A decade ago, two friends with a love of old cars and muddy adventures gave their names to a crazy idea: Marou, Faiseurs de Chocolat.

Since then that seed has grown into a company that spans continents and touches the lives of thousands of people. Marou’s sourcing philosophy is centered around long-term relationships with producers. Together they have learned to implement standardized fermentation techniques in each province to achieve the consistent bold flavors, and Marou has established a model of higher prices and transparent recognition for producers who have agreed to more labor-intensive methods to produce cacao meeting the highest quality standards. Uncommon Cacao began sourcing cacao from three regions in 2022 for sale in the European market: Tien Giang, Ba Ria, and Lam Dong.

TERROIR

Tien Giang is the gateway to the Mekong Delta. It seems like everything grows in the rich alluvial soil - dragon fruit, longan, star apples, mango, guava and of course cacao. Marou works directly with 5 cacao fermenters in this region. 

Ba Ria Province is located on the East of Ho Chi Minh City, this coastal land is sunny and drier than the Mekong Delta. Cacao here grows in the shade of jackfruit, pomelo, water apples and black pepper. Marou works here with 6 cacao fermenters who source from local producers.

Lam Dong province is located within the Central Mountain region. Marou’s team travels dusty dirt roads and narrow suspension bridges to reach the cacao farmers. The hard work of the smallholder producers, many of whom are indigenous K’Ho peoples, has paid off, and their production of quality cacao has steadily increased.