When chocolate is more than just an indulgent treat.
Based in a small town in Eastern Lithuania, Chocolate Naive has put the country on the international foodie map with a range of award-winning products. The brainchild of Domantas Užpalis, the company stands out in the industry thanks to a complete dedication to quality, authenticity, and creativity. All of them linked to the founder’s lifelong passion for chocolate. “Chocolate is like my own life – both bitter and sweet. It has been a constant companion that has seen me grow from a carefree youth to a quixotic adult,” he explains.
A true “bean to bar” company, Chocolate Naive makes handcrafted bars to the highest standard of quality. The beans are sourced from small local producers, including from farmers who harvest extremely limited quantities per year. Although it celebrates the simplicity of the natural product, the company’s manufacturing process is complex. After sorting, roasting, and winnowing the beans, the team pre-grinds, grinds, and then refines them. Next comes the crucial part, of conching in two different stages to slightly soften the flavors of single-origin dark chocolate.
The brand also creates limited-edition products, ensuring that every bar is special and one-of-a-kind. For example, the Nano_Lot collection features exclusive beans as well as cacao harvested at different times during the year. The bars also come with information about the chocolate and the flavor profiles. In other collections, the brand added inventive blends of ingredients to enhance the taste of the cacao beans. Equator boasts tropical ingredients grown around the equator, including tahini, spices, or orange and licorice. Likewise, the Forager range takes tasters to a sensory wonderland of flavors, from kefir and bee pollen to porcini mushrooms. Instead of squares, the bars boast the brand’s logo, a molded unicycle rider. The packaging features the same design in muted or vibrant colors. Photographs© Chocolate Naive.
