Valrhona is introducing Hukambi 53%, the first ombré couverture, exclusively for our Cercle V customers in 2022.
Dare the unknown
Valrhona is introducing Hukambi 53%, the first ombré couverture. A chocolate that is free from gastronomy’s established conventions, with a luminous and intriguing indulgence blended with powerful Brazilian cocoa flavors.
Reveal all the ideas you have never dared to express and redefine your creativity.
BETWEEN DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT: A NEW OMBRÉ DIMENSION
Indulgent: thanks to its combination of Brazilian cocoa, French milk and Madagascan vanilla, this chocolate’s powerful cocoa flavor blends beautifully with the sweetness of the milk.
Unexpected: this bitter yet subtly sweet chocolate offers surprising notes of fruit and cookies, creating all-new flavor sensations.
Exploratory: this chocolate is an invitation to discover a new aromatic territory.
Sensory profile
MAJOR CHARACTERISTIC: COCOA-RICH MINOR NOTE: CEREALS UNIQUE NOTE: BITTERNESS
Hukambi’s surprising blend of cocoa, bitter and slightly biscuit-inflected notes ushers us in to discover the mysteries of the fauna and flora living in the shadows of Brazil’s ancient forests.
Hukambi is a chocolate that brings together all the indulgence and pleasure of rounded cocoa notes. The intense cocoa and milk aspects to its character mean it can be used to create very flavorsome desserts and interesting blends of different tastes.
The name “Hukambi” is a contraction of the words for black (“Hu”) and milk (“Kambi”) in Tupi-Guarani, a language spoken by one of the indigenous peoples living in Brazil’s Mata Atlantica.
Brazil, a land of culture
This continent-sized country has been forged by 500 years of history and is filled with colonial cities, tropical desert islands, Amazonian rain forests and countless other treasures. In this exceptional land, the Afro-Brazilian culture which moves to the rhythm of samba and bossa nova is matched by a characteristically wild landscape, remarkable beaches and the country’s famous carnivals.
Brazil, a cocoa-growing country
Brazil is one of the oldest cocoa producing countries. In the 1930s, Brazil was the world’s leading cocoa producer. It quickly lost this status, however, when a fungal disease struck in about the year 1990. Currently, Brazil is the fifth biggest producer country, growing 6% of the world’s cocoa.
Our partner M. Libânio
Valrhona first met M. Libânio in the state of Bahia in the late 2000s. He is driven by a philosophy that promotes harmony between people, soils and plants, so that all can live together in a sustainable environment. The company is located in one of the richest ecosystems in the world, the Mata Atlantica, an area which has been named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. M. Libânio’s employees use the “Cabruca” system, which involves allowing taller trees such as fruit trees to grow above smaller varieties such as cacaos. Recently, M. Libânio has developed a modern agroforestry system which grows cocoa under the shade cast by rubber trees. Today, their plantations are certified by the Rainforest Alliance.
