Lost & Found Chocolate Bar: Fortunato No. 4, Pure Nacional, the World's Rarest Cacao
The Story. In the 1800's, Pure Nacional, Fortunato No. 4 chocolate was synonymous with fine chocolate and was the dominant fine chocolate of its day.
Lost. Latin American cacao trees were struck by diseases in 1916. Within three years, 95% were destroyed and less than 5% remained, leaving a void in the chocolate world. This fine chocolate was thought be forever lost .
Found. Then in 2007, Dan Pearson and Brian Horsley stumbled upon trees with large football-shaped fruit pods in a remote Marañón Canyon in the Peruvian Naćional Valley. Many pods contained 40% white and 60% purple beans, and in some, 100% white beans. In short, these pods contained the same variety of cacao beans, the rarest in the world, as the Pure Nacional, and was named Fortunato No.4.
The Fortunato No.4 name derives from two facts: first, the Pure Nacional "mother tree" was found in the Marañon River Canyon on the property of the Fortunato family and second, the USDA declared the fourth genetic sample tested to be the legendary lost cacao.
Now you can taste the full intense flavour of this natural chocolate that some have hailed as the best chocolate in the world. 68% cocoa, its rich, smooth texture and lack of bitterness make this a legendary chocolate. Each morsel is a nugget of chocolate heaven!
Gem Chocolates is pleased to bring this exquisite chocolate to you. The Lost & Found chocolate bar is made with the only three ingredients for chocolate any fine chocolate should contain: cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cane sugar.
Lost & Found won Gold Medals for Best Dark Chocolate Bar, Best Taste and Best Texture, and a Silver Medal as Top Chocolate Bar at the 2013 Top Chocolate Bar Awards in California.
Anthony Bourdain televised an episode for "Parts Unknown" featuring Marañón's Pure Nacional Cacao. As a result of this show, the producer is sold out of this magnificent chocolate until September 2015! We are fortunate to have sufficient supply for our customers, which should see us through until September when we will receive another shipment.