Discover Exquisite Chocolate Creations
Elevate Your Creations with Guittard Chocolate
Explore our range of Guittard’s premium chocolate, crafted to perfection for culinary excellence.
Guittard's Legacy of Excellence
You don’t have to travel halfway around the world to find the world’s best chocolate – though this was exactly how Etienne Guittard discovered his true calling. After arriving in San Francisco from France for the California gold rush, the trained chocolate maker discovered the French chocolate he’d brought to trade for mining supplies was its own kind of gold. After going back to France and saving up enough money for equipment, he opened Guittard Chocolate Company on San Francisco’s Sansome Street in 1868. Ever since then, Guittard chocolate has been the choice of millions looking to eat, drink and bake with some of the most delicious chocolate known to man.
Guittard’s craft is as much about making beautifully tasting chocolate as it is about supporting the people and preserving the places behind what they product. As the fifth generation joins the company, Gary, Amy, and Jesse Guittard continues to find more ways to support, explore and grow with the extended family of customers, co-workers, farmers, and suppliers.
Unparalleled Quality
Artisanal Craftsmanship
Each creation is meticulously crafted to ensure superior taste and aesthetic appeal.
Versatile Form Factors
Guittard’s chocolates come in a variety of shapes and sizes, perfect for any culinary creation.
Dairy Free, Kosher Pareve, and Vegan Certified Options
Guittard operates a modern production facility with a dedicated line that is vegan certified, dairy free, and kosher pareve. This allows Guittard to better meet the needs of today’s consumers
Explore Guittard's "Farm-To-Bar" Process
Guittard's Bean-To-Bar Process
For over five generations, Guittard fosters a collaborative environment where ethically sourced ingredients and meaningful partnerships come together to create exceptional, high-quality chocolate. This dedication to craftsmanship has been their hallmark since 1868.
Harvesting of Pods
Cacao beans are harvested throughout the year, mainly from October to March. This allows each pod to reach perfect ripeness. After harvesting, the pods are opened to extract the beans, which are enveloped in a flavorful white pulp. This pulp offers a range of taste profiles that vary by bean variety, showcasing tart, sweet, bright, and floral notes, all contributing to its complex and delicious flavor.
Fermenting Beans
Farmers then ferment the beans to break down bitter compounds, enhancing flavors and colors. Various origins have unique traditions. For instance, Latin America typically uses box fermentation, while West Africa commonly employs heap fermentation.
Sun-Drying Beans
Growers naturally dry the beans in the sun, often raking them into traditional patterns. The sun-drying process enhances the chocolate’s natural flavor and sidesteps issues found with other methods. Guittard chocolate primarily uses sun-dried beans.
Roasting, Winnowing & Grinding
Guittard roasts sun-dried cacao beans, winnows them, and slowly grinds them into fine particles to create a dark, bitter liquid known as chocolate liquor or cocoa mass.
Blending & Refining
Additional ingredients like sugar, cocoa butter, and milk (for milk chocolate) may be included at this stage, resulting in a thick chocolate that is then further refined to achieve a smooth consistency.
Conching
Conching is essential for flavor development, enhancing the chocolate’s nuances and complexities. With over 150 years of expertise, Guittard’s conching formulas have been refined and passed down through five generations.
Tempering & Molding
Lastly, the chocolate undergoes a meticulous tempering process to ensure an ideal texture before being shaped into bars, wafers, and chips!
What Our Customers Are Saying
Guittard Semisweet Dark Chocolate Wafers with Nonpareils
“I’ve tried others. . . always come back to these. . . no comparison! These are the best! Always fresh and arrive quickly! My brother calls them his ‘survival’ food. . . lol! Love them!”
Guittard Dark Chocolate Decoratifs®
“If you are looking for a sprinkle to decorate or add a crunch to a favorite ice cream or cake or whatever, this is it. These Guittard Decoratifs are not waxy and you can actually taste the chocolate and have a lovely crunch.”
Guittard Grand Cacao Drinking Chocolate
“We drink this hot chocolate exclusively because there isn’t any better in the world. We drink it every morning every day of the year. It is hard to even express what a great hot chocolate it makes. If you truly love hot chocolate, this beats any any hot chocolate ANYWHERE!!!!”
Explore Guittard's Chocolate Creations
Guittard's Gallery
Indulge in Guittard's Exquisite Chocolate Selection
Experience the exquisite taste of Guittard Chocolate. Enhance your palate with their expertly crafted courverture, each embodying a legacy of tradition and superior quality.
