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Fine, Organic, Handcrafted Chocolate
from Costa Rica's Southern Zone
Since 2005, SAMARITAN XOCOLATA has been producing on a small scale, fine handcrafted chocolates and Chocolate energy bars. Created at a grassroots level in a rural community, Samaritan Xocolata lovingly makes high-quality artisan chocolates using organic, local and premium ingredients. Our fine-flavored organic cocoa beans are processed carefully in small batches. Producing chocolate right from the source cocoa beans gives us a real advantage in creating the finest, most complex taste for our products.
All of the cacao we use is organic and many of our other ingredients are organic as well; all are clean and wholesome and the finest quality we can find, and whenever possible, locally sourced. Our chocolate flavours and recipes are evolving all the time. No two batches of the same recipe are exactly the same. The variety of herbs, spices, fruits, nuts and seeds is somewhat seasonal. Most of our products are vegan; most are soy and gluten free.
100% ORGANIC
COSTA RICAN CACAO
100% NATURAL...
NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS...
just like Costa Rica!
Samaritan Xocolata products are sold in hotels and fine gift shops and farmer’s markets throughout Costa Rica. We also offer customized orders online.
PURE AND SIMPLE
Our handcrafted chocolates are genuinely unique as a quality, artisan product for connoisseurs of fine chocolate. All of our chocolates are prepared with organic cacao. The chilies, cinnamon, pure cane sugar, coconut, vanilla, fruits and spices are grown and/or purchased locally to support our community.
Our products are fresh and contain no lecithen, preservatives or artifical flavours, and should be stored in a cool, dry place. Please NEVER FREEZE the chocolates, though in warm climates, it is advisable to keep refrigerated to store, and allow to “breathe” for up to 20 minutes before partaking. To fully appreciate the complex flavors of our product it is suggested that you eat these chocolates at room temperature.
You can feel good eating our chocolate because Chocolate is a "superfood", rich in antioxidents and helpful for maintaining health and vitality. Chocolate is loaded with mood-boosting, titillating ingredients such as “feel good” endorphins and the aphrodisiac alkaloid, Phenethylamine (PEA).
Organic chocolate that’s created without the health-harming agricultural chemicals makes for an even happier experience of one of Nature’s divine treats and Helps People Feel Good!
HELPING PEOPLE TO FEEL GOOD
We are committed to do our best to protect our natural tropical environment by being conscious on all levels. You can feel good about our packaging. We are very happy to present individual chocolates elegantly wrapped in organic and/or recycled paper, and sealed in biodegradable/reusable zip lock bags.
Samaritan Xocolata is also committed to facilitating people to reaching their fullest potential, thus we are committed to working with the local population to help provide a sustainable local economy, cultivating stewardship of the environment of our area, protecting rainforest and it’s creatures, promoting and rewarding local organic agricultural practices, and assigning a percentage of the profits to non-profit foundations for the purpose of rain forest preservation, education and empowerment of women in micro-industries and fair-trade enterprises.
There are only a handful of chocolate makers in Costa Rica, though cacao has enjoyed a long and revered history in this region.
Chocolate has been considered an aphrodisiac since the days of the ancient Aztecs, who called cacao “food of the gods.” Cacao beans were originally used as currency in the pre-Columbian times by local Indians and continued to be a form of currency into the 1930's. It was one of the major industries in Costa Rica before the introduction of coffee in the late 1700's.
Costa Rica and the rest of Latin American hold a very small share of the International market, but ranks quite high in quality and excels with it’s Criollo Flavour strain, treasured for its complex, fruity flavor with balanced cocoa flavor. For this reason, Samaritan Xocolata Chocolates are perfect for connoisseurs of chocolate who are justly rewarded for seeking out this unique flavour opportunity.
Kimberley Ann Blackwell had a vision for sustainable community, …a group of people living close to nature in peace, growing their own food, practicing healing arts, music, art, and creating mico-industries that supported the people in an impoverished rural and showing that it is possible to live in harmony with nature, with the animals and the forest, and the elements. Many people who come to Costa Rica have a similar vision.
After travelling all over the world and working in remote out-back camps as an industrial chef in the Yukon, she chose the Osa Peninsula to be her next home about 18 years ago. She lived in a small off-the-grid community, then managed a small guest facility in the Cabo Matapalo area. When she met Christopher, a GreenPeace crew member, she found deep, true love.
The two of them shared the vision, and set out to find the perfect property that they could build a life together on, and invite others to join them. It had to have magnificent views, with lots of forest to protect, and plenty of space to grow fruits and vegetables.
After a long search, and many years living in Costa Rica, Kimberley and her partner, Christopher found a very special property, with the original intention of creating a sustainable community, growing their own organic food and creating cottage industries that supported the farm and the people living there. The farm they found was located at the very top, at the end of the road in San Miguel de Cañaza, close to the border of Corcovado Nacional Parque. When they cleared and landscaped parts of the farm that had gone wild and unattended over many years, they discovered four hectares, they discovered about 10 acres of uncultivated cacao trees hidden in the over-growth. There was a funky homestead cabin near the bottom of the hillside that they made livable until they were able to build the homes and facilities that she dreamed of. Basic accommodations did not bother her--…she was a pioneer woman!
Like some people with lemons, (which they also had in abundance), who make lemonade, she decided to put her chef skills to work and learned to make chocolate from the harvest of the organic cacao beans. After much experimentation and study in the fine art of chocolatiering, she was able to come up with a tasty, dark chocolate, reminiscent of the ancient Mayan or Toltec recipes, with hints of chile, organic vanilla, raw sugarcane, and “rough-cut” chocolate, ground by hand on traditional stone metates.
Kimberley continued to plant and develop “Finca Xocolata” and continued to grow Samaritan Xocolata into a viable micro-industry, with a tiny factory housed in a little house down the mountain that was on the grid and more accessible to the women in the community whom she wished to help with fair-trade employment.
Hardships were not new to her, but they seemed endless. But one of the most difficult issues that she had to deal with was the tradition of hunting and poaching of animals in and around the protected areas of the park and Golfo Dulce Reserve, which the property was within the boundaries of. Hunting is illegal, and though access through Finca Xocolata was restricted to the adjacent property owners only, the road and paths had been used for decades as access to the deep forest where everything from small tepisquintle, mountain pigs, tapirs, puma and jaguar made their habitat.
She began with gentle confrontation. Next, she called upon MINAET, the park rangers whose job it is to patrol the reserve, then she got dogs of her own. The hunters killed her dogs while they were still pups. Her next effort was to begin to employ local hunters to help work the farm and harvest the cacao, thinking that if they were able to earn a fair wage, they would be able to buy food rather than hunt. She also believed that if they reached a certain level of comfort, they would find other activities to keep them distracted from their traditional recreation. She even considered that if she could buy every one of them a TV, they would spend the weekend at home watching it, rather than go hunting. She may have been naive to think she could change a long-standing cultural tradition, even though it was illegal, by any effort of her own.
It was her passion for wildlife and nature and her conviction to change the patterns of a rural culture, and her tough pioneer spirit that never backed down that got her killed. On February 2nd, 2011, Kimberley Ann Blackwell was found dead on the ground outside her home by the park rangers who frequently used her farm to access the trails surrounding and leading into Corcovado Nacional Parque. To date, the crime of her murder has not been resolved and her killers have not been arrested.
Because of her courage and vision, it is important for us to honour her in whatever ways we can. Even though she was a warrior, she was a Peace Warrior and a Green Warrior, and she stands for all that is Good and Loving and Life Giving and Sustaining and most of all for Truth.
It is important that we learn the truth about her death and about the issues that make her death have meaning, and if possible, bring about some kind of change for the better. No one wants to believe that she died in vain, but until we know how and why she died, we cannot understand what changes can be made, or what can be learned or appreciated about how she lived. She lived an amazing, adventurous, and loving and generous life. She really tried to practice the principles she believed in. And even though she had a tough persona that would rear up with conflict, she was mostly a fluffy bunny, very sensitive and creative, and so so generous and loving. We hope that she can be known and remembered that way as much as for her rugged lifestyle and her struggles as a single, foreign woman trying to make a go of it in a rural closed-community setting.
Few know the difficulties she faced with the land all these years, more important is to know something of the vision that she had for the land and for community, and for the chocolate. We would like to see that vision continue and to carry on the mission of Samaritan Xocolata..."helping people to feel good".
Our BonBons are BIG! Depending on the flavour, they average between 18 and 30 grams. We think they’re also the perfect size to share. The chocolates come individually wrapped in brightly colored recycled paper, protected by biodegradable ziplock bags.
GIFT BOXES
(Assorted or all one flavour)
The Souvenir gift box $15.00
The Luxury gift box $45.00
Signature Flavours of Costa Rica:
Buddha Bliss *
72% cacao, smooth dark chocolate sprinkled throughout with crystalized ginger bits and citrus zests.
Mint Magic *
72% cacao, solid dark chocolate infused with Aromaflor’s peppermint oil
YinYang
WhiteChocolate with a hint of lavendar melded with toasted crunchy cacao nibs
Mountain Mocha *
Whole and crushed organic coffee beans in dark chocolate
(Filled bonbons are slightly smaller)
Karma Caramels
Creamy Buffulo milk caramel surrounded by dark chocolate, and topped with sea salt
Lime in da Coconut
Creamy coconut ganache with lime zest
Naranjilla (seasonal)
Unique local flavour infused in whilte chocolate cream surrounded by dark chocolate
Guayabita (seasonal) *
Rich guava butter--a Costa Rican favorite
Mora Amor *
Blackberry Chipotle caramel oozes out from the center of dark chocolate
Piña
Organic pineapple in white chocolate
*Vegan
We like to keep it fresh, so watch for new flavours based on seasonal abundance from the garden and the farmer's market.
Nibs Bars *
85% cacao with crunchy toasted nibs, presented in a stylish reuseable tobacco pouch. 125 gms $12.00
Energy Bars *
Cashew and organic macadamia nuts in spiced dark chocolate, housed in a reuseable tobacco pouch. 125 gms $12
Sugar Free*
Low glycemic sugar alternative made from raw coconut sap crystals. 70% Dark Chocolate bars. 120 gms
$12
Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans *
Organic coffee beans smothered in spiced dark chocolate
50g bag $5
ChocoBananas *
Whole dehydrated fingerling bananas smothered in chocolate
(Other dried tropical fruits and fruit leathers dipped in dark or white chocolate available on request)
Baking Chocolate *
( 1/2 or 1 kilo blocks)
*vegan
Hot chocolate is a delicious and comforting beverage, especially during cold winter months. If chilled, however, you'll have a refreshing drink or possibly a dessert depending on how you dress it up.
Hot chocolate should not be confused with hot cocoa. The former is made with actual chocolate and is a richer, much more substantial beverage. The latter is produced from cocoa powder or from a manufactured product containing cocoa powder such as hot cocoa mixes available at grocery stores.
Samaritan Xocolata's
flavourful disks are ready to melt with water and/or milk for a chocolate drink renown for it’s health benefits since the days of Montezuma.
Drinking Chocolate Instructions
In medium place disk of Samaritan Xocolata Drinking Chocolate and 2 cups water or milk, and your choice of sweetener. Bring to boil while stirring or whisking until chocolate is dissolved.
Remove from flame.
Add 2 cups milk/coconut milk/favourite liqueur. Drink hot, or allow to cool.
May make up to 4 cups of Heart warming Love.
Signature Flavours
MUMBAICHAI
Cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, anise and black pepper and a hint of orange
AZTEC ELIXER
Chile, cinnamon & vanilla
MIINT MAGIC
Fine blend of peppermint and chocolate, with or without the Schnapps!
MOUNTAIN MOCHA
Locally grown coffee blended with chocolate
Set of 2 disks $9
Also available in GIFT COLLECTION with 4 mugs & beautiful hand-painted serving tray.
SAMARITAN XOCOLATA
Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica
phone: (506) 8820-7095
samaritanchocolate_gmail.com
Please make your order or request for information via the contact form here.
We will contact you
regarding shipping arrangements and payment.
Please contact us directly to discuss Special Events, Weddings, Elegant Parties and Corporate Gifts.
We are also available for Chocolate Tasting Events
as Fundraisers for
Environmental, Educational,
and Social Causes.
We also offer special customized gift platters, hand-painted by artist Helen Eltis, and gift baskets (made by local artisans) with your choice of our products.
ASK US ABOUT UPCOMING CHOCOLATE RETREATS AT
RIO CHIRRIPO LODGE
fincaxocolata_gmail.com
