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)
Tablettes D’Origine/Noir
Tablettes de chocolat noir nature/d’origine
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 – Tablettes de chocolat noir nature/d’origine
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 Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РLev̻lez 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 Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РLev̻lez 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)
Tablettes de chocolat noir nature/d’origine % élevé (85 % et plus)
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Soconusco 100% (88.2)
Silver: Tropidelico Xocolatl (Mexico) – Puro Cacao – Tropidelico Xocolatl (87.9)
Micro-batch – Tablettes de chocolat au lait nature/d’origine
Silver: Hecho Chocolate (Mexico) – 65% Cacao Criollo Grupo Pakal con Leche (86.6)
Silver: Silvia Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РLev̻lez Chocolate 47% con Leche (86.2)
Bronze: Cielo Dentro Chocolate (Mexico) – Pixan 45% con Leche de Cabra (84.9)
Tablettes de chocolat alternative
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)
Tablettes de chocolat blanc nature/d’origine
Silver: Binz Chocolates (Mexico) – Barra Chocolate Blanco 34% Cacao. (86.4)
Bronze: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa White Chocolate 35% (84.9)
Tablettes Aromatisées
Tablettes de chocolat noir avec infusion ou arôme
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Pitaya de Mayo 58% (89.9) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Gold: Binz Chocolates (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) Р68% Cacao con Tequila Extra A̱ejo (84.8)
Bronze: Wolter (Mexico) – Chicatana 72% (84.8) (**)
Bronze: Rito Chocolateria (Mexico) – Rito Chocolate con Rosita de Cacao (84.7) (**)
Tablettes de chocolat noir avec inclusions ou morceaux
Silver: Metiche (Mexico) Р74% Cacao With Cempas̼chil & 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) (**)
Tablettes de chocolat noir avec fourrage
Gold: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Dark 71% Tamarind (88.5) (**)
Silver: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa Dark 71% with Chile Poblano (87.0) (**)
Tablettes de chocolat au lait avec infusion ou arôme
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Leche y Vainilla 52% (88.5) (**)
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) РLeche y Caf̩ 58% (86.0) (**)
Tablettes de chocolat blanc aromatisées avec infusion ou arôme
Bronze: Villa Cocoa (Mexico) – Villa Cocoa White 35% Caramel (84.5) (**)
Tablettes de chocolat blanc avec inclusions ou morceaux
Gold: Caramela (Mexico) – Hawaii (88.9)
Silver: Mil534 (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, pralines avec ganache, truffes
Ganaches ou truffes de chocolat noir aromatisées
Gold: Wolter (Mexico) – Trufa de Ron (88.3) (**)
+ Special: Alcohol
Silver: Silvia Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РTrufa 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 Chocolates (Mexico) – Bombon Atlaquetzalli (86.6) (**)
Bronze: Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón Tropidélico X Romero 70% (85.7)
Ganaches ou truffes au chocolat au lait
Bronze: Wolter (Mexico) – Bombon de Mezcal (85.7) (**)
Ganaches ou truffes au chocolat blanc
Bronze: Caramela (Mexico) – Carajillo (84.9)
Bronze: Moonch Cacao (Mexico) – Bombón Romero y Naranga Agria (Chaco) (84.7) (**)
Ganaches ou truffes utilisant du chocolat noir/au lait/blanc pour l’enrobage et la garniture ..
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Trufa Clásica (90.6)
Ganaches ou truffes utilisant du chocolat noir/au lait/blanc pour l’enrobage et la garniture
Silver: Binz Chocolates (Mexico) – Bombon de Pixtle y Chocolate con Leche. (87.3) (**)
Fruits secs
Dragées/ fruits secs entiers enrobés au chocolat noir
Bronze: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Cacao Garapiñado Napaná con Chocolate (85.6) (**)
Praliné au chocolat lait
Bronze: Caramela (Mexico) – Milks Pistache (85.2)
Dragées/ fruits secs entiers enrobés au chocolat lait
Silver: Cielo Dentro Chocolate (Mexico) – Pistache con Chocolate de Leche de Cabra (86.7) (**)
Caramels
Caramels enrobés de chocolat au lait
Bronze: Caramela (Mexico) – Apple Pie (85.2)
Autres Рfruits / sucre / beurre / cr̬me
Fruits entiers enrobés de chocolat noir
Bronze: Silvia Gu̩dez Chocolatier (Mexico) РManguitos Enchilados con Chocolate (84.7) (**)
Pâte à tartiner
Pâtes à tartiner au chocolat noir (sans poudre de lait)
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)
Cocoa Powder
Bronze: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Cacao en Polvo Hacienda Napaná (84.8)
(*) Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
