Costa Mesa Hosts a Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Tasting Experience

On May 31, Costa Mesa hosted a bean-to-bar chocolate tasting led by Olha Yaloza, marking her first public event dedicated to the subject and introducing local guests to a different way of thinking about chocolate.

Rather than focusing on chocolate as a sweet treat, the event explored it as an agricultural product shaped by origin, fermentation, roasting, and craftsmanship. Through guided tasting, education, and discussion, participants were invited to experience chocolate much like wine, coffee, or olive oil – through the lens of terroir, origin, and flavor development.

A presentation contrasted mass-market chocolate with bean-to-bar chocolate, highlighting the differences in sourcing, production methods, traceability, and flavor development. While conventional chocolate often blends cacao from multiple origins to achieve consistency, bean-to-bar makers work with carefully selected cacao and small-batch production to express the unique character of a particular region or farm.

Participants were introduced to raw cacao beans before moving through a guided tasting flight featuring chocolates from makers across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Brands included Soma (Canada), Qantu (Canada), Dandelion (USA), Luisa Abram (Brazil), Firetree (England), and Fossa (Singapore).

Guests were encouraged to observe appearance, listen for the snap, evaluate aroma, allow the chocolate to melt slowly, and identify flavor notes using a sensory tasting wheel. Floral, woody, nutty, fruity, vegetal, spicy, and acidic characteristics emerged throughout the tasting, demonstrating how dramatically chocolate can vary depending on cacao variety, fermentation, origin, and craftsmanship.

One of the most interesting discoveries was how different two chocolates with the same cacao percentage could taste. Despite many bars being around 70% cacao, flavor profiles ranged from bright and fruit-forward to earthy, floral, nutty, or deeply roasted. The exercise challenged the common assumption that chocolate intensity is determined solely by cacao percentage.

Behind every bar is a chain of decisions involving farmers, fermenters, roasters, makers, and tasters. What emerged throughout the evening was not simply a lesson about chocolate, but a deeper appreciation for the people and processes that shape flavor long before a product reaches the table.

As interest in ingredient sourcing, transparency, and food craftsmanship continues to grow, events like this offer an opportunity to slow down, taste more intentionally, and better understand the stories behind what we consume.

By Iryna Kolosvetova

Event Hosted by: Olha Yaloza, U4U Chocolates
Venue: Thyme Well Spent, Costa Mesa
Photography: Tonya Yaloza