)
Bronze: Theobromus (Mexico) – Finca la Rioja 70% Chiapas (85.9)
Bronze: Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 70% Cacao Trinitario Cooperativa Rayen (85.9)
Bronze: Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 69% (85.7)
Bronze: Saraabi (Mexico) – 70% Acapetahua Saraabi (85.6)
Bronze: Mucho Chocolate (Mexico) – Huimango Fermentado (85.5)
High % plain/origin dark chocolate bars (85% and over)
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Soconusco 100% (88.2)
Silver: Tropidelico Xocolatl (Mexico) – Puro Cacao – Tropidelico Xocolatl (87.9)
Micro-batch – Plain/origin milk chocolate bars
Silver: Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 65% Cacao Criollo Grupo Pakal con Leche (86.6)
Silver: Silvia Guédez Chocolatier (Mexico) – Levêlez Chocolate 47% con Leche (86.2)
Bronze: Cielo Dentro Chocolate (Mexico) – Pixan 45% con Leche de Cabra (84.9)
Plain/origin chocolate bars with alternative ingredients
Gold: Culto Cacao (Mexico) – 73% Organic Criollo Cacao &Coconut Sugar (88.6)
Silver: Culto Cacao (Mexico) – 71% Organic Cacao Organic Coconut Sugar (88.2)
Silver: Tierra Kakao (Mexico) – Nayeeche 63% Cacao & Pataxte (87.9)
Silver: SÃij Chocolate Ancestral (Mexico) – Pataste 78% con 75% Cacao (87.6)
Silver: Theobromus (Mexico) – 50% Coco (87.1)
Plain/origin white chocolate bars
Silver: BINZ CHOCOLATESÂ (Mexico) – Barra Chocolate Blanco 34% Cacao. (86.4)
Bronze: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa White Chocolate 35% (84.9)
Flavoured bars
Dark chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Pitaya de Mayo 58% (89.9) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Gold: BINZ CHOCOLATESÂ (Mexico) – Barra 70% Cacao con Chile Pasilla Mixe (89.7) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Silver: Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – 73% Tabasco con Sal de Manantial (88.0) (**)
Silver: Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 70% Cacao con Chile (87.9) (**)
Silver: Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – Spicy Hibiscus Combinada (87.9) (**)
Silver: Mucho Chocolate (Mexico) – Chocolate Esquisito 1868 (86.9) (**)
Silver: Cielo Dentro Chocolate (Mexico) – Eos – 70% con Azafrán y Naranja (86.7) (**)
Silver: Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Sangre Azteca – Kakaw Museo (86.6) (**)
Silver: Mazorca Negra (Mexico) – Naranja y Sal de Gusano 70% (86.6) (**)
Bronze: Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – 73% Tabasco con Mezcal Reposado (85.8) (**)
Bronze: Jangala, Cacao & Selva (Mexico) – Chocolate Sal de Gusano de Maguey 70% (85.8) (**)
Bronze: Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – 73% Chiapas con Mezcal Joven (85.5) (**)
Bronze: Verde Brisa (Mexico) – Verde Brisa – Frutos Rojos (85.4) (**)
Bronze: Buendia cacao (Mexico) – Honey / 70% Quinta Tulipan (85.3) (**)
Bronze: Saraabi (Mexico) – Saraabi 60% Especiado (85.1) (**)
Bronze: Mil534 (Mexico) – 68% Cacao con Tequila Extra Añejo (84.8)
Bronze: Wolter (Mexico) – Chicatana 72% (84.8) (**)
Bronze: Rito Chocolateria (Mexico) – Rito Chocolate con Rosita de Cacao (84.7) (**)
Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Silver: Metiche (Mexico) – 74% Cacao With Cempasúchil & Almonds (88.2) (**)
Silver: Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 70% Cacao Criollo con Pepita y Sal (87.5) (**)
Silver: Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Mole 62% – Kakaw Museo – Rioja y Rancho (87.5) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Silver: Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 73% Cacao Criollo con Pox (87.5) (**)
+ Special: Reinterpretation
Silver: Mucho Chocolate (Mexico) – Mucho Goldenberry (87.2) (**)
Silver: Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 65% Five Spice (86.7) (**)
Silver: Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 70% Cacao con Nibs (86.4) (**)
Silver: Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – 60% con Granos de Café (86.1) (**)
Silver: KoKov (Mexico) – Kóx Jonjolin (86.0) (**)
Bronze: Ecom (Mexico) – Pakal Villa with Nibs (85.7)
Bronze: Rito Chocolateria (Mexico) – Reina Negra Pataxtle-nibs.By Rito (85.7)
Bronze: Jangala, Cacao & Selva (Mexico) – Lavanda y Polen y Hinojo 70% (85.0) (**)
Bronze: KoKov (Mexico) – Hibiscus 70% (84.9) (**)
Dark chocolate bars with a filling
Gold: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Dark 71% Tamarind (88.5) (**)
Silver: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Dark 71% with Chile Poblano (87.0) (**)
Milk chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Leche y Vainilla 52% (88.5) (**)
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Leche y Café 58% (86.0) (**)
White chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Bronze: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa White 35% Caramel (84.5) (**)
White chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Gold: Caramela (Mexico) – Hawaii (88.9)
Silver: Mil534Â (Mexico) – Chocolate Blanco con Pimienta Rosa (87.5)
Silver: Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Taxcalate Blanco 41 – Napana y Motelar (86.0) (**)
+ Special: Reinterpretation
Bronze: Caramela (Mexico) – Cafe Latte (85.3)
Bronze: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Dry Fruits (85.1) (**)
Bronze: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Almond and Caramel Chocolate (84.9) (**)
Bronze: Moonch Cacao (Mexico) – Caramelizado con Nibs de Cacao (84.6)
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Gold: Wolter (Mexico) – Trufa de Ron (88.3) (**)
+ Special: Alcohol
Silver: Silvia Guédez Chocolatier (Mexico) – Trufa de Tequila (88.2)
Silver: Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón de Curuba Tulipán 72% (88.2)
+ Special: Innovation
Silver: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Trufa Napaná de Pixtle y Polvillo (87.5) (**)
+ Special: Reinterpretation
Silver: CM Cacao (Mexico) – Clementina, Christian MartÃnez CM Cacao (86.8) (**)
Silver: BINZ CHOCOLATESÂ (Mexico) – Bombon Atlaquetzalli (86.6) (**)
Bronze: Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón Tropidélico X Romero 70% (85.7)
Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles
Bronze: Wolter (Mexico) – Bombon de Mezcal (85.7) (**)
Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles
Bronze: Caramela (Mexico) – Carajillo (84.9)
Bronze: Moonch Cacao (Mexico) – Bombón Romero y Naranga Agria (Chaco) (84.7) (**)
Unflavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Trufa Clásica (90.6)
Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling
Silver: BINZ CHOCOLATESÂ (Mexico) – Bombon de Pixtle y Chocolate con Leche. (87.3) (**)
Nuts
Dark chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Bronze: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Cacao Garapiñado Napaná con Chocolate (85.6) (**)
Nut based pralines with milk chocolate
Bronze: Caramela (Mexico) – Milks Pistache (85.2)
Milk chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Silver: Cielo Dentro Chocolate (Mexico) – Pistache con Chocolate de Leche de Cabra (86.7) (**)
Caramels
Milk chocolate enrobed caramels
Bronze: Caramela (Mexico) – Apple Pie (85.2)
Others – fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc
Dark chocolate enrobed whole fruit
Bronze: Silvia Guédez Chocolatier (Mexico) – Manguitos Enchilados con Chocolate (84.7) (**)
Spreads
Spreads with dark chocolate (no milk powder)
Bronze: Culto Cacao (Mexico) – Hazelnut & Organic Cacao spread (85.6)
Bronze: Cuna de Piedra (Mexico) – Pataxte and Cacao Nibs Spread (85.0) (**)
Bronze: Culto Cacao (Mexico) – Macadamia & Organic Cacao Spread (84.6)
Ingredients from cacao
Cocoa Powder
Bronze: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Cacao en Polvo Hacienda Napaná (84.8)
(*) Â Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
