Rio Purus Wild Cacao 70%

A river name, rather than a flavour addition, is the starting point for Luisa Abram’s Rio Purus. This 70% dark chocolate is made with wild cacao identified by its origin along the Purus, a river in the Amazon basin. The focus is the cacao itself: an invitation to explore chocolate through place, much as you might approach a wine or a coffee.

Cacao is native to tropical South America, and the Amazon is part of its home landscape. Naming the river puts that geography front and centre instead of treating all dark chocolate as interchangeable. The 70% figure describes the proportion of cacao ingredients in the chocolate, not a tasting score or a guarantee of how bitter it will be.

Break off a small piece and let it melt slowly before reaching for a pairing. Then try it with black coffee or an unsweetened tea, noticing how the combination changes your impression. For an after-dinner plate, serve a few pieces with toasted nuts and a firm aged cheese.