Why Antidote
Top 10 reasons why Antidote loves you back:
1) Made from "Bean to Bar". With single origin cacao and direct trade.
2) Loaded with finest flavor Arriba Nacional cacao. Delicious without bitterness.
3) High on cacao - less sugar. Guilt free. Sugar is sugar, only high cacao content loves you back.
4) Tantalizing flavors. Real ingredients. Fun to savor. Depth of flavor.
5) Slow roasted for more nutrients. Boost your mood.
6) Sustainably made in Ecuador. Supporting their economy.
7) Sugarfree 100% chocolate options. Enjoy chocolate. Avoid sugar.
8) Beautiful Presentation. Gift ready for any occasion or as a thank you.
9) Created & designed by female entrepreneur, Red Thalhammer. A treat that indulges the senses.
10) Dark chocolate bars are vegan, gluten free, paleo and ketogenic friendly
Read more about how Antidote can be your mood booster and anti-stress agent in Cacao Health
Our process
We use rich Arriba Nacional beans from the south and west of Ecuador. The cacao we use is what we believe to be the best of Ecuador. We work mostly with farm cooperatives but also with individual farms - all who share our commitment to excellence and biologic farming practices.
Our slow-roasting process maximizes the potency of anti-oxidants and flavonoids to create a nutrient-rich Antidote. For our Raw 100% bars we have a proprietary process in place – from tree to fermentation to bar in a controlled environment – to maximize the potency of anti-oxidants, flavonoids and holistic nutrients.
We use real chunks of fruits and spices – from coffee to mango and juniper berries – that are exquisitely blended into innovative flavor combinations. We never use essential oils as we believe real ingredients will add a more gratifying flavor in giving that sublime edge. Our founder, Red, chooses ingredients with precision and works closely with our Ecuadorian partners to perfect every stage of our ingredients preparation and production process.
Sustainability vs. organic certification
We are committed to sourcing our cacao beans from farms that use organic practices. Working with certified organic farms would limit us in getting the best quality cacao. We work in close collaboration with our cacao partners for unique processes we use to achieve desired flavor profiles for each of our cacao percentages.
Read more on the blog: Our Commitment to Sustainability, Organic Practices, Quality & Flavor
For our raw 100% bar we have a specific protocol in place with our farmers that requires a different process starting at the farm in order to make the most minimally processed chocolate we can for our raw bars.
Read more on our blog: Raw Cacao Process
Producing our chocolate in the country of cacao allows us access not only to the beans itself but to other lush ingredients right from the source – from coffee to mango and ginger. It also fosters direct relationships with suppliers and farmers whom we collaborate with to fine-tune every step of the process.
"Direct Trade" is beyond "Fair Trade"
Prioritizing quality and flavor over certification allows us to foster direct relationships with our Ecuadorian partners and pay them wages that are far above market rate. We are practicing direct trade with all cacao beans and some other ingredients cutting out any middleman. We are happy to collaborate with small and bigger companies and providers, and in turn, increase support for their local community as a whole through our bean to bar manufacturing in Ecuador.