The Heartbeat of the World
Bean to Bar Chocolate, Made in Appenzell
A narrow snow-covered trail leads us to a blue farmhouse that sits nestled in the rough landscape, between the Sitter River on one side and an outcrop of trees on the other. It is early January and the turquoise-painted house, a typical colour for houses in the Appenzell region, is like a precious gem popping out to greet us as we turn the bend. A little jewel on this otherwise dismal day. It is neither deepest winter, nor are there any signs of spring, and the nearby river lends a dampness to the air that is visceral at these sub-zero temperatures. Behind the house, we come across a little wooden cabin, a shed, and a man in jeans and black t-shirt with a brown apron comes out to welcome us into his realm. As soon as we enter the cabin we realize why he is dressed so lightly – a soft blanket of warm chocolate-scented air, almost intoxicating, enfolds us and we too need to shed our layers of warm winter woolens, jackets, and gloves. We are transported as Andreas Koller explains in detail each minute step he is taking to make, what I can safely call, the best chocolate in the world.
Later, in the main house we meet the lovely Sybille Waters, Andreas’ partner. At the kitchen table, we get a chance to taste their chocolate which marries well with the fine espresso and gain more insight into the philosophy behind what seems like a small ‘cottage industry’ but is, as it turns out, so much more. Sybille, a retired Shiatsu practitioner originally from Luzern, avid gardener, and musician, packs the chocolate bars into the most delicate paper packaging I have ever seen. Fully recyclable and with ingenious folding, they manage without glue and resemble embossed Appenzell lace, white. Sublime. Taking a closer look, one can see that instead of the usual floral or paisley swirls found in traditional lace patterns, cacao beans appear in the intricate relief work on the pure white paper covers. Each flavour carries a different coloured insert which is ingeniously constructed so that with a couple of folds, it holds the bar in place. The outer white envelope can be re-used but this is only the final stage in a long thread of sustainable processes put in place in the making of each single bar. When asked why they got into the chocolate business, it is after all Switzerland where they are surrounded by cacao giants and large industrial companies working on an enormous and incomparable scale, they both answer in unison, that they wanted to create something that would make people happy, a beautiful product that would bring joy. Into each and every chocolate bar that she packs, explains Sybille, she puts in some good wishes, and had I not met this fine lady, I might’ve been more than a little skeptical at such a claim. Sybille, I believe immediately. It is like meditation, she explains. As she goes off to the music room to practice the accordion, Andreas continues telling us about how he came into contact with the brown gold that is cacao and tells us about his humble beginnings, preliminary trials and errors, and shares stories from the early days of Cacao de Corazón and how the company initially got its name.
It is not exactly Appenzeller Deutsch (local dialect), to say the least. The unusual story of the name leads Andreas back to a career in IT and he explains how, after visiting his son who was doing voluntary work in Brazil during a gap year, he decided to realize a long-forgotten dream. In 2017, he got involved as an ‘Acompagñante’ for political and environmental activists in Guatemala (Peace Watch Switzerland). This was followed by a two-year assignment for ‘Peace Development’ in Colombia.
During this time, using his entrepreneurial know-how, he considered various products that he might be able to import when back in Switzerland, in order to help the indigenous people. Ironically he settles on importing cacao beans. Back home in Appenzell, he renovates and moves permanently into the homestead that belonged to his grandfather and sets up his own little chocolate factory. Frequent trips back to control the source ingredients etc. are part and parcel of the business. Next week he is off again for a month long trip to Columbia.
After explaining each individual step from bean to bar, he tells us about his first encounter with the Arhuaco tribe, an indigenous people living in the upper valleys of Northern Columbia, in Santa Maria, near the famous Tayrona National Park which is part of their territory. When he was first introduced to the tribe, before the very serious business of ‘talking cacao’, he underwent an interview of sorts, albeit very different to the way people are interviewed here in central Europe, to see if he deserved their trust. An initiation, an evening of introductions, and a meal, where he expected to meet the head of the tribe, was organised but to his surprise, the tribe elder was absent. Before the introductions began, everyone present was given two pieces of yarn to hold. At the end of the introductions, the strands of yarn were gathered and brought to the absent elder. Asking what was to happen to these threads, he was told that all the information about what was spoken that evening was held in the yarn (a very different type of information technology) and when the head of the tribe would hold the strands in his hands he would know all he needed to know. The next day, Andreas finds out that the leader of the tribe is in agreement and that they can now ‘talk cacao’. The Arhuaco certified their production as organic, but for them natural cultivation is much more than that, it is an attitude rooted in their spirituality and their deep connection with nature. They believe that we are all part of one big living organism, and see themselves as the heart. Being caretakers of the earth is a way of life. This led to Sybille and Andreas calling their company Cacao de Corazón. After meeting these two wonderful people, I couldn’t think of a better name.
They produce nine types of chocolate based on direct and trustworthy contracts. In addition, his cacao beans, the raw material so to speak for his chocolate production, are transported from Columbia to Europe in sailing ships, emission-free using only wind power. Being an experienced project manager, Andreas checks every detail of the process from ‘bean to bar’ to ensure the highest quality and it is sustainable in that, he also pays a fair price. Furthermore, he checks the cacao beans personally on arrival and anything that looks below standard which could thus endanger the quality of the final product, gets discarded.
After having spent the day, accompanying him through each step of the process, I can say the ‘Corazón del Mundo’ doesn’t only beat on a plateau in the Columbian highlands, but a fine vein has found its way to the Swiss village of Appenzell and is beating proudly here and enabling us to taste the most luxurious of chocolate and with a good conscience too.
Thank you, Sybille and Andreas
2 Comments
wonderful
Thanks Remo – another beautiful encounter !