We have many artisanal foods in our area, from savory to sweet. One local mother and daughter business is bringing heirloom varieties of cacao from Ecuador to Michigan. Their company is Mindo Chocolate Makers, and they make small batches of unique bean-to-bar chocolate in Dexter, near Ann Arbor.
Owner Barbara Wilson, and her daughter Alicia Meza, joined “Live In The D” co-host Tati Amare to show off some of what they create.
Alicia said they locally source their cacao beans from Mindo, Ecuador and the fermenting, drying, and roasting happens there as well. After it is shipped to their location in Michigan, the chocolate making process can begin.
Barbara said they are chocolate makers, as opposed to chocolatiers, because they physically transform cacao beans into chocolate. She said chocolate makers are very unique and rare, and there were not even 20 makers in the United States when they started in 2009.
Mindo Chocolate Makers specializes in chocolate bars, and they have a variety of flavors like Michigan cherry, sea salt, and coffee toffee. They also have all natural items like hot chocolate sticks, cookies, brownies, biscotti, and offer Mother’s Day gift boxes.
They also offer chocolate making tours which take people through their process and factory, and you can mold your own bars at their chocolate bar making classes.
To see part of the chocolate making process, and the full interview, watch the video above.