PLAQ is built on marked, intense, tangy tastes. As much as artisanal know-how in chocolate making.
Long in the mouth, our PLAQ are a slap in the face that won't leave you indifferent. Faithful to a few cocoas at heart since our beginnings, we do not allow ourselves to be labeled. Convinced that a signature must be renewed.
Our most beautiful love story is you. At the counter of the factory-boutique, you gradually asked us for roundness and spices.
We listened to you. We went looking for a new suitor to match our harem of beloved cocoas. It seems we did well. Ransiki cocoa does it well for us. And you too. Explanations.
Ransiki cocoa, from the bean to the PLAQ
The Arfak Mountains in West Papua, South Manokwari Province , are home to the village of Ransiki. This is where the eponymous bean takes root.
Committed to the preservation of the tropical forest, the area promotes the development of sustainable jobs. Better still, it recognizes the rights of indigenous people.
Cocoa, present in the region for generations, naturally takes part in this preservation of natural resources. As well as the autonomy of local communities.
Indonesia has until now been known for its bulk cocoa. Things changed in 2017. That year, the nature and conservation setting of Ransiki saw the creation of the Eiber Suth cooperative. The latter now manages 200 inhabitants for around 200 hectares of cocoa tree cultivation in agroforestry. Ransiki cocoa beans are hybrids of Forastero and Trinitario cocoas from the Northern Amazon. Within the virtuous ecosystem of West Papua, they grow in the best possible conditions and give rise to an unprecedented aromatic richness.
Eiber Suth subsequently joined forces with Biji Kakao Trading, a company founded in 2018 by Carolina and Dejan Borisavljevic. Its mission? Select the best cocoas from Indonesia. No more no less. From then on, these two sustainable food enthusiasts, in love with the region, connected Indonesian cocoa producers with the best chocolate makers around the world.
But how do the paths of the PLAQ factory-boutique, located on rue du Nil in Paris, and Papua cross?
They met for the first time in 2019. When Sandra, co-founder of PLAQ, was in the same room as Dejan, co-founder of Biji Kakao Trading, during training at the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute ( FCCI ) organized in Amsterdam, The Cocoa Grader Intensive Training. PLAQ and Biji Kakao Trading are then at the same stage. In full gestation. The exchanges are rich and leave traces.
In 2021, both projects took off. PLAQ is looking for a round and spicy cocoa to expand its range. Sandra and Nicolas, co-founders of PLAQ, taste Ransiki cocoa, imported to Amsterdam by Biji Kakao Trading.
The crush is not long in coming. Floral, fruity, buttery, Ransiki cocoa beats its opponents hands down. And here PLAQ is closely linked to Biji Kakao Trading through regular deliveries of 52 kilo bags of Ransiki beans. And through the love of cocoa, of course.
What PLAQ likes about Ransiki cocoa
Ransiki cocoa is not tart, without giving up the presence of fruity notes. This is what first attracts Sandra, Nicolas but also Margherita, responsible for transforming the bean into chocolate.
Very stewed, even syrupy, its aromas of cooked fruit plunge it into a very cocoa, slightly spicy territory. Juicy, creamy, smooth, they evoke caramelized sugar. We think of regressive desserts: cookies, fondant or chocolate cream. A slight bitterness enhances this gourmet side on the finish. Like an old amber rum or a hot cider.
The presence of Ransiki cocoa, which has nothing to envy of other PLAQ cocoas: Kamili, Maya Mountain, Chuao, Idukki or Gran Nativo, is surrounded by great sweetness. So soft that we also offer it in very dark 84%.
Pure or as a coating for our cashew nuts, we never get tired of them. And neither do you.
Ransiki cocoa in the eye of PLAQ
At PLAQ, we can't wait to go to the lands of Ransiki cocoa. By closing your eyes while tasting, you can already believe yourself at the end of the world, right?
To your PLAQ.
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Ransiki cocoa beans from South Manokwari, West Papua (76%) and unrefined organic cane sugar from the state of São Paulo Brazil (24%). Without lecithin. Without cocoa butter.
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Ransiki cocoa beans from South Manokwari, West Papua (84%) and unrefined organic cane sugar from the state of São Paulo Brazil (16%). Without lecithin. Without cocoa butter.
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Sandra Mielenhausen and Nicolas Rozier-Chabert founded PLAQ in 2015. Guided by their love of chocolate, they surrounded themselves with Chloé Doutre-Roussel, Bean to bar ambassador, to open their factory-boutique in the 2nd borough of Paris. Made on site in limited quantities, PLAQ chocolate is pure, from its ingredients to its packaging, including its taste. After their signature product, PLAQ, a slab of chocolate without a square, they now offer their know-how in bars, drinks, pastries, rocks and coated dried fruits. For chocolate lovers, chefs who reinvent gastronomy and all those who share the love of things well done.
