Chocoláctica is a refined sugar-free chocolate brand made in Amsterdam. Only made in micro batch, with different chocolate creations every season. All chocolates are sweetened with natural ingredients like pear or dates, and hand made by one woman: Claire-Marie Landré.
Claire-Marie is an autodidact plantbased confectioner. She is a traveler, a creator, an entrepreneur, a climber and has always been curious to investigate and learn new things:
'From a young age I have been cooking and baking. In South Africa, where I was born and raised, home made bakes and food, to share with friends and family is part of the culture.
My interest in healthy food also started at a young age. I have been studying Yoga, Ayurveda and other holistic practices since I was a teenager.'
This brought Claire-Marie to learn how to turn her food and bakes into delicious creations using only wholesome, natural ingredients:
'Food is one of our most direct links to nature. Because of my love for both nature and cooking I know now that actually, we cannot separate Nature and Food.'
'My first contact with the amazing cacao tree and it's fruit was in Bali.
I saw the fruit grow wild and tasted cacao nibs and raw chocolate for the first time. It made a lasting impact. When I moved to Ecuador in 2010 I was convinced that I would find some of the delicious cacao nibs or raw chocolate that I had tasted in Bali, but it turned out that I had to look very hard.
I could not find it, and was determined and decided I will try to make it myself. Through trial and error, all available Chocolate Tours in Ecuador, books and videos I learned how to make Raw Chocolate myself.
I started experimenting with the different derivatives of cacao: cacao powder, cacao butter and cacao paste. Over time I have learned different chocolate making techniques and I am still learning.
Since I do not use refined products, some techniques need to be adapted.
So aside from all the other things I am and do, I can proudly say I am an autodidact plantbased confectioner.
When I moved back to the Netherlands I decided to continue Chocoláctica. As a passion project. A project where I can continue to create, touch, interact with and learn about different ingredients.
Essentially, to interact and learn more about Nature.
I love to create new collections every season. Over time I have met different producers and traders
who provide me with amazing ingredients such as hazelnuts from Piedmont, almonds from Sicily, cinnamon from India or dates from Turkey. I still use cacao ingredients from Ecuador. I am happy to use the cacao butter and paste of Kuná, as I really support their products in the way they are made and their way of working with their employees and their community.
(We recently had an interview with co-founder and chocolatemaker of Kuná: Maria Andrade, check out the interview with Maria here.)
Through Chocoláctica I hope to learn more about nature, nature's ingredients and how to use and combine them. I also hope to inspire others to appreciate every bite of food and acknowledge where it comes from and the hands that created it. Chocoláctica is an evolving passion project. What it is now, it might not be in the future.'
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Where can I buy Chocolactica?
Enjoy the fine taste of Chocoláctica: visit our chocolate shop in Amsterdam's old city center (check Google Maps).
Or buy the Chocoláctica bonbon box online in our webshop here
Women in Chocolate
From March-May we highlight female cacao farmers and chocolate makers in our blog posts and on our social media. Read all about it here.
Claire-Marie's chocolates are available in the special 'Women in Chocolate Gift Box':
