Karibu, lovely to connect

Mababu Chocolate is a single origin cocoa and chocolate brand founded by Livy Africa, a Tanzanian family run company, manufacturing sustainable and ethical agricultural products within the Southern Highlands of Tanzania the region where our grandparents were from. Inspiring the name of Mababu which is Swahili word for Ancestors, it is also the name of the Village we work with and keeps us connected to our roots. . We have a deep respect for people and the planet and the values of love, hard work, trust and mutual collaborations are embedded within our work. We work from tree to bar adding value to cocoa at origin producing high quality premium chocolate.

We are putting the humanity into inclusive business and its not always easy but we believe that business should have a positive benefit for both people and the environments we live in. Our Environmental, Social and Governance Policy shows the steps we continue to show that we prioritise the triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit.

Tanzania Bureau of Standards

Showing our chocolate meets international standards is very important to us. We have undergone international certification completing both microbial and chemistry tests for our chocolate products and inspections of our manufacturing facility

The Process

  • Planting the Cocoa Tree

    It all starts with a seed or a seedling. Once planted it will take between 3 and 5 years for a tree to fruit. For the first 3 years cocoa the seedlings need looking after. Once flowers are being produced it should take around 6 months before you can harvest a ripened pod.

  • Harvesting

    Harvesting is when the fruits are removed from the tree. In most locations in Africa this is heavy labour and done manually. Pods are cut open with a machete and the white fruity pulp and seeds are extracted from the pod husk.

  • Cocoa Fermenting

    Fermenting

    Raw cocoa is very bitter and and has an astringent taste. Fermentation is process that is driven by a mix of chemical, enzymatic and physicochemical reactions and very important for developing the chocolate flavours we know and love. Beans are placed in wooden boxes for a total of 6 days to ensure

  • Kyela Cocoa Drying

    Drying

    The cocoa drying process is also an important process to ensure the quality of the Cocoa. There are many methods that can be used, we use Solar Drying methods. Drying can take between 5-10 days, rainy seasons and humidity will impact the length of time.

  • Roasting

    The cocoa beans are then roasted to develop the colour and flavour of fine chocolate. Different

    roasting processes and temperatures produce a varying end product.

  • Winnowing

    The shells are removed, and the inside of the cocoa bean is then broken up into “nibs”. The nibs are

    then sieved into varying sizes by a process called winnowing.

  • Grinding

    After the nibs are sorted, it is ground into cocoa liquor, which is an unsweetened cocoa mass. The

    grinding generates heat which melts the fat contained in the nibs and the granular solid nibs are

    converted to a liquid.

  • Tempering

    Tempering is a process to change the chemical structure of the cocoa liquor. The tempering process requires that we melt the chocolate to a temperature at which all the crystals have melted. We then lower the temperature and agitate to grow new crystals, both good and bad. Then, we raise the temperature slightly to melt out just the bad ones.

  • Moulding

    We then mould the chocolate using polycarbonate moulds or a hollow container. Liquid chocolate coats the sides of the mould, and the mould can either be filled completely with chocolate or coated thinly so that the final product will be either solid or hollow.

  • Finished Products

    After making our Chocolate, Cocoa Powder and Butter we have a range of finished products. Head over to our shop to see our selection and place your order.