Art Pollard is the man behind the beans at Amano Chocolate, which means "by hand" in Italian. Originally in software, his passion for making incredible chocolate got the better of him. Only available to the public since 2006, he and his business partner Clark Goble produce award-winning bean-to-bar chocolate by hand-selecting the world's finest beans for the small batches of chocolate they create for the world to enjoy.

The business is based in Orem, UT. They believe the town's dry climate and high altitude benefit the product. At 4,441 feet above sea level, Amano is one of the highest altitude chocolate manufacturers in the world!

A lot of work goes into making Amano chocolate. Unlike most chocolate companies, Amano makes all of their own chocolate from scratch, starting with the world's finest and rarest cocoa beans, we then transform them into luxurious chocolate. As explained in Is Organic Really Better?, Art works with cacao farmers to improve their techniques and to be careful stewards of the land. They travel to the plantations, work with the farmers, spend time with their families, and buy and import the beans themselves.

According to Art, "Amano always pays farmers and co-ops significantly more for their product than is set by the 'fair trade' organizations. It is a very costly and lengthy process for a farmer to become fair-trade certified, and most simply can't afford it. We believe in paying a premium price for premium cocoa beans--typically three to four times the London Cocoa Terminal Market price. This ensures that we obtain the highest quality beans available and that the farmers we buy from can provide for their families. We don't pay the prices we pay to get a label on our package. We do it because it is the right thing to do."

Here is what Amano says about their business:
"Amano Artisan Chocolate was founded on the premise that chocolate lovers deserved a product worthy of their passion, and creating that product requires a devotion to detail and quality that begins at the source of the beans, carries through the small-batch, handmade manufacturing process, and ends with Ocumare and Madagascar Single Origin Chocolate bars that exceed even Art Pollard's exacting expectations."

Try Amano for yourself and see what you think.

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