Central American Competition 2018 – Grand Jury Finalists

The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Grand Jury Finalists of the second Central America support Competition which was held on 1 – 5 December, in Guatemal City, Guatemala.

The Grand Jury Finalists are the entries that made it through to the final Grand Jury round, following five days of judging, which included judges from the UK, USA, Europe and Asia and members of our international Grand Jury panel. The panel was made up of chocolate experts, pastry chefs, journalists, restaurant reviewers, bloggers, culinary educators and chefs.

The Finalists are the nominations from which the Grand Jury select the prize winners, through private voting. The Grand Jury follow strict rules, which you can read here (PDF).

While listing as a Grand Jury Finalist is an achievement in itself, it does not necessarily indicate that the entry will receive a prize.

The 2018 Central American competition Finalists are:

(In alphabetical order within each category)


Plain/origin bars

Plain/origin dark chocolate bars

Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) - Criollo Marfil - La Rioja
Zucoleto (Honduras) - Chocolate Oscuro 70%
Tropical Chocolate Café (Panama) - Tropical Chocolate 70%
Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate (Honduras) - 65% Chocolate Oscuro
Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) - Soconusco
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - San José Real de La Carrera 65%
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - San José Real de La Carrera 75%
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - San José Real de La Carrera 70%
Wolter (Mexico) - Quetzalli 85%
Kotowa Chocolate Victoria (Panama) - Chocolate oscuro 70%
Wolter (Mexico) - Quetzalli wolter
Wolter (Mexico) - Quetzalli uranga
Nahua (Costa Rica) - Dark 70% Upala
Nahua (Costa Rica) - Dark 70% Upala & Guatuso
Fabrica de Chocolate Momotombo (Nicaragua) - Tableta Oscuro 70%
Fabrica de Chocolate Momotombo (Nicaragua) - Tableta 80% Tuma La Dalia
Fabrica de Chocolate Momotombo (Nicaragua) - Tableta Oscuro 70% Rio Waslala
Fabrica de Chocolate Momotombo (Nicaragua) - Tableta Oscuro 70% Rio San Juan
Fabrica de Chocolate Momotombo (Nicaragua) - Tableta Oscuro 70% Waslala

Micro-batch - Plain/origin dark chocolate bars

Zaguate Chocolate (Costa Rica) - Zaguate Chocolate Lot #12
Maleku Chocolate (Costa Rica) - Maleku Chocolate Dark 75%
Maleku Chocolate (Costa Rica) - Tenorio Dark 70%
XKIK’ chocolate de origen (Mexico) - 75% cacao, Galeana
XKIK’ chocolate de origen (Mexico) - 65% Cacao, Sarabia
XKIK’ chocolate de origen (Mexico) - 65% Cacao, Plantación El Rocío
XKIK’ chocolate de origen (Mexico) - 65% Cacao, Galeana
Le Caméléon (Mexico) - Blanco Marfil 75% Cacao
Kakaw Museo (Mexico) - Xocolate Chiapas - Soconusco 70
Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - Finca San Juan 82% Dark
Nahua (Costa Rica) - Dark 70% Upala & Guatuso

High % plain/origin dark chocolate bars (85% and over)

Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - San José Real de La Carrera 85%
Maleku Chocolate (Costa Rica) - Upala Single Origin 85%
Kakaw Museo (Mexico) - Xocolate Chiapas - Rioja 85
Nahua (Costa Rica) - Dark 90% Upala
Sibö Chocolate Costa Rica (Costa Rica) - Guacimo-Talamanca 100%
Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Xiquipil 85% Finca La Catarina
Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Xiquipil 85% Finca La Cruz

Plain/origin dark chocolate bars made with alternative natural sugar

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate (Honduras) - 75% Chocolate Oscuro con Panela
Nahua (Costa Rica) - Dark 70% Candid

Plain/origin milk chocolate bars

Zucoleto (Honduras) - Chocolate con leche 45%

Plain/origin 'dark' milk chocolate bars (50% and over)

Maleku Chocolate (Costa Rica) - Maleku Chocolate 60% Milk
Maleku Chocolate (Costa Rica) - Bijagua 56% semi-dark Milk
Sibö Chocolate Costa Rica (Costa Rica) - Talamanca 63%
Fabrica de Chocolate Momotombo (Nicaragua) - Tableta Fino de Leche
Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Xiquipil 65% Dark Milk San Jose del Real de La Carrera

Micro-batch - Plain/origin milk chocolate bars

Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - Maya Rojo Milk

Plain/origin white chocolate bars

Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - White Chocolate

Flavoured bars

Dark chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring

Wolter (Mexico) - Quetzalli Criollo Pasión 70%
Wolter (Mexico) - Quetzalli Piña
Nahua (Costa Rica) - Dark 70% Ginger
Nahua (Costa Rica) - Dark 70% Orange
Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Xiquipil 50% Mocha Guanaca San Jose/Ayutepeque

Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Tropical Chocolate Café (Panama) - Tropical Chocolate 65%
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Tableta de Chocolate 75% Cacao Con Gengibre y Galleta
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Tableta de Chocolate Oscuro con Banano
Sibö Chocolate Costa Rica (Costa Rica) - Roasted Almond 70%

Dark chocolate bars with a filling

Nahua (Costa Rica) - Dark 70% Passion Fruit

Rough ground flavoured dark chocolate bars

Cacao Junajpu (Guatemala) - Rustico Mayan Spice Cacao Bar

Milk chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring

Maleku Chocolate (Costa Rica) - Lava - 56% Milk Chocolate with nutmeg & Chili
Maleku Chocolate (Costa Rica) - Maleku Chocolate 60% Milk Chili

Milk chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Estukurú (Costa Rica) - Tableta chocolate con leche y maní garapiñado
Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - Milk Chocolate with Smoked Chile and Whole Cacao Beans

White chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate (Honduras) - Chocolate Blanco con Limon y Sal Rosada

White chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Maleku Chocolate (Costa Rica) - Cañas, white 40% with cacao nibs
Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - White with Nibs
Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - Coco/Nibs with White and Milk
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Tableta de Chocolate Blanco Con Frambuesa

Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles

Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles

Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - Zacapa Centenario
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Trufa De Chocolate Oscuro 75% Cacao con Nibs
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Bombón Flor de Azahar ( Orange Blossom )
Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Shaw's Mayaland Flor de Jamaica Truffle

Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles

Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - Maracuyá y Chocolate de Leche

Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles

Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - Trufa de Chocolate Blanco Caramelizado
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Bombón de Mantequilla

Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling

Wolter (Mexico) - bombón de mezcal y balsámico
Kakaw Museo (Mexico) - Napana: Maracuya & Almendra By Chriss Macbeth
Danta Chocolate (Guatemala) - Horchata Praliné
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Bombón de Fresa y Albahaca
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Bombón de Cardamomo y Café
Sibö Chocolate Costa Rica (Costa Rica) - Rompope truffle

Nuts

Nut based pralines with dark chocolate

Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Bombón deMantquilla de Maní y Caramelo de Laurel
Xocolatisimo (El Salvador) - Bombón de Almendra y Galleta de Gengibre

Nut based pralines with milk chocolate

Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Shaw's Caramelized Macadamia

Caramels

Dark chocolate enrobed caramels

Nahua (Costa Rica) - Praline Vainilla
Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Shaw's Creme Caramel with Sea Salt

Milk chocolate enrobed caramels

Sibö Chocolate Costa Rica (Costa Rica) - Café Irlandés caramel

Others - fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc

Dark chocolate enrobed fruit pastes, jellies/gelée

Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Shaw's Mayaland Tamarind Truffle

Dark chocolate enrobed whole fruit

Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Shaw's Cascara de Naranja
Cacaoterra/Xiquipil (El Salvador) - Cacaoterra/Shaw's Cranberry Dragée

Spreads

Spreads with milk chocolate

El Bastión (Mexico) - EL BASTIÓN CREMA DE CHOCOLATE

Drinks with dark chocolate

Dark drinking chocolate (made with water)

Cacao Junajpu (Guatemala) - Mayan Spice Sipping Cacao
Giocolato (Guatemala) - Giocolato/cocolato
Xbalan'ke (Guatemala) - Xbalan'Ke Artisanal chocolate powder
Chocolate Doña Mari (Guatemala) - Chocolate en tableta de sabor Almendra
Chocolate Doña Mari (Guatemala) - Chocolate en tableta de sabor vainilla
Chocolate Doña Mari (Guatemala) - Chocolate en tableta sin sabor
Chocolate Doña Mari (Guatemala) - Chocolate en tableta amargo al 70% de cacao
Chocolate Doña Mari (Guatemala) - Chocolate en tableta, 100% de caca0

Dark drinking chocolate (made with milk)

Wolter (Mexico) - Metate chile y pimienta
Wolter (Mexico) - Metate café cacao
Nahua (Costa Rica) - Tibio de Cartago

Alcoholic drinks

Alcoholic drinks/liquors made with chocolate or cacao

Licores Don Juan (Nicaragua) - Licor de Cacao Clasico
Licores Don Juan (Nicaragua) - Licor de Cacao Especial
Licores Don Juan (Nicaragua) - LIKAO
Licores Don Juan (Nicaragua) - Likao con stevia