Pacari Chocolate – a Review and Veganuary Giveaway
Pacari chocolate is a family owned premium organic chocolate brand. All of their products are vegan as well as innovative, ethical and delicious, so the perfect sweet treat for Veganuary. Read on to find out about this awesome chocolate along with some of the latest offerings. There’s also a chance for one lucky reader to win a chocolate bundle – one of each product featured here.
Veganuary Day 22
Veganuary continues apace and I’m still loving it. What a surprise that’s been. I’ve discovered lots of good things and a few not-so-good things, but most of all I’ve been enjoying a wider variety of foods than I normally eat and that’s despite not partaking in any eggs or dairy.
Less Sugar
I’m trying to cut down on my sugar consumption and so far this Veganuary, I’ve been doing quite well. Pacari chocolate is rich and dark and I find a little goes a long way. One of their super cute 10g mini bars is enough to satisfy both my chocolate and sugar cravings. I’ve been allowing myself one sweet treat a day and when it’s not been a hot chocolate or a peanut butter banana muffin, it’s been one of these bars or a few squares from the bigger 50g bars.
Aquafaba Macaroon Fail
Yesterday, I had an epic aquafaba fail. I thought I’d be clever and make some macaroons with a piece of pacari chocolate stuffed in the middle. This is the third time I’ve tried to make aquafaba meringue and until my macaroons went into the oven, I thought I was onto a winner this time. But alas, my macaroons went as flat as a pancake, merged into one big mass and stuck to the paper so I couldn’t get them off. I baked the second batch at a much lower temperature, but they did exactly the same thing. The bits I could scrape off tasted fantastic, but I don’t think it’s a recipe I can include here on Tin and Thyme.
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- Aquafaba Meringue
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- Lemon Verbena Chocolate Layer
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- Aquafaba Macaroons
Pacari Chocolate
Pacari chocolate is a firm favourite with us. Indeed, CT splashed out and bought me some coffee chocolate from them as a Veganuary treat. The fact that coffee chocolate is his favourite might have had something to do with it. As it happened I was also sent some of their chocolate to review last week. Happy days.
You’ll find some of their latest products featured below and I have one of each to offer up to you lovely lot as a special Veganuary giveaway. Good luck. If you can’t wait, you can buy Pacari chocolate from their online shop.
What makes Pacari chocolate so special?
In Quechua, an Andean indigenous language, pacari means nature, which says a lot about this company and its ethos. It’s a premium organic chocolate brand based in Ecuador. The chocolate is also produced and packaged in Ecuador and it’s made from the cacao beans that are grown there. This makes it a rare tree to bar chocolate and it’s something I thoroughly approve of.
As well as being organic, all Pacari chocolate is vegan, kosher, gluten-free, soy-free, palm oil-free and is also ethically and sustainably produced. Wow! That’s pretty unusual in the chocolate world. So yes, this chocolate may seem expensive, but when you take all this into account, it’s very much worth it.
Most Pacari chocolate is made from Arriba Naciona, which are some of the best cacao beans available. No surprise then that they’ve won numerous awards. Products are innovative and the flavours interesting. I’m in love with the packaging, especially the beautifully coloured and artistic cacao bean which is featured on the inside wrappers.
I have written about Pacari and their chocolate bars extensively in my coffee chocolate chip cookies post. The cookies contain both their coffee and cardamom chocolates.
Drinking Cacao with Ginger
If time is pressing and you don’t want to make my gingerbread syrup, Pacari’s ginger drinking chocolate is for you. Real Ecuadorian Pacari chocolate is ground into powder to ensure it melts into your milk in super fast time. It’s 100% cacao and the only addition is ground ginger. There’s no sugar at all. I’m really happy with this as I’m cutting back on my sugar intake and find it perfectly delicious without any sweetener. You can, of course, add sugar or your preferred sweetener to taste. You can also use the cacao powder to great effect in baking.
Chocolate Covered Banana
Once I started eating these organic chocolate covered banana pieces, there was no stopping me. They are totally scrumptious. Just as well they come in small 57g packs or I would have eaten far more than is good for me. It won a silver in last year’s Chocolate Awards.
50g Flavoured Bars
All Pacari’s flavoured chocolate bars are made with 60% cacao content. They are sweet enough without being sickly and the rich chocolate notes support the array of interesting flavours.
I’ve often found that passionfruit chocolate can be over played. It’s a flavour which I love and it makes the most fabulous passionfruit curd, but added to chocolates, it can taste very artificial. Of course, Pacari use the real fruit in their passion fruit chocolate bar and you can tell, it actually tastes of real passionfruit. It’s delicious and my new favourite flavour.
The lemon verbena bar also tastes amazing. I adore lemon verbena. It has the scent and flavour of lemon sherbet. Lemon verbena is a plant native to South America. We’ve tried to grow it on a number of occasions, but we’ve never managed to get it through the winter. Maybe it was homesick. Now we have a conservatory, we’ll try again. Meanwhile, I’m very happy eating this Pacari chocolate bar where the lemon verbena grew just where it should.
Mini Bars
I’m totally in love with Pacari’s super cute mini chocolate bars. They only weigh 10g, but it’s enough chocolate to savour and satisfy in one sitting. This bundle consists of a 70% cacao raw chocolate bar, a 70% cacao single region bar (Piura Quemazón) and a 60% cacao single region bar (Esmeraldas).
The Piura Quemazón is a limited edition chocolate made from an extremely rare bean from Piura in Peru. It’s a real treat for a chocolate connoisseur and needs to be savoured. It’s even won gold at the Chocolate Awards. The Esmeraldas bar has fruity and floral notes which make it ideal for those new to dark chocolate. It won bronze at the Chocolate Awards.
Pacari offer a range of raw chocolate bars. They were the first raw chocolates in the world to get biodynamic certification. I’ve tried a lot of raw chocolate in my time and this is one of the best. It has a really good snap to it and a similar mouth feel to standard chocolate. It also tastes very nice.
Pacari Chocolate Giveaway
Pacari Chocolate
I was sent some Pacari chocolate products to try. I was not expected to write a positive review and all opinions are, as always, my own. Thanks to my readers for supporting the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
Tracy Nixon
22nd January 2019 at 10:18 amI love the sound of all the different flavours and I love that it is organic.
Choclette
22nd January 2019 at 10:30 amThe flavours are really unusual, which makes them particularly exciting for me.
Iris Tilley
22nd January 2019 at 10:43 amI don’t think I’ve ever tried Veganuary Chocolate before. The name is really cool and the flavours sound tasty So a huge Yes Please
Georgina Prince
22nd January 2019 at 10:51 ami would like to try them because i like that they are ethically sourced x
Juan Andres
22nd January 2019 at 6:22 pmYou can find them on their online shop.
Andrea Upton
22nd January 2019 at 11:43 amI love that it is organic and vegan, and has some interesting flavours, I have never heard of passion fruit chocolate before but it sounds delicous!
Anne Perry
22nd January 2019 at 12:29 pmI am interested in trying the organic Pacari Chocolates. Fair trade , non gmo and organic.
Peter Watson
22nd January 2019 at 12:38 pmPacari has less sugar so it is better for you and some fantastic flavours to try.
iain maciver
22nd January 2019 at 12:45 pmThey were the first raw chocolates in the world to get biodynamic certification
Johanne Currie
22nd January 2019 at 12:50 pmIt’s got less sugar and that’s always good when you want a sweet treat but less sugar
Annabel Greaves
22nd January 2019 at 12:57 pmThey have less sugar and are ethically sourced
Angela Sandford
22nd January 2019 at 12:59 pmThey’re vegan, organic, gluten free and palm oil free, which is good for the planet they also sound incredibly tasty, and from what you say, a little goes a long way, which is good for those of us who are watching our weight!
Choclette
22nd January 2019 at 1:20 pmWatching weight is such a bore, but sometimes it just has to be done.
Corina Blum
22nd January 2019 at 1:16 pmI love the sound of the passion fruit and lemon verbena bars. Everything else sounds really tasty too!
Choclette
22nd January 2019 at 1:21 pmThey have lots of really interesting flavours, but passion fruit is my favourite of the moment.
Honey McKinley
22nd January 2019 at 1:42 pmI adore chocolate but need to cut down on my sugar intake. I am bored of the usual overly sweet flavours you often get in milk chocolate but plain chocolate doesn’t seem to have many good flavours that can work with the bitterness and richness e.g. I love rose flavour but when paired with dark chocolate it seems to get lost. I’d also be interested in the small bars as realistically I only “need” a little bit of chocolate to satisfy the craving but faced with a larger bar I find it hard not to keep going back for just a bit more or breaking off a larger piece so I don’t have to go back to the fridge when I want more!
Juan Andres
22nd January 2019 at 6:28 pmPacari Chocolate with rose won’t disappoint you, doesn’t get lost it is natural infusion of rose, you will love it, several medal at the International Chocolate awards for this bar. Also on the small size 10g bars options
These are real good quality dark chocolates form 60% caca to 100% all made in Ecuador so much more wealth will remain in Ecuador.
Choclette
23rd January 2019 at 8:44 amHi Honey. I’ve found the flavours of these bars stand up to the chocolate, without the chocolate losing it’s unique chocolatiness.
Kim Murray
22nd January 2019 at 2:20 pmThe cocoa looks gorgeous – just how I like it – always like trying different flavours x
Joo Dee
22nd January 2019 at 2:30 pmwould be interested to see what it tasted like as have been unimpressed by some big fancy brands with how bland some of them are.
Alison
22nd January 2019 at 2:49 pmIt sounds unique amongst the many!
Alison
22nd January 2019 at 2:51 pmand as there weren’t enough words I’ll also say it sounds unique amongst the many
Lynds Jennings
22nd January 2019 at 3:03 pmSo many interesting flavours and so many lovely ideas to try !
Joanne Beale
22nd January 2019 at 3:04 pmThe flavours sound delicious
Anthony Harrington
22nd January 2019 at 3:45 pmVegan, Palm Oil free and 60% cacao content is wonderful and certainly makes me want to try them
pete c
22nd January 2019 at 5:00 pmthey care a lot about how their chocolate is sourced and made
Mark McCaffery
22nd January 2019 at 5:18 pmI have never ever tried vegan chocolate before and curiosity is getting the better of me.
Choclette
23rd January 2019 at 8:41 amVegan chocolate is just dark chocolate with no danger of dairy cross contamination that you get with lots of other dark chocolate brands. But this chocolate is extra special.
Katie
22nd January 2019 at 5:36 pmThe ginger drinking chocolate looks amazing! Love that it’s so good for you
Susan B
22nd January 2019 at 5:45 pmOrganic and vegan do it for me and passionfruit does it, also. Lovely packaging.
Solange
22nd January 2019 at 6:29 pmI love the sound of all the interesting flavours and that it is organic and vegan
Sarah Mccaffery
22nd January 2019 at 6:33 pmI want to reduce my sugar intake, but I don’t want to give up on chocolate. This may be a viable alternative.
Amy Simpson
22nd January 2019 at 6:35 pmAll the flavours,and the local farmers benefit from the sales x
Naila
22nd January 2019 at 7:47 pmI am taking part in Veganuary this month, love try their chocolates as i haven’t tried it before!
Choclette
23rd January 2019 at 8:38 amWell done Naila and good luck with the giveaway. How are you finding Veganuary?
Charlotte
22nd January 2019 at 7:47 pmyou can give your sugar craving a hit without having a lot!
Caron Twyman
22nd January 2019 at 7:57 pmI’d love to try because the flavours sound delicious!
Jo m welsh
22nd January 2019 at 8:25 pmI have never tried this and it sounds lovely would love to try it.
Cat H
22nd January 2019 at 9:04 pmI love the complexities you get in single estate chocolates. I think we may be some of the final generations to enjoy such treasures as these.
Choclette
23rd January 2019 at 8:37 amOh no! Don’t say that Cat. There was me thinking we’re at the beginnings of discovering and appreciating good chocolate.
Margaret Mccaffery
22nd January 2019 at 9:16 pmI’m mainly interested in the unusual variety of different flavours that are on offer.
Sophie Roberts
22nd January 2019 at 9:44 pmTheir flavours sound really unique and unseal so they appeal to me more than regular brands
melanie
22nd January 2019 at 9:45 pmit says i entered but i didn’t write anything other than my contact details! where do i put my 10 words?
Lisa
22nd January 2019 at 11:18 pmHi Melanie, you just write your name in the form at the top where it asks what name you commented as then you write your answer in the comments section where you have asked where you put your 10 words.That’s where your 10 words or more should go. 🙂
Choclette
23rd January 2019 at 8:34 amThanks Lisa.
Choclette
23rd January 2019 at 8:34 amHi Melanie. You just need to write your answer here in the comments.
Margaret Gallagher
22nd January 2019 at 9:48 pmTantalising taste to savour – would be a WELCOME addition to my kitchen
John Prendergast
22nd January 2019 at 9:56 pmI would like to try them because they are rich and dark and have some nice flavours
Lisa
22nd January 2019 at 11:13 pmThe flavours are so different and unique that it would be a real treat to try them as they are special and i’m a big chocoholic.
Choclette
23rd January 2019 at 8:35 amThe flavours are really unusual and they’re real too.
Neil Graham
22nd January 2019 at 11:31 pmThey have a great range of flavours and it is organic. The drinking chocolate sounds great.
Choclette
23rd January 2019 at 8:33 amThe drinking chocolate is fab – my kind of drink.
angiesrecipes
23rd January 2019 at 4:08 amWish I could try some now!
Choclette
23rd January 2019 at 8:32 amIt’s well worth trying if you can get hold of some Angie.
Margaret Clarkson
23rd January 2019 at 8:32 amI would like to try it because it has less sugar and is ethically produced.
Ruth Harwood
23rd January 2019 at 9:16 amI would love to try this to see if it lives up to my expectations and whether I really want to enjoy this on a regular basis (obvs I would taste it every day, but my weight would spiral, yea?!!!)
clair downham
23rd January 2019 at 9:27 ambecause they look very unique and delicious and ethically sourced
Emily Hutchinson
23rd January 2019 at 2:31 pmThe quirky flavours, I love to try new foods
Caroline Turner
23rd January 2019 at 5:40 pmI’ve tried Pacari chocolate once ages ago and it was lovely. Would love the chance to try some more!
melanie
23rd January 2019 at 7:37 pmthe most exciting range of chocolate products i have ever seen, i would be delighted to receive such a present, i may even share some with my husband! especially as i have seen your post on paring with whisky which is right up his street.
Choclette
25th January 2019 at 7:56 pmGood luck Melanie. Pacari chocolate is definitely exciting 😀
Mary
23rd January 2019 at 7:40 pmI’m not eligible to enter your giveaway, just commenting.
I have been a convert to ‘bean to bar’ chocolate for some time now. I don’t think you could eat more than a couple of squares at a time, it is so satisfying. I use 100% cacao when I make Brownies (your recipe as well) because they are so sweet anyway that you don’t need the extra sugar that ‘off the shelf’ chocolate would add.
You are offering some lovely chocolate in your pack – those lovely flavours – to whoever is the lucky winner. It will change their chocolate eating habits forever. I’m more discerning about the chocolate that I eat now and my husband tells me I’ve turned into a bit of a ‘chocolate snob’!! :). Oh dear!!
Choclette
25th January 2019 at 7:55 pmIt’s just brilliant that we can get 100% cacao now. It was pretty much unheard of a few years ago. So glad you like the brownie recipe. Which one is it? I bet I didn’t use 100% cacao. But brownies are so sweet anyway, it sounds like the way to go.
CT keeps telling me I’m a chocolate snob too 😀
Rachel Bristow
23rd January 2019 at 8:26 pmwe are always looking for new chocolate options as my daughter is intolerant with gluten and dairy, I also want to avoid palm oil due to the environmental impact particularly with regard to deforestation in Borneo- This looks like a great brand to try out
Sheena Batey
23rd January 2019 at 10:39 pmIt’s obvious they are a company that cares about its production values and it all sounds delicious
Alice Gilkes
23rd January 2019 at 10:40 pmI have never tried their chocolate before, and I am always willing to try different brands.
Ritchie
23rd January 2019 at 11:28 pmI have been vegan for over 30 years and I am always on the lookout for new vegan sweets
christine goody
24th January 2019 at 8:39 amI would like to try the chocolates as I think they are all cleverly flavoured and not the norm. The passionfruit and verbana sounds lush and that would be the first one that I devoured.
Kristyn Harris
24th January 2019 at 12:22 pmIt sounds delicious and the flavours sound amazing!
Karen Langridge
24th January 2019 at 12:49 pmThe flavours sound different and very appealing! Thanks for the chance x
Anna | Once Upon A Food Blog
24th January 2019 at 2:05 pmI love the sound of the ginger drinking chocolate. Hot chocolate has to be really good for me to enjoy it and this sounds perfect!
Choclette
25th January 2019 at 7:53 pmThe nice thing about this one, apart from the flavour and ethics, is that you can have it just as it is, or add as much or as little of your preferred sweetener as you like.
Zoey P
25th January 2019 at 5:46 amThey sound great and like fact that organic chocolate
Melissa Lee
25th January 2019 at 8:53 amI love that it’s organic and fair trade. I am trying to concentrate more on where food comes from, even lovely treats like chocolate
Choclette
25th January 2019 at 7:52 pmWell done Melissa. it’s really hard to keep track of the food we eat, but every little helps.
frances hopkins
25th January 2019 at 9:12 pmI love the sound of the flavours and that they’re fair trade
Jade Hewlett
26th January 2019 at 3:40 pmI like that the flavours sound different to most chocolate and they sound delicious
GEOFF WICKENS
26th January 2019 at 5:22 pmGOOD CHOCOLATE IS HARD TO FIND
Natalie Crossan
26th January 2019 at 6:32 pmAnything that has won a gold award deserves a try surely! And especially when it is my favourite kind of chocolate – dark choc 🙂
Natalie Newham
26th January 2019 at 9:17 pmI have tried one of their flavours before (a free sample), but would love to try more!
Claire Woods
27th January 2019 at 11:37 amThe flavours are unusual but sound nice.
Claire Woods
27th January 2019 at 11:38 amThe flavours are unusual but sound nice and I would like to try them especially Passion fruit.
Andrea A
27th January 2019 at 4:55 pmThe flavours are unusual but you make them sound delicious. I’ve never seen or hear of passion fruit or lemon verbena chocolate bars.
Mark R
27th January 2019 at 5:26 pmI like that they are ethically sourced and the flavours sound really tempting to try.
Claire Carter
28th January 2019 at 10:34 amAmazing sounding chocolates – fabulous flavours and all Vegan approved and ethically sourced. What’s not to love?!
Kirsteen Mackay
28th January 2019 at 9:19 pmI’d like to try them because the flavours sound amazing and they are low sugar, air trade , non gmo and organic.
Mrs Kay Young
29th January 2019 at 3:12 pmI would like to try them because they are dark and luxurious and have some nice flavours
cheryl hadfield
30th January 2019 at 1:25 pmI like the sound of the different flavours I bet they taste delicious
Jayne Townson
30th January 2019 at 8:05 pmI turned vegan last year, so I’m always looking for new things to try and this chocolate sounds really good, I like the sound of the passionfruit bar.
Donna Loxton
31st January 2019 at 8:00 amThe flavours sound really nice and the chocolate sounds like it is of a good quality.
Arnab Saha
31st January 2019 at 2:38 pmTheir flavours is really unique. I would like to try them .I have never tried it.
ADEINNE TONNER
31st January 2019 at 8:54 pmI would love to try the chocolate as it sounds amazing so i bet it tastes amazing too!
Kim Carberry
1st February 2019 at 8:45 pmI love the sound and look of this chocolate! The flavours sound amazing x
Christine Sunter
4th February 2019 at 6:05 pmFlavours sound amazing and unbelievably …. organic too! Can’t wait to try!
melanie stirling
7th February 2019 at 4:46 pmI would like to try them for their unusual flavours, particularly the passionfruit.
Fiona jk42
7th February 2019 at 11:06 pmI love chocolate, but the use of palm oil in Cadbury’s and other big brands is something I feel strongly about. I have made a resolution that from now on I will only eat organic palm oil-free chocolate produced in an ethical manner.
Angela Kelly
10th February 2019 at 11:29 amI am all about trying different flavours and this brand sounds as though it would fulfil that perfectly!
AnnaSSS
10th February 2019 at 5:53 pmI love chocolate but have not try this brand before. Sounds great. Less sugar, organic. Would love to try. Thank you for a great giveaway.x
Carolyn E
10th February 2019 at 10:02 pmI have been lucky enough to have tried Pacari in South America and am delighted to find out that I can buy it and scoff it here at home. I can vouch for ALL the flavours. It’s just wonderful.
Choclette
11th February 2019 at 8:32 amTasting the real thing in the real place has to be one of the best things. How wonderful.
olivia Kirby
11th February 2019 at 10:22 amI think it’s the interesting flavours – I would more like this for my husband, he really loves his chocolate!
C Chu
12th February 2019 at 1:46 pmAlways love to try new chocolate brands and ones that are ethical and care about the environment are even better.
Susan Lloyd
13th February 2019 at 12:11 pmI would love to try some of the more unusual flavours x
Rai
14th February 2019 at 3:47 pmChocolate and banana – just the most perfect pairing.
Beverley Cousins
14th February 2019 at 6:48 pmReally love how they are ethically sourced with Less sugar & being organic, the flavourings sound wonderful. It’s so hard to get quality great tasting chocolate these days.
Kate Sutton
17th February 2019 at 7:58 amDelicious, organic and good quality
Hannah Igoe
17th February 2019 at 8:04 amI love that it is vegan, I cant have milk but I love chocolate and so much chocolate contains it, so I love a good alternative!
SHIRLEY EVANS
17th February 2019 at 8:26 pmEthically sourced,and lovely flavours,Love to try these.Love chocolate
sue leake
18th February 2019 at 2:38 pmthe flavour combinations are really unusual, would be a treat to try
James Travis
18th February 2019 at 5:13 pmThe unique and querky flavours. They just look so different so intrigued to see what they taste like.
Keith Hill
18th February 2019 at 10:49 pmIt’s great to have a vegan range with adult flavours. I rarely buy chocolate from the supermarket because I hate scouring the ingredients for animal products, squinting at tiny writing (my eyes aren’t what they were!). It’s surprising how often honey or milk products are added.
Carol W
19th February 2019 at 7:44 pmThe story behind this chocolate and the way it’s made is very appealing in that I can enjoy a small amount of chocolate and feel good about it.
Hazel Rea
19th February 2019 at 10:04 pmI would like to try it because the flavours sound amazing – and it is organic, vegan and glutenfree which is perfect for all our family.
natz merogno
20th February 2019 at 1:23 amThis sounds like my dream come true
Leslie Evans
20th February 2019 at 5:26 amThe taste is great, makes my mouth salvate just thinking about the chocolate
Janet Birkin
20th February 2019 at 11:18 amLots of different, varied, interesting and unusual flavours
Sally Collingwood
20th February 2019 at 1:42 pmPacari has less sugar so it is better for my diet.
Emma Howard
20th February 2019 at 4:47 pmI love the sound of the flavours – unusual and very different!
Amanda Gregory
20th February 2019 at 6:00 pmThe interesting flavours make me want to try this chocolate.
Sheri Darby
20th February 2019 at 9:26 pmPacari chocolate has such wonderful exciting flavour combinations, I would love to try them
Erica Hughes
21st February 2019 at 8:01 amThey’re vegan, organic, gluten free and palm oil free.
Ray Becker
21st February 2019 at 8:38 amthe different flavours
Victoria Prince
21st February 2019 at 9:02 amTheir varieties! It’s just about unheard of to see anything like the Chocolate Covered Banana that’s from such a high quality company, and some of their “normal” chocolate flavours are so different too. My mouth is watering!