The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners of the 2023 Peruvian Cacao Country Support Competition, the 8vo Concurso Nacional de Chocolate Peruano, which was judged remotely in Peru and also by our international pool of judges and Grand Jury during May and June 2023.
The winners were announced on 16 July 2023 in Lima, Peru as part of the Salón del Cacao y Chocolate in person and online on Zoom/Facebook. 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. The competition saw many new entrants this year and also several first-time winners.
Judges
The judging panel included our regular judges from Peru, 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.
Competition Highlights
This year’s competition saw a record number of entries and exceptionally high scores in most categories. As an example, the now separate category of high percentage plain/origin dark chocolate bars (85% and above) showcases products scoring over 85 points with the highest scoring 100% dark chocolate made by Tsinane (89.4) and the category winner Paytiti for their 90% dark chocolate (90.6).
Cacaosuyo came back this year as a multi-award winner again, taking both Gold prizes in the plain/origin dark chocolate categories as well as in micro-batch plain/origin milk chocoalte bars, and scoring highest overall in this competition with their El Ganso dark chocolate bar (92.3).
As general comments, the International Chocolate Awards’ founders highlighted the use of the best cacaos from Peru along with gentle and bean-specific roast profiles, noting that no other makers understand Peruvian cacao as well as Peruvian chocolate makers.
As for notable flavorings, some entrants chose iconic regional ingredients: algarrobina, the complex dark syrup extracted from the algarrobo tree, the mint-like herb muña, Andean tubers like maca and olluco, as well as fruits from cacao’s various biomes such as Piura mangoes, macambo (Theobroma bicolor), charapita peppers, and Amazonian camu camu.
The 2023 Peruvian Cacao Country Support Competition Winners are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
‘Best in competition’ overall winners
Plain/origin dark bar categories
Gold: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – El Ganso (92.3)Plain/origin milk bar categories
Gold: Barberis (Peru) – Chocolate leche 60% de cacao Bellavista. (89.2)Flavoured bar categories
Gold: Milan Peruvian Chocolates (Peru) – Chocolate Bitter Con Camu Camu (90.1)Filled chocolates
Gold: Renacer Chocolatier (Peru) – Macambo y Camu Camu (90.6)Plain/origin bars
Plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Gold: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – Chuncho – Cuzco (89.6)
Silver: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – Lakuna (89.2)
Silver: Rosmery Chocolates (Peru) – Barra de Origen, Rosmery Chocolates (88.9)
Silver: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – Cuzco 80 (87.3)
Micro-batch – Plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Gold: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – El Ganso (92.3)
Silver: Lovie chocolate (Peru) – Chuncho – 65% Chocolate Oscuro (89.8)
Silver: PAYTITI (Peru) – Fine Flavor Dark Chocolate 70% (89.7)
Silver: PAYTITI (Peru) – Fine Flavor Dark Chocolate 75% (89.4)
Silver: Tsinane (Peru) – Dark 75% (89.2)
Silver: Scrap & Chocolates (Peru) – La Pareja – Dark 70% cacao (88.8)
Silver: Tsinane (Peru) – Dark 70% (88.7)
Silver: Scrap & Chocolates (Peru) – Platanal Bajo – Dark 70% cacao (88.6)
Silver: PAYTITI (Peru) – Fine Flavor Dark Chocolate 63% (88.6)
Silver: Cacao Cedromayo (Peru) – 75% Cacao Chuncho (88.6)
Silver: Lovie chocolate (Peru) – Bagua – 70% Chocolate Oscuro (88.4)
Silver: Warikao (Peru) – Chocolate Bitter al 70% de Cacao (88.2)
Silver: PAYTITI (Peru) – Fine Flavor Dark Chocolate 70% (88.2)
Silver: Scrap & Chocolates (Peru) – La Quemazón – Dark 70% cacao (88.0)
Silver: Bakáu (Peru) – Chocolate Cusco 71% Cacao Ganso (87.9)
Silver: Terrazas (Peru) – Terrazas 70% Cacao Chuncho – Echarati (87.8)
Silver: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – Kareena Heredera 75 % Cacao la Pareja (87.7)
Silver: PAYTITI (Peru) – Fine Flavor Dark Chocolate 80% (87.5)
Silver: Kiénti el Sol de Los Dioses (Peru) – Chocolate Dark al 70% de Cacao (87.5)
Silver: KUSTY (Peru) – Chocolate al 60 % de Cacao (87.5)
Silver: Chocoazú Cacao (Peru) – Chocoazu 70 % Cacao (87.4)
Silver: Korín Chocolate (Peru) – Bitter al 70% cacao (Real Chocolate) (87.3)
Silver: Chocolates Chaska (Peru) – Bitter 70% Cacao Chuncho (87.2)
Silver: Royal Raymi (Peru) – Chocolate Chocodark 70% Cacao (87.0)
Bronze: Pumatiy (Peru) – Pumatiy 70 % Chuncho Blanco – Koribeni (86.9) ( * Finca Pumatiy – Comunidad nativa Koribeni – Producción propia.)
Bronze: Bakáu (Peru) – Chocolate Junín 71% Cacao Pangoa (86.8)
Bronze: Ruta del cacao (Peru) – Chocolate 70% cacao (86.8)
Bronze: Rico Quillabamba (Peru) – 65% Cacao – Chocolate Artesanal (86.8)
Bronze: Barberis (Peru) – Chocolate Bitter 70% de Cacao Bellavista (86.5)
Bronze: Juan Laura- The Chocolate Farmer (Peru) – Dark Chocolate 70% JL – 2 (86.5)
Bronze: GIBBS (Peru) – 60 % Cacao – La Pareja – Piura (86.3)
Bronze: Valle de Rioja (Peru) – Valle de Rioja Dark 75% (86.3)
Bronze: GIBBS (Peru) – 73% Cacao – La Pareja – Piura (86.2)
Bronze: Allincacao (Peru) – Chocolate de 70% de Cacao (86.2)
Bronze: Magia Piura (Peru) – Magia Piura 72% (85.9)
Bronze: Juan Laura- The Chocolate Farmer (Peru) – Dark Chocolate 70% VRAE – 99 (Ganso) (85.9)
Bronze: El Quinacho (Peru) – Chocolate al 70 % de Cacao (85.8)
Bronze: Tsinane (Peru) – Dark 60% (85.7)
Bronze: Conveca (Peru) – 70% Chuncho – Echarati (85.6)
Bronze: Juan Laura- The Chocolate Farmer (Peru) – Dark Chocolate 79% VRAE – 15 (85.6)
High % plain/origin dark chocolate bars (85% and over)
Gold: PAYTITI (Peru) – Fine Flavor Dark Chocolate 90% (90.6)
Silver: Tsinane (Peru) – Dark 100% (89.4)
+ Gold: 100%
Silver: Campos del valle (Peru) – Pasta de Cacao (89.2)
Silver: FinaCao (Peru) – Pasta de Cacao (89.0)
Silver: Magia Piura (Peru) – Magia Piura 85% (89.0)
Silver: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – Chocolates Kareena 85% Cacao la Pareja (88.2)
Silver: Pinsha Musucc (Peru) – Pasta de Cacao (87.9)
Silver: Barberis (Peru) – Barra 100% Cacao Bellavista (87.7)
Silver: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – Amazonas 100 (87.7)
Silver: Korín Chocolate (Peru) – Buenos Aires la Capital Del Cacao (87.5)
Silver: Quara Chocolates (Peru) – Chocolate Galan de Noche 93% (87.5)
Bronze: Valle de Rioja (Peru) – Valle de Rioja Extra Dark 85% (86.9)
Bronze: Pumatiy (Peru) – Pumatiy 90 % Chuncho Blanco – Koribeni (86.5) ( * Finca Pumatiy – Comunidad nativa Koribeni – Produccion propia.)
Bronze: Sumaq Sunqu (Peru) – Pasta de Cacao (86.5)
Bronze: Awki (Peru) – Chocolate Puro al 100% Cacao (86.2)
Bronze: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – Cuzco 100 (85.6)
Plain/origin milk chocolate bars
Gold: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – Piura Milk (90.0)
Silver: Pumatiy (Peru) – Pumatiy 57 % Chuncho Blanco Dark Milk (88.3)
Silver: Pumatiy (Peru) – Pumatiy 57 % Chuncho Con Leche (86.7)
Bronze: Bakáu (Peru) – Chocolate Peru Select 60% (85.5)
Micro-batch – Plain/origin milk chocolate bars
Gold: Barberis (Peru) – Chocolate leche 60% de cacao Bellavista. (89.2)
Silver: Bakáu (Peru) – Chocolate Peru Select 45% (87.7)
Silver: ChocoMikhuna (Peru) – Chocomikhuna Leche 50 % Cacao (86.9)
Silver: Royal Raymi (Peru) – Chocolate Con Leche – Kawaii (86.7)
Silver: Juan Laura- The Chocolate Farmer (Peru) – Dark Milk Chocolate 50% Chuncho -Pichari (86.6)
Silver: Scrap & Chocolates (Peru) – La Quemazón – Milk 49% cacao (86.1)
Bronze: Chocoazú Cacao (Peru) – Chocoazu 51 % Cacao Con Leche (85.5)
Bronze: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – Chocolates Kareena 50% Cacao la Pareja (85.1)
Plain/origin chocolate bars with alternative ingredients
Gold: Conveca (Peru) – 90% Chuncho – Echarate (88.2)
Silver: MANARI Chocolates (Peru) – 95% Chuncho- Cusco (86.9)
Bronze: GIBBS (Peru) – 80% Cacao con mucilago – La Pareja-Piura (85.7)
Bronze: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – Kareena 99.5%cacao Con Stevia la Pareja (84.9)
Plain/origin white chocolate bars
Gold: CODI (Peru) – Chocolate Blanco CODI (90.0)
Silver: Barberis (Peru) – Chocolate Blanco 32% de Cacao (87.1)
Flavoured bars
Dark chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Gold: Milan Peruvian Chocolates (Peru) – Chocolate Bitter Con Camu Camu (90.1) (**)
+ Special: Biome
Silver: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – 60% Cacao Con Cafe Puerta Pulache (89.6) (**)
+ Special: Ingredients
Silver: Kontiti Historia, Arte y Chocolate (Peru) – Chocolate Cuba Libre 65% Dark (88.4) (**)
Silver: Kontiti Historia, Arte y Chocolate (Peru) – Chocolate Pure Naranja 65% Dark (87.2) (**)
Silver: Allincacao (Peru) – Chocolate con Lucuma (86.8)
+ Special: Biome
Silver: Yuyariway (Peru) – Chocolate 70% cacao chuncho con muña (86.8) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Bronze: Xhamin (Peru) – Chocolate al 75% con moringa (85.9) (**)
Bronze: Yuyariway (Peru) – Chocolate 70% cacao chuncho con cedrón (85.4) (**)
Bronze: Kontiti Historia, Arte y Chocolate (Peru) – Chocolate Mezcal Naranja 65% Dark (85.1) (**)
Bronze: Nina Fine Chocolates (Peru) – Nina Majambo y Lúcuma (85.0)
Bronze: DIHA (Peru) – Chocolate al 60% Con Mandarina y Kion (84.7) (**)
Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Gold: Scrap & Chocolates (Peru) – Platanal Bajo – Dark 70% con mango roll (89.5) (**)
+ Special: Craft
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Warikao (Peru) – Chocolate aromatizado con manzanilla (88.4) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Silver: Taski (Peru) – Taski 70% Cacao Chuncho Naranja (88.4)
Silver: Bakáu (Peru) – Chocolate con Aguaymanto 65% (88.3)
Silver: Bakáu (Peru) – Chocolate con Macambo 70% (88.1) (**)
+ Special: Alternate theobromas
Silver: Brassia (Peru) – Chocolate 60% con coco y quinoa (87.8) (**)
Silver: Qori Ruros Cafe & Cacao (Peru) – 70% Cacao Chuncho con Arándanos (87.5) (**)
Silver: Kimpito (Peru) – Chocolate Bitter 60% con Aji Charapita (87.3) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Kiénti el Sol de Los Dioses (Peru) – Chocolate Dark 70% de Cacao con Arandano (87.1) (**)
Silver: Qori Ruros Cafe & Cacao (Peru) – 70% Cacao Chuncho con Muña (86.9)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: k´piros (Peru) – Naranja 70 % Cacao Chuncho (86.6) (**)
Silver: Yuyariway (Peru) – Chocolate 70% cacao chuncho con café (86.3) (**)
Silver: Cheema (Peru) – Chema 70% Chuncho con Aguaymanto (86.0)
Bronze: Pumatiy (Peru) – Pumatiy 70% Chuncho con Naranja (85.9)
Bronze: Kiénti el Sol de Los Dioses (Peru) – Chocolate Dark 70% de Cacao con Cafe (85.8) (**)
Bronze: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – PIURA NIBS (85.8) (**)
Bronze: Pumatiy (Peru) – Pumatiy 70% Chuncho con Almendras (85.7) (**)
Bronze: Nina Fine Chocolates (Peru) – Nina 70% con olluquito confitado (85.5) (**)
Bronze: Bakáu (Peru) – Chocoplatano con Arandano 60% (85.4) (**)
Bronze: Bakáu (Peru) – Chocolate Cacao x 2 – 65% (85.4) (**)
Bronze: Inka’Kaw (Peru) – Chocolate 70% cacao con sal de Maras (85.3) (**)
Bronze: Brassia (Peru) – Chocolate 60% con Ajonjolí Negro (85.3) (**)
Bronze: Brassia (Peru) – Chocolate 72% con Arándanos (85.1) (**)
Bronze: Juan Laura- The Chocolate Farmer (Peru) – Dark Chocolate 70% VRAE – 99 con Pecanas (85.1)
Bronze: Magia Piura (Peru) – Magia Piura 72% – Mango (84.9) (**)
Bronze: Bakáu (Peru) – Chocolate con Kión 65% (84.6) (**)
Bronze: Kiénti el Sol de Los Dioses (Peru) – Chocolate Dark 70% de Cacao con Naranja (84.5) (**)
Dark chocolate bars with a filling
Silver: Korín Chocolate (Peru) – Maracuyá 70% cacao (El Real Chocolate) (87.3) (**)
Milk chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Gold: La Realeza Chocolateria Artesanal (Peru) – Chocolate con Muña 50% de Cacao (88.1) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – 50% Cacao Milk con Algarroba y Maca (87.4) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Valle de Rioja (Peru) – Valle de Rioja Chocolate con Cafe 55% (86.2) (**)
Milk chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Silver: Inka’Kaw (Peru) – Chocolate milk 50% con granos andinos (87.5) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Juan Laura- The Chocolate Farmer (Peru) – Dark Milk Chocolate 50% with red fruits (87.2) (**)
Silver: Magia Piura (Peru) – Magia Piura 49% Leche- Naranja (86.8) (**)
Bronze: Ágape Peruvian Chocolate (Peru) – Chocolate de leche 55% con Sacha Inchi (84.6) (**)
Bronze: Royal Raymi (Peru) – Chocolate Misky Late con Arándanos (84.5)
Milk chocolate bars with a filling
Bronze: Scrap & Chocolates (Peru) – La Quemazon-DarkMilk 63% salted caramel (85.6) (**)
White chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Gold: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – Lemon White Chocolate (89.4) (**)
Silver: DIHA (Peru) – Chocolate Blanco con Marañon (86.0) (**)
Bronze: Nina Fine Chocolates (Peru) – Nina Chocolate Blanco con Zapallo (84.5) (**)
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Gold: Renacer Chocolatier (Peru) – Macambo y Camu Camu (90.6) (**)
+ Special: Alternate theobromas
+ Special: Modern
Silver: Renacer Chocolatier (Peru) – Copoazú y Castaña Amazónica (89.8) (**)
+ Special: Alternate theobromas
Silver: Renacer Chocolatier (Peru) – Cítricos y Cacao (87.0) (**)
Bronze: Renacer Chocolatier (Peru) – Frambuesa y Café (85.4) (**)
Bronze: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – Trufa 70% Cacao con Jalea de Cacao (85.2) (**)
Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles
Silver: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – Trufa de Algarrobina Maca y Pisco (86.7) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles
Silver: Cacaosuyo (Peru) – Aguaymanto – Yacon Bombon (87.4) (**)
+ Special: Ingredients
Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling
Silver: Renacer Chocolatier (Peru) – Pachamanca (86.2) (**)
Nuts
Dark chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Gold: PAYTITI (Peru) – Cacao Caramel 70% (89.7) (**)
+ Special: Biome
Silver: Kimpito (Peru) – Grageas Nibs de Cacao Borrachos (88.8) (**)
+ Special: Cacao flavoring/aging
Bronze: Rio Tambo (Peru) – Grageas de cacao al 60% con naranja (84.8) (**)
Milk chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Gold: Belen (Peru) – Gragea-Café Caramelizado (88.2) (**)
Caramels
Milk chocolate enrobed caramels
Silver: Fatima Carranza (Peru) – Banana and Cinnamon Candy (87.1) (**)
Combination chocolate enrobed caramels
Silver: Fatima Carranza (Peru) – Honey and Saffron Caramel (87.5) (**)
Bronze: Chocoménica (Peru) – Caramelo exótico (85.9) (**)
Others – fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc
Dark chocolate enrobed whole fruit
Silver: Belen (Peru) – Gragea de Naranja (87.8) (**)
Bronze: INKAO Peru (Peru) – Aguaymanto Cubierto con Chocolate 65% (85.8) (**)
Bronze: Pumatiy (Peru) – Gragea de Naranja 70% Cacao Chuncho (85.5) (**)
Bronze: Azzaggio (Peru) – Gragea de Piña (85.0) (**)
Bronze: Warikao (Peru) – Gragea de arándano (85.0) (**)
Spreads
Spreads with dark chocolate (no milk powder)
Gold: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – Crema 50% Cacao con Algarroba y Maca (90.4) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Chocolates Kareena (Peru) – Crema 50 % Cacao con Mani (89.8) (**)
Ingredients from cacao
Cocoa Powder
Gold: Candela Perú (Peru) – Polvo de Cacao 22-24% Orgánico (90.3)
Silver: PAYTITI (Peru) – Polvo de Cacao Natural (cacao Chuncho) (86.9)
Silver: Nutry Body (Peru) – Organic Raw Cacao Powder (86.4)
Cocoa Butter
Gold: PAYTITI (Peru) – Manteca de Cacao Natural (cacao Chuncho) (90.1)
(*) Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
