From cocoa bean to bar: interview with the Nao team
Do you want to find out more about Nao? Our team enjoyed the meetup with us and answered a few questions about our chocolate brand and chocolate in general.
Who are you and where does Nao come from?
Our team comes from all corners of Belgium, we all share the same passion for chocolate and together we want to push boundaries.
Nao was established in 2015 based on the determination that the range on the Belgian market was limited to organic and Belgian chocolate, which makes no sense in the country of chocolate par excellence. Based on our wide range of experiences and professional backgrounds, we arrived at the idea to develop a very simple project: Offer Belgian quality chocolate that is available in a certified, organic, affordable and in bulk manner.
You are making a dream come true: the creation of your own supplier chain and making your own bean-to-bar chocolate. Please tell us more about this.
We are fairly new to the world of chocolate. It may be this fresh look on things that has made us ask many uncomfortable questions or that have put habits that have existed for dozens of years upside down. Habits that were no longer questioned. Everybody said: “It’s impossible to work without the large suppliers. There is a type of monopoly; that’s simply the way it is.” We go a lot further with our system than even the most enviable of labels.
Organic was not a goal in itself for us: it is taken for granted.
The “fair trade” label is self-evident in itself. It makes it easier for both the customer and the chocolate maker to understand the product and the market. Everybody sees in a simple way that the product at issue is part of a serious supply chain that protects and correctly pays the producer.
We simply want to go further with our approach. So we ask ourselves the following question: “How can we do it even better and guarantee our partners the best possible income and the largest possible stability? It was this thought that initially made us challenge the traditional mindset and to start colouring outside the lines.
We have set up our own supply chain where the common thread is a high purchase price for the cocoa beans, but also a fixed price all year round that protects producers and their families against the dynamics of speculation on the cocoa market.
Even though the road is still long, at NAO we are happy that we have achieved that stage today. We are very proud of this. Previously, working at a very small scale was the only way to be sure of your product: importing beans in batches of only a few bags and working with very small quantities. The quality was there, but the costs were those of a luxury product. We wanted to “democratise excellence“, with chocolate that shows respect for everyone ranging from the producer to the customer.
What does chocolate mean to you?
Chocolate is not just a product. It is sacred. It is the nectar of the gods and we must never forget this. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they quickly heard about xocoatl, a holy drink that was often drank during religious ceremonies, celebrations such as marriages or children purification rituals.
Originally, this drink was used to achieve another more alert state of consciousness. The very spicy highly refined drink unfolded bitter flavours. It was not about being sweet, but about a series of very subtle, more acidic flavours. The Mayas and Aztecs combined it with vanilla (to make it sweeter) or chili pepper (to spice it up).
Centuries later, this is the authenticity that every good chocolate maker wishes to rediscover together with the regressive pleasure of sugar, of course: the art is to know how it needs to be dosed. There is, however, something reassuring and pure in the idea that it all comes from a very old cultural tradition that is symbolically very strong and full of meaning. A tradition that has now won over the entire world.
Tell us about the steps that separate the cacao plant from the coffee table in our living rooms…
The fruit grows on the plant, a pod that contains the beans. Once harvested, they are opened and the beans can start to ferment. The aromas already tell you part of their story at this early stage. This step is neglected far too often by chocolate makers. And yet, this initial fermentation at the harvesting location is of vital importance for the developments of the flavours.
Next, the beans are dried and roasted. This roasting also helps to diversify flavours. The depth of a chocolate is determined by the care taken during each stage. The roasted beans are subsequently crushed and ground.
Depending on the recipe, specific ingredients are added to the obtained mass: sugar, powdered milk, etc. The variations are nearly endless. Then conching follows, which is a very visual phase in which the future chocolate is heated and stirred to have the flavours develop and to make the product homogeneous and creamy. To conclude, we have the tempering and pouring in the correct mould: the temperature is carefully decreased. It is the crystallisation of the chocolate that gives it its crunchy, shiny appearance and that makes it so perfect and tasty.
What are your favourite steps?
Above everything else, we love to test new recipes together. Regardless of whether we are in the production location or in the field, every opinion is important. However, what gives us the greatest satisfaction is that we are a part of the creation of this independent production chain that starts in Peru and on the African island of São Tomé and continues completely up to the chocolate that Nao offers in stores.
We are not, however, going to rest on our laurels. We always ask ourselves: how can we take a further step with our entire team to guarantee even more transparency and get the very best out of these exceptional cacao varieties?
Will you soon be going even further?
Support the supply chain by undertaking specific action with organic cacao growers, working on new recipes and further expanding our know-how… We are considering various courses. We are working on a further reduction of the sugar level while retaining the flavour of a truly delicious chocolate.
Take, for example, our dark chocolate: it is the result of various states including the degree in which it is crushed. The fineness of the obtained cacao mass will only show its best qualities … in the mouth of the consumer with flavours and a profile that will develop otherwise depending on the way in which the cocoa bean is processed and roasted… In short: to do our very best to satisfy both our partners and our customers.
