The Franceschi Chocolate collection consists of Fine and Premium dark chocolate made from pure, ancestral Venezuelan cacao. Six generations of the Franceschi family have worked passionately to preserve the distinct aromas and flavors of a variety of cacao beans found in different regions of the Venezuelan countryside.

The Premium Collection, composed of 70% single origin Criollo cacao native to northwestern Venezuela, features dark chocolate bars with citrusy tones, velvety textures, and a subtle sweetness.

Franceschi’s Fine Collection is made with 60% concentration of Trinitario cacao (similar to the Criollo strain) resulting in a smooth, silky sweet, intensely aromatic dark chocolate.

The superior seeds of the rare Criollo bean are at the heart of Franceschi’s extra-fine or premium dark chocolates. First discovered near mountains in the "Sur del Lago" region, close to Maracaibo lake, at the foot of the Andes mountain range, more than 30 varieties of Criollo are grown in Venezuela today. The Franceschi sisters rely on the revered Canoabo, Choroní, and Ocumare strains to produce their Premium Collection of dark chocolate bars.

Trinitario varietal, a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero cacaos, is the featured ingredient of Franceschi’s Fine Collection. The cross-pollination of the spicy Criollo and the robust Forastero from the Venezuelan Delta results in full-bodied dark chocolate. The chocolatiers use the Rio Caribe, Carenero and Sur del Lago strains for their high influence of Criollo distinctiveness.

Owners Claudia and Mariela Franceschi come from a long line of Venezuelan cacao planters who, in 1830, set out to rescue the native Criollo and Trinitario cacao that grew on the family’s plantation in the Paria peninsula. The pair premiered their first line of artisan dark chocolates in 2008 and are now part of an elite group of tree-to-bar chocolatiers who closely monitor every facet of the production process -- from tending the plants to packaging the final product.

Franceschi Chocolates has been recognized by the International Chocolate Awards as one of America’s best dark chocolates. In the Americas category, Franceschi Chocolate won silver in 2012 and 2014 and Bronze in 2015. In the Venezuela category, the company was awarded the Gold in both 2013 and 2014.

Read more about Franceschi dark chocolate and their story here.