Bean to bar

Míša's Chocolate: Authentic Czech Artisanal Bean-to-Bar Chocolate

Míša's Chocolate is a Czech chocolate manufactory founded in 2015 by Míša Dohnálková. We produce all our chocolates directly from cocoa beans using the bean-to-bar method—from the bean to the bar. We carefully select and import the finest cocoa beans from around the world ourselves and process them gently to preserve their unique flavor notes. We care about nature, sustainability, and fair prices for farmers; thanks to this, we create artisanal chocolate that is completely different in taste and quality from common industrial chocolate.

What Does Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Mean?

Bean-to-bar literally means "from the cocoa bean to the chocolate bar." It refers to chocolate that the maker processes from their own cocoa beans in one place from start to finish—unlike large factories or chocolatiers who often use ready-made industrial cocoa mass. With bean-to-bar production, we have full control over every step, allowing us to achieve unique quality and flavor. Míša's Chocolate also produces all its bars using this honest method, where we can adjust every detail of the process to let the natural taste of cocoa shine.

How does the bean-to-bar chocolate production work at Míša's Chocolate? The process takes several days and includes multiple stages, each contributing to the final taste:

• Selection and Roasting: Only premium cocoa beans enter production. After import, we sort them by hand and then roast them gently—each variety requires a specific temperature and roasting duration to optimally develop its flavor.

• Crushing and Grinding: Roasted beans are crushed and ground in a traditional stone-wheel melangeur for several days at a time. Slow grinding and conching ensure a smooth texture, the removal of bitterness, and the development of rich flavor nuances.

• Tempering and Manual Molding: After resting, the chocolate mass is tempered—repeatedly heated and cooled to create the correct crystalline structure of the cocoa butter. Properly tempered chocolate is then poured into molds, allowed to solidify, and finally, each bar is manually tapped out of the mold and wrapped. Tempering makes the chocolate glossy and gives it a beautiful snap when broken.

This artisanal way of manufacturing from bean to bar allows us to influence the final taste at every step. Bean-to-bar chocolate can thus surprise you with a rich palette of flavor notes—it doesn't have to be bitter at all; on the contrary, you might taste fruity, floral, caramel, or nutty notes. The result is an intense flavor with low sugar content, elevating chocolate to a gourmet experience.

Quality Ingredients and the Origin of Cocoa Beans

The foundation of every Míša's Chocolate bar is high-quality cocoa beans from verified sources. We purchase and import the beans ourselves directly from farmers, cooperatives, or trusted suppliers—instead of anonymous bags of commodity cocoa, we choose specific varieties with exceptional flavor. After arriving at the manufactory, all beans are manually sorted once more to ensure that only the very best make it into production.

Míša's Chocolate produces all its bars as single origin, meaning the beans come from a single region or plantation. This allows the unique character of that specific cocoa to stand out—for example, our chocolates from Tanzania, Nicaragua, the Solomon Islands, Madagascar, or Vietnam each have distinct flavor notes ranging from citrus and fruit to floral and nutty. This distinct origin gives each artisanal chocolate its own "terroir," much like fine wines.

Ethics and sustainability are equally important to us. We care about the conditions under which the cocoa was grown and pay farmers fair prices. Míša's Chocolate only orders beans from farms that we know do not support child labor and that prioritize environmentally friendly cultivation. As a customer, you can feel good knowing that every bar purchased supports honest growers and the responsible production of high-quality chocolate.

Clean Composition and Rich Flavor vs. Regular Chocolate

Artisanal bean-to-bar chocolate is exceptional not only for its origin story but also for its ingredients and taste. Compared to common commercial chocolate full of substitutes and sugar, it offers pure ingredients and an intense flavor experience:

• Minimal Ingredients: To produce real bean-to-bar chocolate, only three basic ingredients are often needed—quality cocoa beans, cocoa butter, and a bit of cane sugar (plus milk for milk chocolate). We don't need any substitutes or additives.

• No Chemicals or Substitutes: Artisanal chocolate contains no artificial preservatives, flavorings, or colorings, and it does without added emulsifiers like soy lecithin. You won't find palm oil in it either—we exclusively use cocoa butter, which is a natural part of the beans. In contrast, industrial chocolates often contain cheap fats, artificial flavorings, and stabilizers that degrade the final taste.

• More Cocoa, Less Sugar: Bean-to-bar chocolates tend to have a significantly higher cocoa content and less sugar than ordinary confectionery. This makes them more flavorful and richer in beneficial substances (antioxidants, minerals). Even lovers of healthier snacking will appreciate quality chocolate that isn't unnecessarily oversweetened.

• Rich Flavor Profile: Thanks to premium ingredients and slow artisanal processing, bean-to-bar chocolate has an incomparably richer taste. Every bite can surprise you with a palette of notes—from fruity and floral to caramel and nutty. You will notice the difference from the uniform taste of supermarket chocolate at the first bite.

Artisanal bean-to-bar chocolate offers a more authentic and higher-quality experience. It is the result of careful manual work and premium ingredients, whereas regular industrial chocolate is often a product of pressure for low prices—often at the expense of taste and production ethics. Míša's Chocolate gives you the chance to taste real chocolate as it should taste—pure, honest, and full of the natural flavor of cocoa.

Achievements and Awards: Czech Chocolate of World-Class Quality

With its emphasis on quality, Míša's Chocolate soon joined the ranks of world-renowned chocolates. Our chocolate bars regularly win medals at the most prestigious international competitions. Since 2017, Míša's chocolates have collected over 60 awards worldwide, including gold medals from the Academy of Chocolate Awards and the International Chocolate Awards. We were also the first Czech chocolate factory in history to receive the highest possible award—three stars—in the British gourmet competition Great Taste Awards.

These achievements are not just numbers, but proof of the world-class level of our Czech chocolate. For example, the Sametová (Velvet) chocolate (created for the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution) received the full 3 stars in the Great Taste competition—the first Czech chocolate ever to do so. Our other bars, such as Tanzania 100% Dark Chocolate, Madagascar 58.5% Milk Chocolate with Czech Blueberries, or Vietnam 70% Dark Chocolate, won gold medals at the Academy of Chocolate world competition in London. We remain the only Czech chocolate factory to have won gold in the entire history of this prestigious competition.

Repeated success in international competitions confirms that we are on the right path, maintaining the highest possible quality and craftsmanship. Behind every medal are top-tier ingredients and the passion with which we create our chocolate. Every Míša's Chocolate bar is the result of manual work, patience, and maximum care—you can tell by its gloss, the loud snap when broken, and above all, the rich flavor that unfolds on your tongue.

Taste Exceptional Czech Chocolate Yourself!

Theory is one thing, but nothing beats tasting. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the difference between an ordinary sweet and authentic bean-to-bar chocolate from our workshop. Choose one of our award-winning bars in the Míša's Chocolate e-shop or take part in one of our chocolate tastings, where we will guide you through the entire story of chocolate from bean to bar. Join the many satisfied chocoholics who have discovered the magic of Czech bean-to-bar chocolate. Your taste buds will thank you! :-)